It looks like I'm going to spend my day in
Camden tomorrow so I won't be able to blog
about the nettle soup I had for lunch.
It was very nice actually.
Stinging nettle has a flavour similar to spinach
when cooked and is rich in vitamins A, C, D, iron,
potassium, manganese, and calcium.
Don't worry - they don't sting when cooked!
Here's my own recipe, it's spicy and very frugal.
Ingredients:
½ carrier bag full of nettles, tops or young leaves
1 large or 2 medium onions
4 garlic cloves
3 vegetable stock cubes
Cracked black pepper
Sunflower/Vegetable/Olive oil
How to make the soup:
Pick the nettles.
Don't gather them beside a busy road where they
will have been contaminated by traffic fumes.
Most important, don't forget the gloves!
I used my washing up gloves and a pair of scissors
and the job was done in no time.
Wash them thoroughly.
Discard only the tougher stalks, as the soup will be
liquidised.
Chop the onion and mince the garlic.
Put a dash of oil in a large pan and sweat the onion
and garlic until soft but not brown.
Add water and the stock cubes and pile in the nettles.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes, until
the nettles are tender. Season with black pepper.
Purée the soup in a liquidiser (you will probably have
to do this in 2 batches).
You don't have to use all the liquid you were cooking
the nettles in, I only used half of it, otherwise it might
be very thin and I wanted mine creamy.
Check the seasoning and serve warm.
ENJOY! <3
