A delicious light velvety smooth nettle soup. It’s perfect as a spring cleanser. Don’t tell what’s in it and you can keep everyone guessing as to the mystery ingredient.
When spring finally emerges, I like to banish lethargy and listlessness and that’s when I start to crave the vitalising, cleansing effect of nettles. I normally have my first bowl of nettle soup in March, but I was a bit late in foraging any from our plot this year. When the day dawned bright and fair on Sunday morning, I was determined to go nettle picking – and I did.
Nettles as Medicine and Food
Nettles have been used both as a food and as medicine for centuries. They’re said to stimulate the digestion and purify the blood. Our ubiquitous stinging friends are rich in vitamins A and C as well as trace minerals: iron, potassium, manganese and calcium. The young nettles emerge in spring and this is the best time to gather and eat them. They taste a bit like spinach, but nicer.
Nettle soup is the easiest and most common way to consume this stinging weed. Don’t worry, it won’t bring you out in a rash. When nettles are cooked, they lose their sting. At this time of year, I use them as a general spinach substitute and add them to all sorts of dishes, including stir fries, quiches and curries.
I know nettles are not to everyone’s taste, but I suspect not many would turn down a bowl of this soup, especially if they didn’t know what it was made of. My mother has surprised visitors on many an occasion over the years by revealing what the soup was after they’d consumed and enjoyed it.
Foraging for Nettles
For most purposes, it’s best to take only the nettle tips when foraging as these are the tenderest. Older nettles and leaves can be tough. I tend to take the top four to six leaves. Unless you’re happy to grasp the nettle firmly and pick them with your bare hands in CT fashion, it’s best to wear rubber gloves or snip them into a basket with a pair of scissors.
Spring Tonic Nettle Soup
The soup is quick and easy to make. Fry up an onion, a leek, garlic and a potato, then add the nettles and water. Simmer for 15 minutes or so, then blitz with a blender.
I used my Optimum G2.3 platinum series induction blender* which turns out a particularly smooth soup. Whatever you use though, you should find the nettle soup has a lovely velvety mouth feel. I make this soup dairy free as I like to think of it as a spring tonic. But you could always use butter instead of oil and add a spoon of yoghurt or crème fraîche at the end to make it a bit more special.
It’s hard to see from the photos, but I gave a bit more pizzaz to this nettle soup by drizzling a little wild garlic oil over it when serving. Wild garlic oil is fantastic and I’ve been using it a lot since I spotted a recipe for it at Food to Glow a few weeks ago.
Fat Free Nettle Soup
If you have a soup maker or Froothie Evolve power blender*, you can omit the frying stage. Just add all ingredients except the oil and follow the soup making instructions. In the Froothie Evolve I use the smooth soup function and it takes thirty minutes. The end result is so smooth and delicious, we don’t miss the oil at all. In fact, that’s how I now make it every time.
Other Nettle Recipes You Might Like
- Cake – Nettle lemon cake with lemon icing and blackberries vie Veggie Desserts
- Cupcakes – Lemon, nettle and white chocolate cupcakes via Tin and Thyme
- Pasta – Nettle & feta ravioli via The Hedge Comber
- Pizza – Foraged nettle permie pizza via Zeb Bakes
- Powder – Nettle powder via Tin and Thyme
- Quiche – nettle and cotehill blue cheese nettle quiche via Belleau Kitchen
- Risotto – stinging nettle risotto via A Seasonal Veg Table
- Smoothie – Spring tonic nettle smoothie via Tin and Thyme
- Smoothie bowl – Green smoothie bowl and nettle powder via Tin and Thyme
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this spring tonic nettle soup, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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If you’d like more spring recipes or soup recipes, follow the links and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious, of course.
Choclette x
Nettle Soup – PIN IT
Nettle Soup – The Recipe
Nettle Soup (vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion roughly chopped
- 1 leek roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic roughly chopped
- 1 medium sized floury potato roughly chopped
- 125 g nettle tops well washed
- 1 litre water
- 2 tsp tamari (affiliate link)
- grating of nutmeg
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- wild garlic oil optional
- chives optional
- natural yoghurt optional
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, fry the onion, leeks and garlic in the olive oil over a moderate heat for 5 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and fry for a further 5 minutes.
- Add the nettle tops, water and tamari. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.
