Creamy potato and ramp soup

Do you forage? Foraging is something relatively new for me and it started when my husband introduced me to the ramp. 

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These little wild alliums are ready to eat in the spring and are fleeting like the spring wildflowers. They are delicious, pungent, and fill your house with the smell of onion and garlic. My husband and I were recently featured in our local paper in an article and recipe on foraging, specifically for ramps.  

This is the same recipe I wrote for the paper and since my husband brought home some ramps the other day, I figured I should make this soup again and get it up on my blog. 

While foraging is a wonderful way to get close to nature and your food, you must remember three important rules: 1) know what you are picking and eating; 2) only take a few (you don't want to decimate a patch); and 3) no trespassing. 

Ramps are often over-harvested. We get ours from a family members land and there are loads and loads of them that they've been sustainably harvesting for many years. Don't dig up whole patches of ramps or large clumps, or harvest them from small patches. Or, try using just the greens until you find a place to get the bulbs. 

This recipe will make a large pot of soup - enough for about 4-5 large bowls. You can make it in the slow cooker (which I did for this version) or on the stove (which I did in the article). 

 I served it topped with some finely sliced ramp greens, but you can also top it with some sour cream, minced parsley, and/or even a little cooked and crumbled bacon.

 
Creamy potato and ramp soup
2 cups ramp bulbs, roughly chopped
about 2-1/2 lbs. russet potatoes, unpeeled and roughly chopped
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
4 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth
sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
3 oz. cream cheese at room temperature, diced into cubes

Add all of the ingredients except the cream cheese to the slow cooker. Cook on low for about 6-8 hours.

Add the cream cheese. Puree to your desired consistency using a hand blender (or in batches in a regular blender). Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Garnish as desired.

If your soup is too thick, feel free to add more broth or a touch of water (even a little milk). If you have leftovers, you'll likely want to thin them out a little.