Zuppa di spinacini selvatici - Wild Spinach soup

The beginning of September is gloriously fruitful in the mountains.  I like picking wild mushrooms and berries,  without forgetting the last wild herbs, which are still good to make delicius dishes. There are still plenty of wild spinach around, so today I prepare a soup  inspired by a local recipe.

Making a dish with ingredients you personally harvest is quite rewarding as it connects you to the ground and to the life itself. 

With the help of my husband, I fill the basket with the wild spinach. It takes few minutes.

I discard the stems and the flowers on top and I wash the leaves before roughly chopping them.

I chop one large baking potato and one large onion and I sauté them in little oil (the original recipe would require butter, the natural alpine grease, but I want a lighter dish) for few minutes. Then I add milk and vegetable stock (half and half) and cook for half an hour. Eventually, I add my spinach and I cook for 5 minutes. For extra binding, I add two beaten eggs and remove the pan from the heat. A good sprinkle of Parmesan transforms the soup into a one-course meal.

Zuppa di spinacini selvatici - Wild Spinach Soup

250 g wild spinach leaves, chopped

1 large baking potato, peeled and chopped

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

300 ml milk

300 ml vegetable stock

2 eggs, beaten

60 g freshly grated Parmesan

Se salt

Black pepper

Extra virgin oil

Serves 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes

1. In a pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and sauté the potato and the onion for 5 minutes on medium heat with a pinch of salt, stirring continuously.

2. Add milk and stock, give a good stir and leave to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Incorporate the spinach and cook for another 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning.

4. Stir in the eggs and immediately remove from the heat.

5. Add the Parmesan and serve.