Nettle Cream Soup
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The world of food is full of some fascinating transformations, many of which involve an unpalatable or downright poisonous item morphing into something edible - even fantastic. We are often reminded that certain discarded parts of a plant are poisonous (rhubarb and potato leaves, for example), but even some of the actual food products we consume start out life in a dangerously inedible form. Both cashews and tapioca are straight-up poisonous if not prepared properly before consuming. But stinging nettles are a particularly interesting example. They don't so much poison you - they just try to hurt you.
Stinging nettles aren't exactly fooling anyone - after all, the word 'stinging' is right there in the name. They do look fairly innocuous at first, but the tiny, glassy, stinging hairs that cover every stem are pretty obvious - and once you've experienced their burn, you notice them all that much faster. My first experience with stinging nettles came one spring in Montreal. I was out birding (yep, I'm that kind of nerd too) when I slipped off of a wet boardwalk and landed in a small patch of spring greenery. Intense pain instantly began coursing through my leg as it brushed through the stand of nettles. The sensation was so sudden and so intense that I first thought I had cut myself open on something during my tumble. I grabbed at my leg to assess my injury, but there was nothing to see but some bumpy red skin. It was then that I first really noticed just how distinctive young stinging nettles are - and I've never failed to notice them since. My leg hurt for three solid days, so the memory had plenty of time to sink in.
So with that lovely introduction in mind, you might be wondering why on Earth anyone would want to eat these things. Long story short - they're free, and they're delicious. But we're going to need to go a little deeper than that.
There's a common misconception out there that stinging nettles cause injury by stabbing you, in much the same way that a rosebush would, but this isn't true, or at least it isn't the primary cause of pain. The stems are covered in minute transparent spines, but the damage they cause isn't really mechanical in nature. When these hairs are agitated, the end snaps off, converting the hair into a tiny hypodermic needle. When a hair pierces the skin (which is easy enough, as they're quite thin), it begins pumping in a chemical cocktail made up of acetylcholine, histamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, moroidin, leukotrienes, and at least one pain-inducing acid. That's literally a lot to take in, but the basic idea is that the stinging nettle is easy to notice and difficult to forget. But something amazing happens when you cook (or thoroughly dry) nettles: the volatile compounds are destroyed or inactivated, and the sting disappears completely. When you taste young nettles, you understand why the plant is so protective; the leaves are soft and delicate, with a sweet, mild, very enjoyable flavour. If the sting wasn't there, I think that the young leaves would get gobbled up pretty fast.
As lovely as nettles are, they don't make for a particularly interesting soup all by themselves. This soup appears in various guises all across the cooler regions of Europe, but the premise is generally the same - nettles provide the distinct, sweet-green flavour, while a good root-vegetable stock provides the base flavour. In fact, it's really the basic vegetable soup that makes or breaks this meal. The nettles are actually the easiest component to work with (as long as you have gloves), as they simply need to be blanched and drained.
I make this dish a little on the lighter side than some versions - the butter is essential for the flavour, but I think heavy cream is a bit too much. The pureed nettles and potatoes already lend a creamy richness, so I find half-and-half works quite well to round things out. I looked at quite a few other recipes while designing this version, but it was this particular recipe from River Cottage that influenced my recipe the most (the carrots make a big difference).
Whether you're new to foraging or an experienced gatherer, nettles represent a simple and delicious way to get out into the wild and find some free food. Just make sure you wear gloves (and preferably long pants).
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.
While a smooth, pureed cream soup is the most common way to prepare nettles, there's no reason that you couldn't do something a little chunkier. If you want to, you could puree the blanched nettles with some of the broth but leave the other vegetables whole.
Note that this recipe is very easily doubled to serve 8 (or more if served as a small starter soup).
Nutritional information is given for a single serving (1/4 total recipe).
Nutritional Summary
Ingredient Pages
Pantry Pages
No pantry pages have been written yet for any of the ingredients in this recipe. Like to see one? Let me know in the comments below or by email.
