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    Home » Recipes » Foraging

    Published: Apr 16, 2020 · Updated: Mar 8, 2022 · This post may contain affiliate links · We donate 10% of our profits to support good causes.

    Easy Nettle Soup

    Jump to Recipe 8 Comments Share Pin Save Saved!

    Make the most of free, foraged greens with this fresh & easy nettle soup. With just seven ingredients and 15 minutes cooking time you can have this simple but tasty dish ready to enjoy! 

    Two white bowls containing bright green nettle soup.
    Table of Contents
    • Ingredient tips
    • Benefits of nettle
    • Picking nettles
    • Step by step
    • FAQs
    • More wild food recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    If you are new to foraging, nettles are probably one of the easiest wild plants to start with! So long as you’ve got some gloves, they’re easy to find and pick.

    This stinging nettle soup is one of the easiest ways to cook with nettles!

    Our recipe is easier than most other nettle soup recipes which require blanched nettles. All you need to do is add in your fresh nettles towards the end of cooking for the soup!

    Ingredient tips

    This wild nettle soup is the perfect simple recipe for early spring. Here's what you'll need to make it:

    • Nettles of course! (Keep reading for tips on picking your own).
    • Onion and garlic - any kind of onion will will work, you can also use shallots or even leek for a change.
    • Olive oil
    • Potato - we like to use starchy potatoes such as Russet or Maris Piper for this soup as it gives a lovely creamy texture.
    • Vegetable stock - we use this bouillon powder to easily make our stock, but you can use homemade broth or mushroom stock for a bit of umami.
    • And finally a good squeeze of lemon really enhances the taste.

    Benefits of nettle

    Why should you cook with nettles? Especially when they try to sting you?! Here's 4 reason why...

    • Nettles are a nutritional powerhouse - they’re an excellent source of iron, calcium and vitamin A. Read more about the health benefits of nettles.
    • They’re a free source of food!
    • Cooking them destroys their sting
    • And it’s kind of fun to see the look on someone’s face when they realise they’ve just eaten a meal containing nettles - and it was delicious! 
    Potatoes, onion, garlic and stock powder on a wooden board around a basket full of nettle leaves.

    Picking nettles

    Stinging nettles are known by the scientific name Urtica dioica and often simply called nettles. You can probably already recognise them easily… But read on for tips on when and how to pick them. 

    How to identify

    Nettles have pointed leaves with toothed edges and tiny hairs on the underside and stem.  The main lookalike that you could mistake nettles for is a member of the dead nettle family Lamium, which are also edible, but don’t sting.

    Visit Wild Food UK for more information on how to identify nettles. As always with foraging, be 100% sure that you make the correct identification.  

    The pointed, toothed edges leaves of stinging nettles.

    When and where to pick

    Nettles can be found growing throughout the year, but are best picked in the spring, when the young leaves are at their most tender.

    Don’t pick nettles when the plants are flowering. When they start flowering, the leaves develop cystoliths, which can irritate the urinary tract.

    Avoid picking from polluted areas like roadsides or dog walking areas. 

    How to pick

    Wear thick gloves and long sleeves. Use scissors to remove the tender nettle tops. Snip the main stem under the top four or six leaves.

    Collect the leaves into a basket or cloth bag. We like to cut off the thicker stem as we go, so we are left with the tender leaves. 

    Cutting the top leaves of a nettle plant with gloves and a pair of scissors.

    How to avoid being stung

    Keep wearing rubber gloves whilst you prepare and wash the nettle leaves thoroughly. You can also crush or wilt the leaves to remove their sting. 

    Step by step

    Here's a visual guide to making this nettle soup. For full amounts see the recipe card at the end.

    When you’ve got your foraged nettles picked and the onion, garlic and potato diced, you’re ready to start cooking your tasty nettle soup! 

    A collage of four pictures showing the pan of nettle soup cooking from above.

    Step 1 - Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan and add the diced onion and chopped garlic, and fry for a couple of minutes until translucent.

    Step 2 - Add the diced potato, vegetable stock powder (bouillon) and water, cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes.

    Step 3 - Check the potato is tender, then add the washed nettle leaves and cook for another minute until they have wilted down

    Step 4 - Add the lemon juice and blend until you have a smooth soup

    We like to salt and pepper to taste, then serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and some seeds on top. Here we've used nigella seeds, but sunflower and pumpkin are also great.

    You could also top with some edible spring flowers for a pretty garnish!

    A golden spoon scoops a spoonful of the vibrant and fresh looking nettle soup.

