Recipes for Lovage Potato Soup & Lovage Vinegar

Savoury Spring Herb Has Intense Celery Flavour when Fresh or Dried

Jul 15, 2009 Heather Zorzini

Perennial lovage, popular in Medieval times, is enjoying a renaissance among herb lovers. It grows well in sun or shade, is easy to harvest and is a great salt substitute

Lovage (Levisticum officinale) is one of the first herbs to appear in the spring. It's tall, attractive, leafy stems continue to flourish throughout the summer. It can be added to almost any recipe calling for celery flavour.

Quick and Easy Recipe for Lovage & Potato Soup

A hand-held blender makes pureed soup preparation and clean-up even faster.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped
2 Cups potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 oz. spinach, washed, drained and chopped
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 oz. fresh lovage leaves
4 Cups chicken stock
salt and freshly ground pepper
a few fresh lovage leaves as garnish

Directions:

Saute the onion in butter over a moderate heat in a large saucepan
Add the potatoes and cook a few minutes longer
Add spinach and lovage leaves and saute a few minutes more
Add chicken stock
Simmer, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes
Puree soup in a food processor or with a hand-held blender
Add salt and pepper to taste and float a fresh lovage leaf on top

A splash of light cream or dollop of plain yogurt can be added to each bowl for a richer soup.

Makes four generous servings of lovage potato soup.

Recipe for Lovage Vinegar

This simple lovage recipe needs only a few days steeping to produce an intensely flavoured and delicately coloured vinegar. When presented in a lovely bottle along with pale pink chive blossom vinegar, it makes a charming and thoughtful hostess gift.

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup loosely packed lovage stems, leaves and flowers
1 1/2 Cups white vinegar

Directions:

Chop stems, leaves and flowers
Place in sterilized bottle
Add vinegar
Steep for 2 or three days
Remove and discard lovage

Recipe can be doubled and lovage vinegar can be stored in a cool, dark spot for up to 9 months. Another delicious and easy-to-make recipe is Ginger Vinegar.

Using Lovage Vinegar for Salads and as a Salt Substitute

Lovage vinegar adds a pleasant spring flavour to salad dressings year-round.

A tablespoon can be added when simmering chicken bones for stock. Vinegar reputedly draws the calcium from bones into the broth and also serves as a tasty salt substitute.

How to Preserve Lovage for Year-Round Use

Fresh lovage leaves dry very quickly. Only 7-10 days are needed to produce a supply that will last all year.

Harvest fresh lovage stalks
Tie with string or wrap with elastic
Hang upside down in a well-ventilated spot, away from direct sunlight
When thoroughly dried, discard stems and store leaves in a sterilized jar in a cool, dark spot

Packed in a pretty jar, dried lovage is a welcome addition to any pantry.

Fresh lovage leaves can also be frozen with water in ice cube trays and added as needed to soups, stews and broths..

The copyright of the article Recipes for Lovage Potato Soup & Lovage Vinegar in Herbs & Spices is owned by Heather Zorzini. Permission to republish Recipes for Lovage Potato Soup & Lovage Vinegar in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Lovage Plant