Nettle is a versatile wild plant that works beautifully in cooking. Both stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) and Roman nettle (Urtica pilulifera) are suitable for this soup.
Fresh nettles should be harvested young, before the plant becomes tough. Look for plants with tender top leaves and avoid older, woody stems. Nettles grow in disturbed soils, field edges, and shaded areas with good moisture. They should only be picked from clean locations, away from roads, sprayed fields, or areas frequented by animals.
The tiny hairs on the leaves and stems can cause a burning sensation when touched. To avoid this, use gloves or scissors when harvesting. Once blanched or cooked, the sting disappears completely and the plant becomes safe and pleasant to eat.
Nettles gathered during foraging walks are often cooked simply in the field. When a kitchen is available, they can also be blended into a smooth, green soup using the whole plant, leaves and stems alike.
Ingredients:
- A bundle of young nettles
- Mustard greens and sorrel, for added flavor (optional)
- A handful of cashews
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil or olive oil (45 ml)
- Salt, to taste
Instructions:
- Bring a pot of water to a boil.
- Blanch the nettles and any other greens in the boiling water for about 5 minutes. There is no need to separate the leaves; everything goes in together, including stems and even flowers.
- Place the cashews in a blender with a little of the cooking water and blend until smooth.
- Add the blanched greens to the blender, along with more of the blanching water, depending on the desired thickness.
- Season with salt and add the olive oil or sesame oil.
- Blend until smooth and bright green.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
In the photo, the soup is topped with saltbush leaves, baked in the oven until crisp with a small amount of high-quality olive oil.