- Grate in a little nutmeg and grind in some black pepper, then blitz with a blender. Taste for seasoning and add a little more tamari if needed.
- Serve with a drizzle of wild garlic oil and some snipped chives if liked. Or add a spoonful of yoghurt.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Linkies
I’m sending my nettle soup off to No Croutons Required at Tinned Tomatoes.
I use my Optimum Blenders* for smoothies, spreads, sauces and even chocolate making. The post contains affiliate links which are marked with an asterisk*. If you buy through a link, it won’t cost you any more, but I’ll get a small commission. Thank you for supporting the brands and organisations that help to keep Tin and Thyme blithe and blogging. Opinions are, as always, my own.
Debbie Gibson says
This looks amazing! I really want to give this a go as its something Ive never made. Always a bit too unsure on what to do with nettles I think. I had no idea that cooking removes the sting. We have loads in our garden every year and I always chop them down and throw them away!! Time for a change I think! Do you put the stems into the soup as well or just the leaves?
Choclette says
Hi Debbie. Nettle soup is delicious and a good way to use up some of your garden nettles. It’s best to use the young tips of the nettles only – the top 4-6 leaves. The stems and old leaves are generally too fibrous.
Cathy @ Planet Veggie says
I’m always in awe of your foraging – I’m never brave enough to pick stuff from fields/side of the road (must be a London thing – I’m too towny!)
Choclette says
Haha, townie indeed. CT who grew up just a few streets away from you is the greatest forager ever!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
One day I’ll find nettles over here 😛 I never have any luck!
Choclette says
Oh no! You could always buy some nettle tea and drink that instead.
Chris @thinlyspread says
I haven’t made nettle soup for YEARS – I must don my gloves and get out there (bare hands? Are you insane?!)
Choclette says
No not me. It’s CT that doesn’t believe in gloves or girly scissors 😉
Emma @ Supper in the Suburbs says
Great recipe choclette. I love nettle soup but have never been brave enough to forage for it myself!
Choclette says
Thanks Emma. A pair of rubber gloves works wonders 🙂
Amber @ Quite Good Food says
I’ve never tried nettle soup before (I’m not sure where I’d find fresh nettle in New Zealand) but I drank nettle tea nearly every day of my pregnancies. It worked wonders to restore my iron levels and is now a go-to for me whenever I’m feeling run down. Such a restorative plant, gotta love nature 🙂
Choclette says
Yay for nettles. I’m a big fan. My NZ travels were so long ago now, I can’t remember if we saw nettles or not. I’d be surprised if they’re weren’t any though.
Janice says
This looks amazing. I’ve never actually made nettle soup although I have used nettles as a spinach substitute in a quiche and they were delicious. I should really get out this coming weekend before the nettles become to big and not so tasty.
Choclette says
Nettle soup is one of my favourites. Mind you I say that about most soups 😉 Do get those nettles whilst they’re young and tender.
Liv says
Wow I’ve never tried nettle I am interested in finding out more of its benefits!
Choclette says
Definitely worth trying if you can, nettles are meant to have loads of benefits.
Shaheen says
I do love nettle, its my favourite weed to eat, then wild garlic. I love it in soup, but its nice to experiment with it too. Thanks for including my link
Choclette says
Yes, I’m in complete agreement with you Shaheen on both fronts 🙂
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
I would drink it if you made this for me :-))
Choclette says
It would be my pleasure Angie. I hope you’d drink it and enjoy it 🙂
Johanna @ Green Gourmet Giraffe says
I’ve only made nettle soup once and enjoyed it but it was a bit of work to deal with the nettles – I got them from a friend but have not had a ready source since – you seem to have a great plot with all your produce – I like your tradition of spring cleaning with the nettles, so to speak!
Choclette says
Yes spring cleaning with nettles is exactly it. Our plot is decidedly ramshackle these days. We rather lost heart when the deer started to pay regular visits. Nettles is about all it’s fit for these days.
Kate | Veggie Desserts says
What a great looking nettle soup! And excellent tips for foraging for nettles. Definitely best to don some rubber gloves!
Choclette says
Thanks Kate. Where would we be without rubber gloves?
Jane says
OMG Jonny picks nettles with his bare hands too – what are these men made of??!
Jane x
Choclette says
It must be living in Cornwall that does it 😉