Title: Krautlsuppe (bavarian herb soup)
 Categories: Soups/stews, Germany, German
      Yield: 4 Servings
 
      1 lb Herbs *
      4 tb Butter
      1 lg Onion, chopped
      1 qt Water or vegetable stock
      1 lg Potato, peeled and chopped
           -into small cubes
 
  Serves 4.
  
  salt and pepper bread cubes for croutons
  
  * at least 3 of these:  chervil, watercress, spinach, sorrel
  (dandelion and pimpernel for brave souls) Bitter herbs are
  traditionally eaten at Easter in Christian countries as a sign of
  penitence. This Bavarian soup is served on Easter Thursday, known as
  Maundy Thursday. Fresh chervil, easily available in any German
  market, is usually the dominating flavor. This is a delicate
  fresh-tasting soup for any time of the year.
  
  You will need a large saucepan.  Pick over and wash the herbs,
  stripping the leaves from those stalks which are too woody. Chop the
  rest.
  
  Melt the butter in a deep pan and fry the onion gently until
  transparent. Add the herbs and sweat them for a moment before you
  pour in the water or broth.  Add the potato to the soup. Bring the
  soup to a boil, and then turn down the heat.  Simmer for 20 minutes.
  Mash the potato in the soup to thicken it a little.  Taste, and add
  salt and freshly milled pepper.
  
  Serve with bread croutons fried in butter or bacon fat (goose fat is
  even better).  They should be so hot that they sizzle when they are
  added to the hot soup at the table.
  
  From:  THE OLD WORLD KITCHEN - THE RICH TRADITION OF EUROPEAN PEASANT
  COOKING" by Elisabeth Luard, ISBN 0-553-05219-5
  
  Posted