Make the most of your spring garden harvest with lovage soup - a tasty dish made with fresh lovage leaves, potatoes, carrots, onions, and cream.
My herb patch is exploding right now, and lovage is the largest plant, followed by lemon balm and chives. So, making lovage soup, lovage pesto, and adding lovage to almost every dish I cook these days seems like the perfect plan.
Try our simple and delicious Lemon Balm Pesto, too. Or, if you have too much parsley and chives, make our addictive Parsley Paste with chives and garlic.
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What is lovage?
Lovage is a leafy green herb that grows tall with large, serrated leaves. It has a strong, savory taste similar to celery and can be used to add flavor to soups, stews, and salads. Lovage is easy to grow in gardens; you will get a massive bush in just a few years.
Recipe ingredients
- Lovage: I cook a large sprig, including the stems, with the rest of the ingredients and add some fresh leaves just before blending the soup for extra flavor.
- Vegetables: Potatoes, carrots, and onions.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make lovage soup?
Step #1: Sautรฉ the chopped vegetables in a Dutch oven or a large heavy-bottomed pot.
Step #2: Cook them covered for about 10 minutes.
Step #3: Add the stock, bring to a boil, and cook until the veggies are soft.
Step #4: Add fresh lovage leaves, blend the soup, and adjust the taste.
Add toppings
- A dash of extra cream and finely chopped lovage leaves.
- The bread croutons we made for our Green Tomato Soup or potato croutons like we had in this Pumpkin and Potato Soup.
- The crispy bacon bits we made for the Jerusalem Artichoke Soup.
Good to know!
Given that the interpretation of "large sprig" can differ, it is advisable to weigh the lovage; for the best flavor, you will need about 1.5 โ 1.8 oz/ 45-50 g of herbs in your soup.
For safety, it is best to use an immersion blender while blending hot soups. If using a countertop blender, follow these precautions: Allow the soup to cool slightly, and blend the lovage soup in batches, filling the blender only halfway. Secure the lid tightly, cover it with a cloth, start blending on low, and gradually increase the speed.
How to store and reheat?
Refrigerate in the covered pot or an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Freeze for up to 3 months - defrost in the fridge.
Reheat on the stovetop or microwave.
What to serve with it?
Light spring menu
- Starter: Lovage Soup with Crispbread
- Main and side: Cast Iron Chicken Breast and Curried Couscous Salad
- Dessert: Macerated Strawberries
Do you like this recipe?
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Lovage Soup
Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed soup pot or large Dutch oven
- Immersion blender Note 1
Ingredients
- 1 large sprig of lovage about 1.5 -1.8 oz/ 45 โ 50 g, Note 2
- 2 medium potatoes 9 oz/ 250 g
- 1 lb carrots 450 g
- 1 large onion 6 oz/ 170 g
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ยฝ teaspoon sugar
- 3 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock, 750 ml
- ยฝ cup heavy cream or half and half or whole milk, 125 ml
- 2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar
- fine sea salt and ground black pepper
- red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, optional
Instructions
- Prepare the lovage: Pick 5 large lovage leaves and set them aside for later. Roughly chop the remaining lovage, including the stems.1 large sprig of lovage / about 1.5 -1.8 oz/ 45 โ 50 g
- Chop the vegetables: Peel and chop potatoes, carrots, and onion.2 medium potatoes / 250 g + 1 lb carrots / 450 g + 1 large onion / 170 g
- Sautรฉ: Melt the butter, add the vegetables, lovage, sugar, salt, and some black pepper. Cook, covered, for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly.1 tablespoon butter + ยฝ teaspoon sugar + ยผteaspoon salt + ยผ teaspoon pepper
- Add the stock, bring to a boil, and simmer on medium-low heat until the vegetables are soft (about 15-20 minutes).3 cups vegetable stock / 750 ml
- Add the roughly chopped lovage leaves that you set aside before.
- Blend the soup, stir in the heavy cream, and adjust the taste with balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes if desired.ยฝ cup heavy cream / 125 ml + 2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar + fine sea salt and ground black pepper + red pepper flakes
Notes
- Blender: I advise using an immersion blender to blend soups or other hot liquids. If you use a blender, follow the safety rules: Cool slightly, fill the blender only halfway (blend in several batches), secure the lid tightly, and cover it with a cloth; start on low, and increase the speed gradually.
- Lovage: I add a very large sprig of lovage, including the stems, along with the other ingredients, and toss in some fresh leaves just before blending the soup to enhance the flavor. As understanding what a โlarge sprigโ is can vary, it is best to weigh the sprig; for optimal lovage flavor, you will need 1.5 โ 1.8 oz/ 45-50 g of herbs.
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