Acadian fiddlehead soup
On this page, we're sharing our most beloved French-Canadian, Acadian and Québécois dishes : classics from grand-maman. This is a New Brunswick favourite, the fiddlehead soup.
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Acadian Creamy Fiddlehead Soup
Recipe from Anida Boudreau
Photo by Wikimedia Commons contributor Ɱ
“Each spring a fiddlehead frenzy takes over New Brunswick. The curled, edible shoots of the ostrich fern pop up along marshy riverbanks and they’re ripe for the picking. It’s a local tradition to go ‘fiddleheading’ and you’ll see them in roadside stands, restaurants, and everywhere in between.
Never heard of ‘em? Fiddleheads taste similar to asparagus or artichokes… kind of. (Either way, they’re delicious.)” (New Brunswick Tourism Blog)
Click here to learn how to pick and prepare your own.
Photo by Sandie Clarke on Unsplash
1½ cups fiddleheads, cleaned and finely chopped
2 tbsp butter
2 cubes chicken bouillon or 2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1 small onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup celery, minced
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy/whipping cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Steam the fiddleheads for 10 to 12 minutes, or until tender. Set aside.
In a saucepan, melt the butter and bouillon cubes over medium heat. Add the fiddleheads, onions, garlic, celery and dried spices and cook for 10 minutes. Add the milk, stir frequently, and heat thoroughly. Add the cream, stir to incorporate, and season with salt and pepper.
Serve steaming hot.
Makes 6 servings.