Cheesy Fiddlehead Soup

This Cheesy Fiddlehead soup turns your fiddleheads into creamy deliciousness! This creamy soup is easy to make, light, healthy, low-fat, meatless, and WW friendly! And you can use fresh or frozen fiddleheads.

Fiddleheads are delicious little edible ferns that are special, like Saskatoon berries and cherries, because fiddlehead season only comes around once a year and for a very short time (usually in early spring). But this year, where I live, they were super late (like everything else) due to late snowfalls! But don't worry, if you can't get your hands on fiddleheads, from your local farmers' markets, you can substitute asparagus for this soup.

🥘Ingredient Notes

You don't need heavy cream for this creamy fiddlehead soup. Pureeing the vegetables and adding Greek yogurt, low-fat milk, and low-fat cheese mimics that creaminess in a lighter and healthier way!

For this fiddlehead soup, you'll need:

• Unsalted butter. I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt. There is enough salt in the chicken broth, so this recipe does not need additional salt.
• Chicken broth. This is the best broth for cheesy fiddlehead soup because it has a mild flavor that pairs well with cheese and fiddleheads.
• Fiddlehead ferns. Make sure you follow the 4 prep steps for cleaning and cooking. Do NOT eat them raw!
• Milk (1%) and 0% non-fat Greek yogurt (plain). I use low-fat milk and non-fat Greek yogurt to thicken the soup and keep it light!
• Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce.
• Cheddar cheese. I use low-fat cheese to keep it light.
• Fresh dill. Fresh dill really makes this soup's flavor profile stand out above others. It is the perfect accompaniment to fiddleheads and cheese.

*See recipe card for a full list of ingredients and quantities

📖Variations & Substitutions

• Fiddleheads - you can use fresh fiddleheads or frozen fiddleheads for this recipe or substitute fresh asparagus if you can't get your hands on fiddleheads
• Chicken broth - use vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian
• Dill - you can substitute dried dill (although I don't recommend it) but you'll only need to use half the amount.
• Spicy - add chili pepper flakes
• Greek yogurt - you can use light, fat-free or full-fat or you can substitute sour cream
• Milk - you can use light, fat-free or full fat, if you prefer
• Thickener - you can use roux or potato flakes (affiliate link)
• Serve it in a mug (as in photo above)- you can also get a microwaveable mug with a lid (affiliate links) and take it to work

🔪Step-by-Step Instructions to Make Fiddlehead Soup

1. Prep fiddleheads for the soup (do NOT eat them raw)

*if you eat fiddleheads raw, you could end up with food poisoning or some serious gastrointestinal distress!

You need to follow these 4 steps before making the soup:

1. Rinse the fiddleheads, remove any papery brown skin from the tops, and then trim fiddleheads by slicing off as much of the brown parts on their ends as you can. Fill a large bowl with cold water and put the fiddleheads in there for a few minutes, swishing them around with your hands to remove any dirt. * I rub the coils to loosen any dirt as well. Discard the water and repeat this process.
2. Add to pot of cold water and bring to a boil.
3. Boil for 15 minutes (time it from the time the water is a full boil).
4. Drain. * They will be a little darker green in color. *Set aside a few for garnish at this point, if you wish.

2. Make the soup:

Melt butter in a large pot, over medium-high heat. Stir in onion and garlic; sauté onion and garlic until onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes.

Pour 4 cups chicken broth, grated carrots, and fiddleheads into the onion mixture, and bring to a full boil.

*MAKE SURE YOU DO THE STEPS ABOVE BEFORE MAKING THE SOUP!

Reduce heat to medium-low, uncovered, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Remove vegetables with a slotted spoon and place in the base of a food processor.

* Or use an immersion blender and puree right in the pot of soup.

Puree in a food processor. Or cool and add to blender (it will explode out the top if hot and you have a glass blender).

Then return to soup, whisking to combine.

Remove from heat and whisk in Greek yogurt, milk and cheese.

Return to low heat and add fresh dill, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce and heat through, while continuing to whisk, for about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and thicken as desired (see recipe card).

🥗 What to Serve with Fiddlehead Soup

This Cream of Fiddlehead Soup pairs well with my Bread Machine Italian Breadsticks (shown) or Everything Bagel Cloud Bread Recipe if you're looking for a low-carb bread option! It also goes well alongside a salad for a light lunch. Try it with my Strawberry Pecan Spinach Salad!

🍽Equipment

Because this is a pureed soup, you'll need an immersion blender or a food processor (affiliate links). The benefit of the immersion blender is that you don't have to remove anything - you can blend it right in the pot! I bought this Breville Immersion Blender this past fall, and I wondered how I ever lived without it! It's revolutionized soup making. I did a lot of research before buying this one, and I'm glad I did. The hand control grip is superior to other immersion blenders because you don't have to use your thumb! And it's more powerful than I could have imagined. I love it!

If you are using a food processor, I recommend using a scoop and drain slotted spoon (affiliate link) to remove the vegetables for blending.

🌡️Storage

Store this fiddlehead soup in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can freeze it in a sealed container for up to 3 months.

🔢WW Points

This recipe is Weight Watchers friendly @ 5 WW points. You can also use light margarine or butter to further reduce the WW points. However, if you do thicken it with roux, you need to add additional points. Another way to thicken it is with potato flakes.

❔ Recipe FAQ's