Nettle soup is a popular dish in many cultures, particularly in Northern and Eastern Europe, where stinging nettles are abundant and have been used for their medicinal properties for centuries. This recipe for creamy nettle and wild garlic soup is the perfect spring dish. Vibrant, colourful and packed with bright flavours, this dish ticks all the boxes.
Nettle soup is a healthy and nutritious meal, as nettles are high in vitamins and minerals such as iron, calcium, and vitamin C. Nettle soup is good to make on the first nettles of spring when the nettles are tender and less bitter.
For Creamy nettle and wild garlic soup, you need:
1 litre of freshly picked nettles
200 grams of wild garlic/ramson
1 shallot or a quarter of a spring onion
1/3 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
800 ml of vegetable stock or chicken stock
1 Tablespoon of butter or margarine
Optional: a dash of cream
How you make Creamy nettle and wild garlic soup:
Clean and rinse the nettles in water. Strain the water from the nettles and chop them coarsely.
Peel and finely chop the onion. Fry the onion in butter or margarine in a large saucepan.
When the onions have turned translucid, add the nettles and let them sweat down. Gently fry the nettles until they are tender and do not sting.
Add the broth, and optional cream and let it come up to a boil before blending it until smooth.
Season with a squeeze of lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
Optional: you can thicken the soup with a teaspoon of flour.
Serve straight away as a starter or main course. Creamy nettle and wild garlic soup are great topped with a soft-boiled egg or enjoy with freshly baked bread on the side.
