Learn about this Thistle Soup Recipe and how you can use this free wild food in a nutritious, delicious recipe.
Thistle Soup Recipe
Make thistle soup by chopping (scissoring would be a better
word since an old pair of shears is the best thing I’ve found
for cutting up green plants) a pan of thistles. Push them
down in the pan and add just enough water to cover the
minutes. Now you can season this soup and eat it just as it
is or you can add some boiled fish, leftover rice or anything
else you happen to have. It’s guaranteed to be good and you
can use this stock in stew.
Chop and boil about six thistles until the water has absorbed
most of the juice from the plants. As they’re boiling, add
water as needed until you have two quarts of very dark green
juice or soup stock. Add to the two quarts of stock, two
wild onions — tops and all — or medium chopped
domestic onion bulbs. Use less if you like only a mild onion
taste. Now add 1/2 pound of fish and 1/2 pound meat. The
combination of meat and fish that I like best is 1/2 pound
diced browned venison shin and 1/2 pound fillet of bullhead.
If you’re still city bound, use 1/2 pound fish or fish heads
and six to eight chicken feet or one package of chicken necks
or backs.
Chicken feet are rumored to be available at very small cost
in some city meat markets and I hear many people buy them for
“dog food”. This is the best part of the chicken for making
soup but the feet do require parboiling for three minutes to
remove their scaly skin before they’re placed in the soup.
The feet also can be chopped after parboiling and before
being put into the stock.
Anyway, when you finally have your meat and fish
placed in the soup, add two cups cleaned and peeled arrow
head tubers or chopped potatoes, a few leaves of sorrel and
1/2 cup chopped cattail stems or celery stalks. Bring to a
boil, season well and simmer for about two hours. Taste
before removing from the fire and add seasoning if desired.
If anyone can think of a way to make a soup as good tasting
and nutritious as this for as little as this one costs I
would certainly like to hear about it.
Read more about finding wild edible foods: Foraging for Wild Edible Food.