I grew up on a grape farm in northeastern Ohio. It was an idyllic place with orchards and vineyards, green woods to play in, and a fishing pond ringed with wild roses. We lived on the farm with my grandmother until I was five, while my parents saved up to build their own house down the road. My grandmother used to make this soup whenever we had fresh dill in the garden. It was her variation on potato soup, which was a frequent meal for her family during the Depression.
Despite its humble origins, this soup can be an elegant ladies’ luncheon entrée, a light dinner, or a casual weekend brunch meal, and you can throw it together in about fifteen minutes. The egg yolk, fresh dill, baby peas, and green beans with the creamy base is satisfying and rich, and can be paired with a crusty bread and a simple green salad.
When we lived on the farm, I had a pair of chickens named Ike and Mamie. Mamie was the source for our eggs until they both ended up in the soup pot. I’ll never forget my horror at watching dear, sweet Grandma wringing their necks and plunging them into a bucket of boiling water, to remove the feathers. It was one of the harsher lessons of farm life, and I didn’t eat chicken for a long time after that. In my opinion, once you name an animal, it becomes a pet, not a source of protein.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- ½ cup peas
- 2 Russet potatoes, cubed
- 2 cups water for cooking potatoes and one cup of water for blanching beans
- ¼ cup white onions, finely chopped
- 1 cup fresh green beans, chopped to 1” size
- 1 cup cream
- 1 and ½ cups whole milk (You can use skim milk but the broth won’t be as rich.)
- 1/3 cup dill, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon salt for potato water and 1 teaspoon salt for water to blanch beans
- 4 eggs and water for poaching eggs
- Splash of vinegar for poaching the egg
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Saute the onions in the butter until they are soft but not browned, and set aside.
- Cook the potatoes in 2 cups of water with 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Blanch the beans in one cup of water, with one teaspoon of salt and rinse with cold water after cooking to keep them crisp.
- Add the milk and cream to the onions and simmer twenty minutes until soup thickens, then add potatoes, peas and beans, and finally the dill, cooking just until the mixture thickens.
- Poach four eggs, adding a splash of vinegar to the water as they’re being poached.
- A bit of the vinegar will transfer to the soup and it enhances the flavor.
- Fill a smallish soup bowl (this is very substantial soup) and slip a poached egg on top, slashing the top of the egg to allow the yolk to show. Top with dill garnish and serve immediately.
