Hokey Pokey Minestrone

Hank Williams once sung “In the world’s mighty gallery of pictures hang the scenes that are painted from life. There’s pictures of love and of passion, and there’s pictures of peace and of strife.” I for one like to think in Hank’s mighty gallery there were pictures of soups and of stews, and among these soup pot snapshots was a picture of the mighty minestrone soup. Minestrone is quite simply one of the world’s great soups, and the recent emergence of pokeweed here in North Alabama is an excellent reason to spend an afternoon at the stove preparing what I’m calling "Hokey Pokey Minestrone".

A pot of minestrone on the stove.

For the uninitiated, pokeweed grows wild here along forest edges, at the base of trees, in residential lawns, in gardens, and pretty much everywhere else. It’s common and conspicuous enough I’m confident you’ll have no problem finding some. The shoots of poke are tender with an asparagus-like flavor, and the greens are like turnip greens. It’s important you prepare poke properly because improperly prepared pokeweed is poisonous. Here’s a link to an excellent guide on how to prepare pokeweed safely - Feral Foraging: Foraging America's Juiciest Wild Vegetable. Feral Foraging is a highly reputable educator, storyteller and naturalist. I recommend you watch the entire video, but the short of it is you want to use pokeweed that bends easily. If it’s shoots are stiff, don’t use it. Boil the poke for five minutes, changing the water each time, three separate times or until the pokeweed no longer tastes bitter.

Wild pokeweed that's at the perfect height to forage.

Whether you ever make this soup or not, I encourage you to develop some sort of relationship with this fascinating plant. Later in the season the plant becomes huge and pink with purple berries. It’s used in Korean Natural Farming as an ingredient in making all-natural pesticide. It’s a fine plant, and it deserves a spot in the world’s mighty gallery of pictures.

Ingredients:

8 or 9 12-inch pokeweed shoots

3 or 4 small yellow potatoes

1 Onion, diced

2 Stalks of celery

¼ a head of cabbage, thinly sliced

8 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

4 ounces of diced pancetta

2 cups of dried beans soaked overnight. I used Great Northern.

1 28-ounce can of tomatoes

2 tsp of Italian seasoning or whatever dry or fresh herbs you have

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

3 tbsp olive oil

2 quarts of chicken broth

Salt and pepper

Parmesan and fresh parsley for garnish

Directions:

1.        Get your soaked beans simmering, then get to work on the poke. Boil the poke for five minutes, changing the water each time, three separate times or until the poke no longer tastes bitter.

2.        Add the olive oil and pancetta to your soup pot and cook the pancetta over medium heat until it begins to turn brown and crispy.

3.        Add the onion and celery and cook for five minutes, then add the garlic and cook another minute.

4.        Add your spices, tomatoes, broth, and potatoes, and simmer for thirty minutes.

5.        Add your cabbage and cook for thirty minutes. During the last five minutes add the poke and the beans.

6.        Garnish with Parmesan and parsley. Serve with a slice of toasted bread with butter or a salad.

A bowl of Hokey Pokey Minestrone served with a thick slice of buttered, homemade sourdough bread.

Written by Tyler Hill

Board Member, The Shoals Backyard

Foraging Disclaimer:

Foraging for wild edibles should always be done with care and proper knowledge. Misidentification or improper preparation of wild plants can be dangerous or even deadly. Always consult multiple reliable sources before consuming any wild plant, and never eat anything you are not 100% certain you have correctly identified and prepared. The information in this post is for educational purposes only—use your best judgment and proceed at your own risk.