Nettle Cream Soup
Ingredients
- 100 g stinging nettles
- 50 g butter
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 small onion (about 120 g) diced
- 1 large yellow potato (about 200 g) diced
- 1 medium carrot (about 125 g) diced
- 1 small celery stalk (about 50 g) finely chopped
- 1.5 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup half-and-half cream plus more to garnish
- black pepper to garnish
- extra virgin olive oil to garnish
Instructions
- Pick over the nettles to remove any large stems, bad leaves, or bits of debris. Make sure to wear gloves for this part - preferably fairly robust ones.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the nettles (make sure to wear your gloves) and blanch for 90 seconds, then remove, rinse with cold water to stop cooking, and drain.
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat, then add the onions and garlic and saute until fragrant and slightly browned - about 5 minutes.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, and stock and bring to a gently boil. Cover and simmer (reduce the heat if necessary) until the potatoes and carrots are quite soft, about 10 minutes.
- Add the cooked nettles to the soup along with the cup of water. Return the soup to a boil and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool a little.
- Pour the soup into a blender or food processor (or use an immersion blender for a slightly thicker consistency) and blend. If serving the soup immediately, return it to the pot and add the cream, then stir to combine. If serving later, set the soup aside or refrigerate it, then reheat and combine with cream later.
- Serve the soup warm or chilled, with a drizzle of cream, a little olive oil, and if you like, some chilies or Tabasco sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
More Soups!
Japanese Nettle Soup (Vegan)
Kitsune Nabe Japanese Fried Tofu Stew
Healthier Broccoli Cheddar Soup
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Comments
What an interesting concept for a post, Sean! I haven’t ever tasted nettles, but this post has definitely piqued my interest. What a gorgeous looking soup — I love the textures the cream olive oil form on the surface! I’m glad I stopped by to see what you’re up to and always learn so much from your posts. Have a great weekend!
Thanks Justine! They’re really tasty – a little sweet, and quite distinctive. Thanks for coming by and for the wonderful compliments!
I didn’t know this about cashews. I love cashews. I’m glad that I now know not to pick and eat them myself. Lol.
This is such a cool recipe. Because I’ve been attacked by stinging nettle in the past I’d be afraid to eat this, but I still totally would. It might just take me a few minutes of convincing and a couple of deep breaths…
It sure makes a gorgeous puree, though!
Funny thing is that the big ol’ fruit that grows ABOVE the cashew is edible and delicious. Food is weird. You have to try this soup some time – if only to banish your lingering fears and to be surprised by the wonderful transformative powers of cooking. 🙂
I have boiled nettles before and are them as greens but this creamy soup is a fantastic idea. I know a lot of people don’t like the taste of nettles, but I like that texture and flavor.
I think that they might throw some people a little because they’re not super mild-tasting, and we’ve gotten so used to relatively flavourless greens. Like you, I love them, and I think they add a wonderful green sweetness to soup.
This is so creative. I used to pick stinging nettle and make tea. Never tried soup though! Saving this one for later.
Thanks Dylan! If you can get a hold of them, they are absolutely worth transforming into soup. Plus there’s a real satisfaction that comes from cooking free food!
I was actually reading up on scavenging wild edibles recently, and you’re definitely right…you have to be 100% sure before you eat anything out there! There are actually some strawberry bushes that looks like poison ivy. 😉 That being said, your nettle cream soup looks amazing. Just the right combination of healthy and creamy. Thanks for sharing Sean!
You are SO right! I love foraging, but the first few forays into it can be a little nerve-wracking. I would imagine it’s nice to have an experienced coach. Thanks for the kind compliments Cassie! 🙂
Nettle is extremely nutritious but definitely a pain to work until they’re cooked or dried. They taste great though. Thank you for sharing this recipe it looks wonderful.
For those that can’t find nettle fresh I’ve heard you can make soup with dried nettle as well. And for those foraging for them in the wild plantain is your friend and usually grows right along side nettle. It will help remove the sting if the nettle comes in contact with your skin.
They certainly do present a bit of a challenge – but once they’re go into the pot the trouble is gone! Thanks for your comments and the tip about wild plantain!
Nettles are awesome…unless you tumble into them, of course. I usually blend them into smoothies raw…love the super green and earthy flavour! I don’t know if “processed in a blender” works for inactivating the stinging chemicals but it’s never hurt before….maybe I just got lucky 😉 This is such a great post – so interesting to learn a little bit more about them and I’m definitely trying your Japanese version of the nettle soup this spring!