Name: The Best Soup of Spring; Easy Morel Mushroom and Ramp Chowder
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons ghee (or butter); 2+ cups morel mushrooms (chopped ); 1/4 cup ramp bulbs (chopped ); 1/2 teaspoon sea salt; 1/4 teaspoon white pepper; 8 ounces Organic Cultured Cream Cheese; 2 cups heavy cream; 4 ounces parmesan cheese (freshly grated ); 2+ cups bone broth; 1+ cup ramp greens (sliced thinly )

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The Best Soup of Spring; Easy Morel Mushroom and Ramp Chowder only takes minutes to make but tastes like a gourmet treat with sautéed morel mushrooms and ramps swimming in a creamy parmesan cheese spiked broth. And it’s Keto, Low-Carb and Gluten-Free, too!

For those of you who might be reading this out of pure curiosity of what a Morel Mushroom and/or Ramp is, let’s backtrack a minute. I was right there with you for the first half of my life, too!

I never tried either food before I met my husband. He introduced me to both on one of our first dates when he took me foraging. Immediately I was hooked on both foraging and these prized unique flavors!

WHAT ARE MOREL MUSHROOMS?

Ah, the elusive Morel Mushroom. People spend countless hours in the woods, but never find any morel mushrooms.

Both my maternal and paternal grandparents foraged, but my parents weren’t interested. I always think that foraging (like gardening) was in my blood, it just skipped a generation. I’m so thankful that my husband for bringing foraging into my life!

The morel, or morchella, is actually more closely related to truffles than it is to other mushrooms and, like truffles, is the fruit of a fungus that sprouts in the moist soil of woods and forests. There are debates about the number of different types of morel, but the most common ones are black morels and yellow morels.

All morels have a stem and a conical body that is covered with pits and ridges like a honeycomb, which makes them instantly recognizable to anyone who spends time hunting for them. Morels are a spring mushroom that can usually be found between the months of March and May.

Because of this very short growing period, they can be quite expensive when they are in season, costing upward of $20 per pound. They are definitely best served fresh, but can also be dried very easily, allowing them to be stored for use in the summer, fall and winter months.

In our area we find them mostly under sycamore and poplar trees, occasionally old apple orchards. However, what makes morels so elusive is that they are notoriously unpredictable. No matter how perfect an area seems it may never grow a morel, yet you’ll find several happily-growing in an unexpected area!

Rarely do we go home with an empty-basket. Ray and his family have been picking morel mushrooms for generations. We have countless morel spots that we check frequently.

Oh and just because you found them growing in a location this year, there’s no guarantee they’ll return next year. But in most cases you’ll want to check spots that you’ve picked before!

For my favorite Morel Mushroom Recipes Click HERE

What Are Ramps?

Ramps are a wild onion that grow during the spring in US and Eastern Canada. They’re sometimes referred to as wild leeks, and taste like a deliciously pungent combination of garlic and onion.

They grow in moist wooded areas, in various sized clumps or groups of pants.

Depending on who you ask, how to harvest them can be controversial. Due to the popularity of Ramps recently, many greedy people are over harvesting and depleting them. In these areas people would prefer you leave the bulb in the ground (so that they can repopulate the area) only harvesting the green leaves.

Where we live and in our expansive ramp patch, there is no risk of over harvesting. We dig up the entire plant, just like you would an onion. We eat both the bulb and leaves.

Take them home and clean them up just like fresh green onions/scallions; rinse off the dirt, trim off the roots and peel away any soft outer layers.

For my favorite Ramp Recipes CLICK HERE

Where to find Morel Mushrooms and Ramps

Things that grow-together, go-together… making Morel Mushrooms and Ramps the perfect pairing! You’ll find both of them during April & May in the Mid-Atlantic region where we live (Pennsylvania to be exact).

While we enjoy foraging as a delicious and healthy hobby, it’s not something you can just jump into. It takes research and education to safely forage for wild edibles. But don’t worry, many better grocery stores, food co-ops and farmers markets offer morels and ramps seasonal specialty!

Making The Best Soup of Spring; Easy Morel Mushroom and Ramp Chowder is a great way to enjoy BOTH morels and ramps in one delicious meal.

And when I say easy, I mean EASY.

Plus it’s all healthy, real food ingredients! But before you ask, YES this soup has lots of healthy fats in it! That’s on purpose, since I feel my best when I eat a gluten-free & Keto diet. (and mostly likely you will too!)

Here’s all the ingredients you need for The Best Soup of Spring:

Butter or Ghee
Morel Mushrooms
Ramps
Cream Cheese
Heavy Cream
Parmesan Cheese
Bone Broth
Sea Salt
White Pepper

Easy like chop, sauté, and let everything literally melt together for a gluten-free and keto friendly low carb soup!

And I think with an extra garnish of thinly sliced ramp leaves it’s a beautiful meal too! After all we eat with our eyes as much as out mouths, right??!

And all those little groves in the morel mushrooms fill up with the creamy parmesan broth, can’t you taste them!?!

What are your favorite ways to enjoy Morel Mushrooms and Ramps? Or are you excited to try them this year for the first time??

Yours in Health,