This article was written for Annabel & Grace, which is now part of Rest Less.
Nettle Soup
Rubber gloves are a good idea when picking nettles! Discard any thick stalks, wash and drain in a colander. This is a River Cottage recipe.
Ingredients serves 4
Half a carrier bagful of stinging nettle tops, or fresh-looking larger leaves
50g butter
1 large onion (or a dozen crow garlic bulbs if you want to be truly wild), peeled and finely chopped
1 litre vegetable or chicken stock, or even light fish stock
1 large potato, peeled and cut into cubes
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp crème fraîche
A few drops of extra-virgin olive oil
A few drops of Tabasco
How to prepare
Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the onion and cook gently for 5-7 minutes until softened.
Add the stock, nettles, potato and carrot. Bring to a simmer and cook gently until the potato is soft, about 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat. Using an electric hand-held stick blender, purée the soup and then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle into warmed bowls and float a teaspoonful of creme fraiche on top. As this melts, swirl in a few drops of extra-virgin olive oil and Tabasco.
You may like to also check out our recipes for Quick Rosehip Jam and Blackberry Vodka