Wild garlic – also known as bear’s garlic – is one of the most popular spring herbs. However, its high season is short: It begins at the end of March and ends in early May. Fresh wild garlic can be harvested either in the forest or on meadows or be planted by yourself in the herb garden. Wild garlic recipes are extremely versatile and will please any lover of the light spring cuisine.
The green all-rounder is perfect for herb butter, a classic cream soup, spicy pesto or as a flavorful companion for main dishes. Its delicate garlic aroma makes all dishes a refined taste sensation for your guests.
Wild garlic recipe no. 1: Spicy wild garlic butter
Whether as part of an appetizer or as an accompaniment to the bread basket – fresh wild garlic butter is highly popular and very easy to make yourself. The spicy-creamy butter spread requires a chunk of soft butter, fresh wild garlic, some lemon or lime zest, sea salt, pepper and a little olive oil. In the first step, the wild garlic is finely chopped and then thoroughly mixed with the other ingredients. The prepared wild garlic butter can be served on small serving bowls or in tubes with bread, ciabatta or baguette, or also be frozen for later consumption.
Wild garlic recipe no. 2: Creamy wild garlic soup
Ideal as an appetizer for cool spring evenings – the wild garlic cream soup impresses with a powerful flavor and a garlicky taste. The preparation is quick and easy, and the vegan alternative is also an absolute treat for the palate. First, sauté onions, potatoes and green onions for a few minutes in a pot with a little olive oil. Then deglaze everything with vegetable broth and infuse with cream or a vegetable alternative.
Finally, add the finely chopped wild garlic leaves and season with a little lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 20 minutes and then finely puree. The wild garlic cream soup can be garnished with beet chips, roasted pine nuts, wild garlic leaves and olive oil and served in deep soup plates.
Wild garlic recipe no. 3: Classic wild garlic pesto
Wild garlic pesto is great as a spread for crispy bruschetta, as a sauce with pasta, with vegetables, with salad or as a garnish for grilled steak, chicken or fish. It adds a creamy tart note and fresh flavor to all dishes. For wild garlic pesto, first coarsely chop the wild garlic, parsley leaves and roasted pine nuts, pistachios or almond leaves.
Then add freshly grated Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, olive oil and a little lemon juice. Finally, mix everything well and puree – the healthy wild garlic pesto is now ready. Especially suitable for storage in the refrigerator are glass containers with swing top, which keep the pesto fresh longer and allow for optimal portioning.
Wild garlic recipe no. 4: Flavorful wild garlic gnocchi
Wild garlic goes well with all savory dishes and gives them a particularly delicious flavor. Green gnocchi with wild garlic not only make a visual impression, but also taste wonderful and are made in no time at all. To make wild garlic gnocchi, simply mix pureed wild garlic leaves into cooked potato mixture and add flour and potato starch to make a smooth dough. After that, the mixture is rolled out and cut into lozenges.
The gnocchi must steep in boiling salted water for a few minutes until they begin to float to the surface. The wild garlic gnocchi can be served on flat dinner plates with butter pre-melted in some lemon or orange zest, fresh Parmesan cheese, wild garlic leaves as well as roasted pine nuts.
Wild garlic recipe no. 5: Ravioli with wild garlic ricotta stuffing
It is time for a greeting from the Italian spring. Ravioli are a true classic of the Italian cuisine and enjoy great popularity among restaurant guests. With a creamy wild garlic ricotta stuffing and topped with homemade lemon butter, they taste especially good. Simply knead the classic ravioli dough with flour, eggs, water, salt and olive oil and let it rest for half an hour in plastic wrap at room temperature.
For the wild garlic ricotta stuffing, finely chop the wild garlic and mix with ricotta, egg yolk, grated Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Then roll out the dough thinly, cut out round and put a teaspoon of stuffing on each. The last step is to fold in the edges of the ravioli and carefully press them in with a fork. The wild garlic ravioli should be steeped in boiling salted water for a few minutes and then served on pasta plates drizzled with warm lemon butter – the springtime ravioli variation is ready!
