Cream of Alexanders Soup

• 3 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 450 g Alexanders stems and leaves
• 1 Ltr vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh chervil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 150 ml single cream

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, cook and stir until soft. Add the Alexanders stems and leaves, toss and coat in the butter, onion and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes.  Add the rest of the herbs and stir in the salt and pepper.

Pour in the vegetable stock, and simmer gently over a low heat for an hour. Right before serving, stir in the cream and blend the soup to a smooth consistency with a hand held liquidizer or food processor. Serve immediately in warm bowls.

About Alexanders:

Alexanders is native to the Mediterranean but is able to thrive farther north. It was a highly popular herb during the time of Alexander the Great. The Romans called it the ‘pot herb of Alexandria.’

Alexanders was a traditional plant for cleansing the blood and a digestive herb for strengthening the stomach. Seafarers used it to treat scurvy and herbalists used it to relieve stomach and urinary problems. An in depth look at Alexanders can be found in the Encyclopedia of Herbology.

Recipe: Health Benefits Times