Lovage and Potato Soup
How well do you know the herb lovage? Have you tasted it, or is this a herb that you haven't met yet?
A hundred years ago, it was so popular you would probably find it in every stew or soup that was made, so one has to wonder what happened - why did this wonderful herb disappear from our kitchens?
Let's look at why it fell out of favour and why we should be bringing it back!
But, before we get there, here is a quick taste profile of lovage
Lovage has a very potent flavor, often described as a salty blend of celery and parsley with a touch of fennel seed. While this can be a culinary asset when used sparingly, it can also be overwhelming when it is used in excess.
But, when it is cooked in a soup or stew the flavour mellows into a wonderful salty herbiness that is totally different to anything else.
Raw, it is a little more pungent, but no less delicious, and topping a pasta or rice dish with a spoon of finely chopped lovage adds a special touch.
So what happened to this tasty herb?
First of all tastes changed, and milder herbs such as celery and parsley replaced the stronger flavoured plants. While lovage was great in soups and stews, celery was far more versatile, especially as culinary styles from all over the world were shared among countries.
Celery and parsley were also easier to grow and harvest on a commercial scale and needed far less space
And the final reason was a more practical one. In cottage gardens herbs had to be useful as food and medicine. Lovage is a good digestive remedy and also a diuretic, but so are many other plants. Its main function up until the 1900's was as a libido booster and when that was debunked, lovage was kicked out of its bed in more ways than one!
Now let's look at the reasons to start growing it
As I mentioned, the taste is fabulous. Fresh is always best, but you can dry or freeze the extra leaves.
It is quite a tall plant, and in the wild can grow up to 2 metres. I have never seen one that big, and mine gets to about 1 m high. Perhaps because I constantly cut the leaves off, but the plant doesn't seem to mind.
Bees love the flowers which makes it an excellent companion plant and it is pretty enough to grow in a flower bed.
Lovage Soup
I would grow lovage just to make this soup. I add fresh leaves at the end, but if you prefer a milder flavour leave them out.
Ingredients
2 cups potatoes
1 cup lovage leaves plus
½ cup lovage leaves
4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup cream
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Peel and chop the potatoes and place in a pot with the stock and 1 cup chopped lovage leaves
Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer.
Cook until the potatoes are very soft - about 30 minutes
Blend the soup until smooth and then return to the pot.
Chop the ½ cup lovage leaves very finely and add to the pot with the cream and lemon juice
Gently heat for 5 minutes
Season with salt and pepper
Serve with a strong flavoured bread such as rye
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