Stinging nettle soup
Stinging nettle soup
I had stinging nettle soup for the first time when I was hiking in the Himalayas. Our porter Surpla was an excellent cook, so one night the owners of the guest house we were staying at allowed us into their kitchen where he made us stinging nettle soup with millet that was the consistency of polenta. We used our hand to scoop up the millet, then dip it in the soup. I wish I had taken notes as I watched him cook, but I know it was made with basic ingredients they could either forage for or grow high in the mountains. Based on that experience, I came up with this recipe using the first stinging nettles I foraged myself. I now live on Vancouver Island were foraging for wild edibles has become a favorite pastime.
Yields: 6 servings
Ingredients
8 cups stinging nettles
7 cups vegetable broth
1 ½ cups leeks – slice
2 tablespoons garlic - mince
3 cups russet potatoes – peel and rough chop
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Steps
Carefully wash the nettles. They will still sting you until they are blanched in boiling water or put in a hot soup broth. Set them aside while you make the base of the soup.
Sauté the leeks and garlic in a little water, broth or oil until the leeks are almost creamy. I also add the salt at this stage to help break down the leeks.
Add the potatoes and broth. Bring the liquid up to a boil then add the nettles. Cook until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Remove the pot from the heat. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until it is smooth. Add the lemon juice. Taste, then add salt and pepper as needed.
