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Paganens Algonquin Hazelnut Soup Recipe (Isle Royale National Park)

By: Author Bram Reusen

Posted on Last updated:

Algonquin hazelnut soup recipe (paganens) inspired by: Isle Royale National Park, Michigan (alternatively: Voyageurs National Park)

Along with most other Native American peoples of the woodlands of the Great Lakes, New England and eastern Canada, the Algonquin Tribes used nuts in a variety of recipes. One of those was paganens, a traditional Algonquin hazelnut soup.

The Algonquin are one of the most widespread and populous groups of Native North Americans. Historically, they lived in a vast area that extended from Quebec, New Brunswick and Ontario in Canada to U.S. states like Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Maine and New Hampshire.

For this national park-inspired recipe, we’re focusing on the Ojibwe of the northern Great Lakes, specifically the people who lived near what is now Isle Royale National Park in Michigan.

Also known as the Chippewa, the Ojibwe are one of many Tribes that make up the Algonquin peoples.

Their historical lands spanned the north shore of Lake Superior. They also ventured to Isle Royale itself, which they called Minong, to hunt, trap and fish, gather plants and nuts, and tap maple trees to make maple syrup.

According to the National Park Service, “Minong and the waters immediately surrounding the archipelago are a significant part of the North Shore Ojibwe’s traditional cultural history and were part of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa’s (Ojibwe) ancestral land.”

The Ojibwe were one of the few Native American Tribes that cultivated wild rice, a main staple in their diet, as well as other crops like the “three sisters.”

This Algonquin hazelnut soup recipe is a traditional as it gets. It requires only five ingredients (along with salt and pepper) and is super-easy to make.

The recipe below was borrowed and slightly adapted from the original recipe on the Sacred Springs Powwow website.

Algonquin hazelnut soup with parsley

Isle Royale Algonquin Hazelnut Soup (Paganens)

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Total time: 2 hours
  • Servings: 2
  • Calories per serving: 558

As wonderful as this hazelnut soup is, I should say, though, that it’s unlike any other soup you might have had before.

This is neither a classic vegetable soup, nor a creamy chowder. This is very much a nut soup, so you should expect an undeniably nutty flavor.

It’s a very nut-forward and earthy soup. I think it’s absolutely delicious, but you might want to bake some fresh cornbread on the side to counterbalance the nuttiness with something a bit sweeter.

Algonquin hazelnut soup ingredients boiling in pot

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Necessary Kitchen Tools

Algonquin hazelnut soup paganens recipe
Yield: 2 servings

Isle Royale Algonquin Hazelnut Soup Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours

Inspired by the Ojibwe culture of the northern Great Lakes, including Isle Royale National Park, this traditional Algonquin hazelnut soup, also known as paganens, features hazelnuts, shallots and parsley.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup hazelnuts
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 3 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1/3 cup parsley, chopped
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Spread hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven, 15 minutes.
  3. Let hazelnuts cool slightly, wrap them in a towel and rub off the skin as well as you can (some leftover skin is okay). Coarsely chop the hazelnuts.
  4. Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
  5. Add shallots and sauté until fragrant and softened, about 5 minutes
  6. Pour in the vegetable broth, hazelnuts and parsley. Stir well.
  7. Bring the hazelnut soup mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently over medium-low for 1.5 hours. Stir occasionally.
  8. Pour the soup into a blender (or food processor) and blend until smooth.
  9. Pour the soup back into the pot. (You can use a sieve to filter out large remaining chunks if you'd like a perfectly smooth soup.)
  10. Heat through and season with salt and pepper.
  11. Ladle Algonquin hazelnut soup into bowls, sprinkle with extra pepper and parsley, and serve hot.
  12. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Yield

2
Amount Per Serving Calories 558Total Fat 48.1gSaturated Fat 3.8gCholesterol 0mgSodium 290mgCarbohydrates 26.6gFiber 8.9gSugar 7gProtein 13.4g

A general nutrition calculator was used to determine the nutritional information of this recipe, which is meant solely as an indication of the dish's nutritional values. Depending on specific ingredients, quantities used and/or serving size, the ultimate dish you end up making may have different nutritional aspects. Please consider the information provided here only as guidance and not as an absolute fact.

© Bram
Cuisine: Soups and Stews / Category: Soup & Chowder Recipes
Isle Royale National Park inspired Algonquin hazelnut soup recipe
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