It is early Spring and the week ahead looks as though it will be a return to winter. My mind turns to soup.
The Winter/Spring nettle is the annual nettle, the Urtica urens. It is thought that they are not quite as nutritious as the perennial nettle, the Urtica dioica, but they are still pretty good with an abundance of Minerals and Vitamins. The perennial nettle is only beginning its growth here now so if you have nettles, they will be the annual ones that I have cut today. I like them young and tender.
Ingredients
2 onions, 2-3 cloves garlic, 1 large potato or two smaller ones, a bunch of nettles, stock, salt and pepper.
I slice the onions and garlic and saute them in 2-3tbsp of extra virgin olive oil for a few minutes before adding the peeled, sliced and cut potatoes.
Cook all gently until slightly browned. Add 4-6 cups of hot water, stir. I prepare the nettles by cutting off the tender ends and the leaves from the tougher stalk. Add to the above together with a tbsp of miso and/or tomato paste or other stock, 1 tsp salt and pepper. (I use the ‘Urban Hippy’ miso as stock for most soups.
Simmer until the potatoes are soft then process in a blender.
This is creamy, delicious and in great danger of being eaten before the weather returns to winter!
isla burgess 