American groundnut and maitake mushroom chowder
A hearty, thick and chunky soup (chowder) made from American groundnut tubers (Apios americana) and maitake mushrooms.
Servings 6
Ingredients
- 2 lbs American groundnuts, peeled and diced into 1/4" pieces (6 cups measured after dicing)
- 12 ounces maitake mushrooms, fresh or frozen, diced into 1/4" pieces (a little under 4 cups measured after dicing)
- 1 white or yellow onion, diced into small 1/4" pieces (about 1.5 cups diced)
- 4 cups whole organic, grass-fed milk (Alt: 3 days ahead, make our cold-infused spruce-needle milk to use instead of plain milk. See notes in article.)
- 3 cups chicken stock (Alt: 3 cups water + 3 tsp liquid chicken bouillon)
- 1 packet bacon, pasture-raised (~12 ounces)
- 1/4 cup white wine (used to deglaze pot after sautéing primary ingredients)
- garnishes of your choice (Recommended: crispy bacon, grated cheese, grated cured egg, onion greens, edible flowers)
Instructions
- Dice American groundnuts, maitake mushrooms, and onion into small 1/4" pieces/cubes. Set aside.
- In large soup pot, cook bacon over medium heat. Remove and dry bacon strips then set aside cooked bacon. Add diced groundnuts, maitake, and onion to soup pan (still on medium heat) with bacon grease in it. Sauté ingredients for ~15 minutes. Stir with spatula regularly to ensure ingredients don't burn - turn heat down slightly if needed.
- Add white wine to pot to deglaze with metal spatula or wooden spoon, then immediately add milk + chicken stock (or water/bouillon mix).
- Let ingredients come to a low boil, then turn down to low heat and let cook 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot. Leave lid off or at least partly open to allow for water evaporation.
- Serve warm with garnishes of your choice.