Nettle Soup

Posted on by Scott

For children in England Nettles are one of lifes annoyances, stinging legs all around the country. Reliable information from Parents dictates that the sting can be neutralised by rubbing the leaves of the Dock plant (which always seems to grow nearby) on them; does anybody know if this is true?

Nettle Soup Recipe

Now as a grown up, and especially one who will never turn down a free meal, getting my own back on Nettles by cooking and eating them seems a fitting form of revenge. Of course, when cooked, any remnants of their viscious sting is gone, and the taste is pleasing.

I must point out that only the leaves young Nettles must be used for this recipe, and while that might take us out of season (start of September) at the moment, in many locations it is possible to find a second batch of Nettles growing along side the older ones (which grow around April).

This soup is not only very easy to make, it is also suprisingly tasty.

Nettle Soup Recipe – Ingredients

  • 1 Carrier Bag filled with Nettles
  • 1 Onion (diced)
  • 1 Carrot (peeled and diced)
  • 1 stick Celery (chopped)
  • Water
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste

Nettle Soup Recipe – Method

  1. Prepare 850ml Chicken Stock / 28.75 fl. oz (or use a stock cube).
  2. Add carrot, onion and celery to boiling stock, and simmer for 15 minutes.
  3. Add Nettle leaves, and simmer for a further 30 minutes.
  4. Remove from heat, and blend until smooth.

And to serve…

If desired, stir in a touch of double cream off the heat for a professional touch, and serve while hot. Enjoy!

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  • http://www.thepassionatecook.com johanna

    My Mom used to recommend saliva for nettle stings, definitely on tap all the time ;-)
    I have wanted to try nettles in cooking for a long time, something to keep in mind for the spring!

  • scott

    Hi Johanna,
    I’ve edited your post because you have spelled your URL wrong when you entered your details, and I didn’t want people to miss out on a link to your fantastic food site.

  • http://www.thepassionatecook.com johanna

    oh thanks for that, scott: the editing AND the compliment!

  • http://cooksister.typepad.com Jeanne

    Oooh, it’s a brave man who first picked and ate a nettle…! (to paraphrase a far more famous quote…) Interesting post – and thanks also for the elderberry pic – I swear that’s the bush growing wild in our parking area – always covered in greedy wood pigeons eating the berries! Methinks it’s time I went foraging.

  • scott

    Jeanne: If the berries look like like elderberries, they probably are; there’s not much that looks like these. They’re about half the size of “standard” berries and quite distinctive.

    Oh, and I did sting myself with the nettles when I got them home (maybe wear gloves)!

  • http://www.tomatom.com Ed

    Nettle soup. one of my favourites that my mum makes. I think it beats any other green. glad to have discovered you via Weekend Herb Blogging.

  • scott

    Everyone who eats Nettle soup is so suprised by the taste. Next spring I’ll experiment further with something different.

  • http://welcometovoluntarysimplicity.wordpress.com/ antony

    I normally make nettle beer rather than soup!!

  • http://www.realepicurean.com scott

    antony: Nettle beer isn’t something I’ve tried – but I’m more then willing to give it a go this spring.

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  • Dwayne Westley

    Soak the infected area in hot soapy water, this does work … when I was young, I fell ( rear first) into a patch of Nettles, had to sit in the tub for a while .