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  • 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

Nutrition: per serving

  • kcal323
  • fat21g
  • saturates11g
  • carbs21g
  • sugars7g
  • fibre9g
  • protein6g
  • salt0.9g
    low
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Method

  • step 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.

  • step 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.

RECIPE TIPS
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.

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.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, May 2012

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Comments, questions and tips (11)

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Overall rating

A star rating of 4.3 out of 5.17 ratings

SallyT.

I made a half quantity of this soup but I found that 200g of nettles was far too much for the stock I had in the pan and had to add at least another 200 mls. Even so it was still really thick, I’m talking almost porridge consistency. thinned down a bit more after adding the cream. I found it a…

jennifer.morter@outlook.com

I made this yesterday with young nettles from my garden and it was really delicious 😋😊

buntvs83scipolEe

sounds delicious! I would love to have some nettle soup from your garden!!

SandraTheSoupGod

good soup. Would guzzle again

buntvs83scipolEe

yum!

pjm2cu2SOzog-5

Nettles have a most delicate and delicious flavour. What on earth is the point of a recipe that drowns out the subtlety of the principle ingredient with very strong flavours such as leek, onion and vegetable stock?

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