Paganens (Algonquin Wild Nut Soup)
July 14: Feast Day of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha
For a simple yet savory soup, prepare paganens (Algonquin wild nut/hazelnut soup) for the American Feast Day of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. The candidate for canonization is the daughter of an Algonquin Christian woman, Kahente (Kahontáke or Wahwahsekona), so we chose paganens for this blog recipe post. The “Lily of the Mohawk” is also the daughter of a Mohawk chief, Kenneronkwa, so we made Mohawk milk cake for her Canadian Feast Day on April 17. Serve this soup and the cake together for a double dose of down-to-earth deliciousness.
Recipe
(Modified from The Gutsy Gourmet and In Mama’s Kitchen)
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw hazelnuts (filberts)
- 3 large shallots, peeled and sliced
- 1 tablespoon corn or vegetable oil
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1½ tablespoons parsley, chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- pinch of black pepper
Directions
Toast the hazelnuts (filberts) in the oven by spreading them on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes. Cool slightly. Rub off the skins with a towel. Coarsely chop the nuts into pieces.
In a large pot, sauté the shallots in oil until tender. Pour in the vegetable stock and mix the shallots in the liquid. Add the nuts, parsley, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stir, then simmer the soup on low heat for 1½ hours to soften the nuts and blend the flavors. Some similar soup recipes end the cooking process at this point and serve it as a hearty dish.
Other similar soup recipes have additional steps to liquefy the soup before serving. Transfer the contents of the pot in small batches to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Pour the soup in a sieve over the pot to remove the grit from the puree. Simmer on low heat to keep it warm. Ladle the soup in bowls. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Notes
- The fabric for the photo background is from a Kiowa-Apache skirt purchased from a pow-wow in Oklahoma. The soup bowl is adorned with a beaded Pueblo necklace purchased at a museum gift shop in Arizona.
August 20, 2010 at 1:32 am
[…] nuts have been used as an ingredient in some Native American recipes [see our blog recipe post for paganens (Algonquin wild nut soup) for the Feast Day of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha on July 14]. Prior to […]
April 21, 2020 at 3:07 pm
[…] paganens in traditional language, this soup is a creamy concoction made with simple stock, parsley, salt, […]
November 20, 2022 at 3:22 pm
[…] In honor of Thanksgiving, I decided to explore dishes from native American recipes. Here are a few ideas for today from indigenous chefs using available ingredients, as well as this salad recipe created by young native Americans in Minnesota. This recipe, which incorporates the “three sisters” of corn, squash, and beans, would make a great Thanksgiving side dish. From the Great Lakes region, here’s a recipe using one of the main foods of the Ojibwe, wild rice. Finally, here’s an Algonquin wild nut soup. […]