Nettle soup

Nettle soup

Get your gloves on to forage for wild plants like nettles - once cooked they have a spinach or cabbage flavour

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 4 - 6

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 20 mins

Cook time

Cook 30 mins

Vegetarian Freezable

Vegetarian

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, leek and potato, and cook for 10 mins until the vegetables start to soften. Add the stock and cook for a further 10-15 mins until the potato is soft.
  2. Add the nettle leaves, simmer for 1 min to wilt, then blend the soup. Season to taste, then stir in the butter and cream. Serve the soup drizzled with extra oil and scattered with dead nettle flowers, if you have them.
Try

STINGING NETTLES

These grow in abundance and are best eaten before they flower in late May. Wear gloves to save yourself getting stung - I find that a pair of washing-up gloves gives you lots of control over your picking, as well as shielding the top of your arms if you're in a T-shirt. Wash the nettles well before cooking.

DEAD NETTLES

This is a different plant from the stinger, but gets its name because, although the leaves look the same, they don't sting. They have either white or purple edible flowers, and can be cooked in the same way as stingers.

PER SERVING

323 kcalories, protein 6g, carbohydrate 21g, fat 21 g, saturated fat 11g, fibre 9g, sugar 7g, salt 0.9 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, May 2012.

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Latest comments and suggestions

  • 15 May 2012

    recipes commented on this recipe

    Just made this soup and stuck to the recipe - was a bit dubious about trying it but tastes really good would definately do it again.

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  • 14 January 2013

    Guinny's Mum rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Had made it then discovered I didn't have any cream, so spooned some cream cheese through it instead. Very smooth and delicious - and virtually free to make because we've got plenty of nettles growing here all year round!

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  • 12 April 2013

    bigz83 commented on this recipe

    can u use dried nettles?

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  • 27 April 2013

    Wendy rated and commented on this recipe

    1 stars

    Just made this after talking about trying nettle soup for years. I'm afraid to say it was dissapointingly bland. Also didn't like the pulpy texture. Will stick to Watercress next time I fancy green soup!

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  • 13 May 2013

    gcooksit commented on this recipe

    this sounds great! will give it a try, i live in the countryside so nettles are everywhere

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 4 - 6

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 20 mins

Cook time

Cook 30 mins

Vegetarian Freezable

Vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil , plus extra for drizzling
  • 1 onion , chopped
  • 1 carrot , diced
  • 1 leek , washed and finely sliced
  • 1 large floury potato (Maris Piper or similar), thinly sliced
  • 1l vegetable stock
  • 400g stinging or dead nettles , washed, leaves picked (see tips below)
  • 50g butter , diced
  • 50ml double cream
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PER SERVING

323 kcalories, protein 6g, carbohydrate 21g, fat 21 g, saturated fat 11g, fibre 9g, sugar 7g, salt 0.9 g

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