NETTLE SOUP

The best green food delivered by poor mans spinach, the humble stinging nettle. Stinging nettle is rich in Vitamin A, C, D, K, iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, silica, chlorophyll and protein. If you think spinach and kale are nutrition superstars, you’ll love stinging nettle! great for all types of illnesses, especially anaemia and respiratory problems.

There’s no doubt about it, stinging nettle stings so wear some gloves. Nettles have fine prickly spines, they are the plants protection that release a burning chemical mixture (formic acid) onto and into your skin. Almost immediately, you’ll feel a burning sensation. However, when boiled, steamed or dehydrated the plants protection is ineffective and perfectly safe to eat.

You can harvest nettles all summer, the tender new leaves forming are ideal for soups, stews, biscuits and breads. Use scissors to cut only the top few leaves. This will allow the plant to regrow and continue to thrive and produce throughout the summer.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 clove garlic, grated

• 1 carrot, diced

• 4 small potatoes, cut into small cubes

• 1 small chili

• 1 vegetable stock

• 400g stinging or dead nettles, washed, leaves picked (see tips below)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot 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.

• Add the nettle leaves, simmer for 1 min to wilt, then blend the soup. Season to taste, then Serve the soup drizzled with extra oil and scattered with dead nettle flowers, if you have them.

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