Japanese Nettle Soup
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I don't normally try to post two similar recipes in quick succession, but I simply couldn't help myself here. I had originally planned to post a single recipe highlighting two variations on nettle soup, but they turned out too different and each really deserved its own post.
The previous nettle soup was a sublime and simple take on the traditional European variations. This version however is all about building flavours with Japanese staples. Nettle soup is by no means a traditional Japanese recipe, and nettles don't have a particularly prominent place in the Japanese culinary pantheon, but their mellow, green sweetness is wonderfully suited to the subtle marriage of salty and sweet found in a proper Japanese broth. White miso adds richness and complexity while providing a creamy richness to the soup.
Honestly I was really impressed with this soup, but not just because it tasted good (and man, it was good). I love the more traditional nettle soup recipe, but sometimes an ingredient gets a little pigeonholed and you want to see what else it can do. Really, nettles are tasty and versatile, and there's no reason that they should be limited to a single soup (even with variations). So I wanted to see if I could build a great soup with Japanese building blocks - and without any cream, butter, or meat broth. The resulting vegan delight is not lacking for flavour, depth, or richness in any way. The nettles and roasted vegetables are amazing (as you'd expect), but rich and distinctive Japanese flavours still shine through. The miso is an especially important component, adding a rich, salty-sweet element that gives body to the soup. The whole thing is at once familiar and exotic.
For what it's worth, I didn't make two nettle soups because I'm an obsessive tinkerer. Well... not JUST because I'm an obsessive tinkerer. I did it because I wanted to work with a classic and with something different, and I think there's something to be said for that. We fall into routines that revolve around our favorite dishes, but those routines can turn into ruts if we're not careful. I guess what I'm saying is - make your favourites and your specialties, but take a step back and reconsider the ingredients once in a while. You might end up with something new you love - or you might end up surprising and pleasing a whole group of folks who hadn't realized that there were new culinary avenues open to them. Case in point: you're welcome gluten-free vegans (who I would imagine spend a lot of time looking for recipes): there is now a nettle soup for you without any wheat or faux-dairy. So there you go.
Recipe Notes
Nettles are a very popular wild food, and may be found in some farmers markets. If you can’t find them for sale, they’re very common in the wild across a lot of North America and Eurasia. If you do forage for your own, make absolutely certain that you know what you’re picking. Nettles are a very distinctive plant, but any wild food should only be eaten if you’re 100% certain about its identity. You’ll want to wear gloves and choose the youngest, tender stems and new leaves. When you are working with the leaves, be sure to continue wearing gloves. Wash the nettles thoroughly and pick out any stems or damaged leaves.
The garnishes are completely optional, but they do add some nice dimension. Cherry blossoms (sakura) are obviously not always readily available, but if you do have access to a clean, un-sprayed ornamental cherry tree, they make a beautiful and pleasantly sour garnish. You could substitute any edible flowers, or some shichimi togarashi for a bit of colour and heat.
If you're not familiar with using kombu, check out this Pantry Page reference guide to learn all about how to find, choose, and use it.
Note that this recipe is very easily doubled to serve 8 (or more if served as a small starter soup).
Nutritional info is given for a single serving (1/8th total recipe).
Nutritional Summary
Japanese Nettle Soup
Ingredients
- 100 g stinging nettles
- 3 small dried shiitake mushrooms (about 15 grams)
- 300 g small yellow potatoes diced
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 3x5 inch piece kombu
- 225 g chinese cabbage (~1/4 head)
- 3 tbsp white miso
- 2 tsp tamari (substitute soy sauce)
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup short grain white rice
- cherry blossoms to garnish (optional)
- mizuna to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Soak the shiitake mushrooms in 1 cup of cold water for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight. Do not discard the water used to soak the mushrooms.
- Soak the kombu in 2 liters of cold water. If you're soaking the mushrooms overnight, then do the same with the kombu. If you're pressed for time, simply soak the kombu as long as possible while doing the other steps.
- Wear gloves while working with the raw nettles. Pick through them and remove any thick stems or bad leaves, the gently wash the nettles in cold water. Drain and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the nettles and blanch for 45 seconds, then drain and rinse with cold water. Set the cooked nettles aside (you no longer need gloves to handle them).
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Toss the potatoes and onions with the oil and spread out over a baking tray. Roast for about 15 minutes or until browned and very fragrant.
- While the vegetables are cooking, remove the mushrooms from their soaking liquid, remove the stems, and dice the caps. The stems are generally quite tough and should be discarded, though you can add them into the stock and fish them out later for added flavour. Do not discard the mushroom stock (soaking liquid)!
- Add tamari, mirin, and rice vinegar to the pot of water and kombu, then bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once the broth is simmering, remove the kombu and skim any bits. Add the mushrooms, mushroom stock, roasted veggies, and cabbage, then return to a simmer. Add rice, cover, and simmer until the rice is done; about 15 minutes.
- Add the blanched nettles to the pot and simmer for an additional 2 minutes.
- Puree the soup with an immersion blender or in a blender or food processor. Serve warm, garnished with bitter greens or edible flowers (or really any garnish you'd like). I used cherry blossoms and mizuna.
Notes
Nutrition
More Vegan Japanese Recipes
Charred Shishitos with Sweet Togarashi
Chrysanthemum Green (Shungiku) Goma-ae
Cucamelon Sunomono
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Comments
This is a beautiful looking soup! Wow!
Thanks so much Renee!
Such a pretty soup! And the presentation, gosh. Look at those flower petals! Thanks for showing us your soft side, Sean 😉
Lol.
Why thank you Dana. I do love a good edible garnish (and I do have a pet peeve about inedible ones). Those cherry blossoms not only look nice, they’ve got a really pleasant tangy-ness. And what can I say? I’m a big ol’ softy.
White miso and stinging nettles! That soup looks amazing and as always, what a beautiful recipe. Fantabulous job Sean 🙂
Why thank you Ginni! I was quite proud of this one – I don’t know of anything like it. That being said, I buy a great white miso, and honestly some of these recipes practically write themselves.
This is a very intriguing recipe. May have to give it a go to experience the depth of flavours.
Thank you! I hope you’ll let me know if you try it!
Interesting one! This soup looks so beautiful and delicious
Nettles rule our backyard sometimes… Next time I’ll need to remove them I guess I’ll be doing it with love :p I want to make the soup haha
Thanks for sharing!
Once they’re fully grown, they’re certainly a bit of a challenge – but when they first pop out of the ground, they make an amazingly tasty vegetable (still stingy, but hey, that’s what gloves are for). I hope this will help you view your backyard as a bounty, rather than a bane! Thanks Simon!
Sometimes we have nettles in the backyard… Next time I need to get rid of them, I guess I’ll do it with love I want to make soup! Great tips!