Vegetarian Recipe: Potato and Green Garlic Chowder

Every week on the Good Food blog, we celebrate Meatless Monday by sharing a vegetarian recipe from our archives.

LA Times Food Editor Russ Parsons first shared this recipe with us on March 15,2008. Keep reading for the full recipe…

1/2 pound green garlic

1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes

2 tablespoons butter

1 onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon sherry vinegar

Black pepper

Good olive oil

Grated Pecorino Romano

Trim the root ends of the green garlic and the very tips of the green leaves if they are dried out. Cut the green garlic crosswise in thin pieces. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise and then in rough 1/2-inch pieces.

Combine the butter and onion in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring roughly until the butter melts and the onions turn soft and creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and the green garlic, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the mixture is fragrant, about 5 minutes.

Add the potatoes and turn them in the garlic mixture. Add the water and salt, increase the heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Cook at a quick simmer until the potatoes are soft enough to be smashed with a fork, about 20 minutes.

Coarsely puree the potatoes and garlic. This is most easily done with an immersion blender, but can also be done in a food processor or blender if you’re careful to pulse very quickly. The mixture should be rough and chunky; you don’t want a smooth puree.

Add the sherry vinegar and a generous grinding of black pepper. Taste and add more salt, pepper or vinegar if necessary. Return to the pan and simmer another 5 minutes.

Stir briskly just before serving. Ladle into warm serving bowls, drizzle with a thread of good olive oil and sprinkle over 1 to 2 tablespoons grated pecorino Romano.