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Dandelion Soup

This cleansing spring soup is slightly bitter, but also sweet, savory, comforting, and nourishing. You can enjoy it any time of the year, though I typically prepare it in the spring as it calls for my favorite bitter spring greens: dandelion leaves and broccoli rabe. These vegetables are most delicious when they get a chance to grow during the colder months of early spring, and many herbalists recommend consuming bitter foods and herbs during the transition from winter to spring. Not only are these are some of the only vegetables growing that time of year (at least where I live), they’re highly nutrient-dense and “jumpstart” the body after the long, sedentary winter.

Learn more about the benefits of Dandelion and how to harvest it here.

Servings: 4-6 hearty bowls

Ingredients:

  • Olive oil

  • 1 onion, chopped

  • 6+ cloves garlic, minced (I use a whole bulb)

  • 4+ cups of a combination of dandelion greens and broccoli rabe, chopped.

  • Optional: 2-4 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and quartered

  • 60oz cooked cannellini beans (about 4 cans, strained)

  • 64oz chicken broth or broth of choice

  • 1 bunch parsley, chopped (about a cup)

  • 3-6 stalks fresh Rosemary and Thyme, de-stemmed and chopped

  • 1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt or sea salt

  • Optional: dandelion flowers for garnish

  • Enjoy with a warm piece of rustic sourdough or your favorite hearty bread

Directions:

  1. Coat the bottom of your favorite soup pot with a generous amount of olive oil.

  2. Heat on low/medium heat and add chopped onion. Sauté onion on low/medium heat until fragrant.

  3. After a few minutes, add the garlic.

  4. Cover the pot and let the onions and garlic cook on low/medium heat until they’re about to caramelize (about 10-15 minutes). Stir often.

  5. Add the broth, beans, greens, fresh herbs, and salt. If you’re adding potatoes, add them now.

  6. Cover, bring to a light boil and let simmer (covered) for about 30-45 minutes until the vegetables are cooked and the flavors have stewed together.

  7. Garnish with a dandelion flower and enjoy!

Other ideas:

  • To increase the iron content and medicinal benefit of this soup, add fresh or dried Stinging Nettle, another beloved early spring green.

  • If you eat meat and would like to increase the protein content of the soup, include ½-1 pound bulk Italian sausage.  Add the sausage when you add the garlic, lightly browning it before adding the rest of the ingredients.

Additional information about this recipe:

Dandelion Leaf is a nutrient-dense wild food, high in minerals and vitamins A, C, and E. In addition to increasing digestive secretions through its bitter action, it strengthens peristalsis, supporting the breakdown and absorption of food. In herbalism, dandelion leaves are eaten or used in tea as a tonic for the liver and kidneys, supporting detox processes and acting as a gentle potassium-replenishing diuretic, resolving fluid retention in the body. Traditionally, the leaves were used to relieve bloating associated with menstruation and to treat mild urinary tract infections. Like the root, they are rich in inulin (a prebiotic food for the microbiome).

Parsley is considered anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antispasmodic (relaxes smooth muscle spasm), emmenagogic (stimulates menses), diuretic, tonic, and more. It is a nutrient-dense herb, high in vitamins C and A, iron, calcium, magnesium, chlorophyll and other flavonoids. Parsley inhibits the histamine response and is traditionally used to relieve symptoms associated with seasonal allergies. Due to its antispasmodic, emmenagogic, and diuretic actions, it is traditionally used to relieve symptoms associated with PMS, as well as mild imbalances of the urinary tract. It is supportive to kidney health and lymph clearance. In Eastern medicine, Parsley is thought to strengthen the adrenals.

Thyme is one of the most revered herbs for respiratory health. It has a long history of use treating a wide range of respiratory illnesses and infections, including chronic and acute bronchial infections, spasmodic wet coughs, chest colds, sore throats, allergies, and sinus imbalances. The antimicrobial essential oils found in Thyme act specifically on the tissues of the lungs, helping to thin and expel mucus, supporting the expectoration of unwanted stuck mucus, and clearing congestion. Thyme is also rich in trace minerals, including iron, it is antioxidant, and contains antimicrobial and antifungal properties (cooked into food, it prolongs spoilage). Like all aromatic herbs, Thyme is considered carminative, which means it supports digestion and helps clear gas. It also contains antispasmodic properties, and is gently relaxing to the nervous system.

Rosemary is supportive to both cardiovascular and cognitive function. It’s warming and a gentle blood-mover, circulating blood throughout the body (including to the brain) and into the extremities. Traditionally, Rosemary is used to improve memory, and is considered to have antidepressant effects. Like Thyme, the essential oils in Rosemary have antimicrobial and antifungal properties, support digestion, and help thin and clear mucus from the respiratory tract. It is also a gentle nervine, relaxing the nervous system while slightly stimulating the blood and cognitive faculties, and lifting the spirits.

Garlic, a popular superfood and herb, has a whole range of medicinal benefits that are most potent when consumed raw. It is considered antimicrobial, antifungal, antioxidant, antispasmodic, carminative (supports digestion and absorption), and expectorant. The benefits of garlic have been studied for several decades now, and its cardiovascular effects are well documented. Garlic is traditionally used to prevent blood clots and reduce harmful cholesterol, it lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of stroke. Garlic up-regulates the production of white blood cells which, when combined with its strongly antimicrobial volatile oils (think garlic breath), supports immune function. It’s incredibly warming and stimulating and has an affinity for the lower bronchials and stomach. Consuming garlic may support the respiratory tract to thin and expel stuck mucus, especially when eaten raw. The sulphur in garlic supports phases I and II of liver detox. It’s considered an alterative herb, a class of herbs that normalize metabolism by supporting nutrition or improving the body’s natural mechanisms of detoxification. Because it’s so hot, it can cause gastrointestinal discomfort in some people. It’s best to eat raw garlic to the extent that you can comfortably do so, pair it with other foods, or stick to cooked garlic.