Bavarian Herb Soup (Krautlsuppe)
Ingredients
1 lb herbs *
4 T butter
1 lg onion,chopped
1 qt water (or vegetable stock)
1 lg potato,peeled and chopped into small cubes
Cooking Instructions
salt and pepper bread cubes for croutons
* at least 3 of these: chervil, watercress, spinach, sorrel
(dandelion and pimpernel for brave souls) Bitter herbs are
traditionally eaten at Easter in Christian countries as a sign of
penitence. This Bavarian soup is served on Easter Thursday, known as
Maundy Thursday. Fresh chervil, easily available in any German
market, is usually the dominating flavor. This is a delicate
fresh-tasting soup for any time of the year.
You will need a large saucepan. Pick over and wash the herbs,
stripping the leaves from those stalks which are too woody. Chop the
rest.
Melt the butter in a deep pan and fry the onion gently until
transparent. Add the herbs and sweat them for a moment before you
pour in the water or broth. Add the potato to the soup. Bring the
soup to a boil, and then turn down the heat. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Mash the potato in the soup to thicken it a little. Taste, and add
salt and freshly milled pepper.
Serve with bread croutons fried in butter or bacon fat (goose fat is
even better). They should be so hot that they sizzle when they are
added to the hot soup at the table.
Serves 4.
My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” (Psalms 42:3)