    FAQs

    What do nettles taste like?

    As a leafy green, nettle has a flavour similar to spinach. It's has an earthy quality, and a subtle tang to it, as if you can taste the minerals it contains. The young, fresh leaves are a little more sweet and mild.

    Where can I get nettles?

    Nettles are a widespread plant and can be found growing wild in garden, woodland, fields and hedgerow across the world. You can pick your own fresh stinging nettles in spring, or keep an eye out for them in your local farmers market in nettle season.

    What to serve with nettle soup?

    As a garnish, a dollop of vegan crème fraîche or vegan yoghurt is a nice addition. Toasted seeds or nuts such as flaked almonds or pine nuts go great with nettles and can add a delicious crunch.

    As a side dish, we love our homemade crackers, potato scones or our wild garlic pesto bread.

    More wild food recipes

    We hope you enjoy our easy nettle soup recipe! For more tasty recipes using wild edibles try our:

    Vegan Dandelion Honey (simple and amazingly blossomy)

    Creamy Wild Garlic Soup (also perfect for spring)

    Homemade Elderflower Cordial (our favourite refreshing drink)

    Sophie & Paul

    📖 Recipe

    Easy Nettle Soup

    by Sophie & Paul
    5 from 13 votes
    A fresh, simple and light dish for spring. This stinging nettle soup is quick to make and has just seven ingredients.
    Print Pin Save Saved!
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Makes: 4 servings
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: British, Traditional

    Ingredients
     

    • 2 cups (50 g) nettle leaves
    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • 1 onion medium
    • 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
    • 2 cups (300 g) potato 2 medium potatoes diced
    • 2 tsp stock powder or bouillon
    • 2 cups (500 ml) water
    • 1 tbsp lemon juice

    Instructions
     

    • Whilst wearing gloves, prepare your nettles - remove any thick stalks and wash the leaves well.
      2 cups (50 g) nettle leaves
    • In a medium saucepan heat the olive oil. Add the chopped onion and garlic and saute for a few minutes until translucent.
      1 tbsp olive oil, 1 onion, 3 cloves garlic
    • Then add the diced potato, water and vegetable stock powder. Stir well, then cover the pan with a lid, and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
      2 cups (300 g) potato, 2 tsp stock powder or bouillon, 2 cups (500 ml) water
    • Check the potato is soft, and then add the washed nettle leaves and cook for another minute until the leaves have wilted down.
    • Finally, add the lemon juice and blend the soup until smooth using an immersion blender.
      1 tbsp lemon juice
    • Salt and pepper to taste and serve with a drizzle of extra virgin oil and a sprinkle of seeds or toasted nuts.

    Notes

    For tips on identifying and picking nettles, see the post above.
    Variations
    For a thicker soup, add an extra potato. You can also use leftover potato if you have some that's already been cooked.
    Other veggies such as leek, carrot or celery can also be added. Chop them finely and add in just after the onions and garlic and lightly fry.
    Some or all of the nettles can be replaced with Wild Garlic, simply omit the garlic cloves.
    If cooking for someone Gluten Free - check the ingredients of your stock powder or bouillon.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 111kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 273mg | Potassium: 407mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 251IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 1mg

    This information is calculated per serving and is an estimate only.

    Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment to let us know! Share a photo and tag @veganonboard - we love to see what you make!

    Food doesn't get more local than this! Enjoying our nettle soup in our garden where we also picked the nettles.

    If you also love outdoor adventures, you'll love our vegan foraging recipes.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 13 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Karen says

      May 10, 2022 at 12:01 pm

      This is absolutely tasty.love it

      Reply
      • Sophie and Paul says

        May 13, 2022 at 1:45 pm

        So glad you loved it Karen! Isn't it amazing what you can do with nettles 🙂

        Reply
    2. Anna says

      March 17, 2022 at 2:19 pm

      5 stars
      Great recipe, Sophie & Paul, thank you so much! Vegans and non vegans loved it!

      Reply
    3. rose says

      March 17, 2022 at 2:14 pm

      5 stars
      perfect timing! ... our nettles are just ready for picking ... good to find a different recipe and i appreciate the advice re not picking nettles in flower ... i hadn't realised this!

      nettles are also great cooked with potatoes and then mashed with olive oil and garlic.

      cheers 🙂

      Reply
    4. TJ says

      May 02, 2021 at 7:02 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious! Added wild garlic and cleavers 😋

      Reply
      • Sophie and Paul says

        May 04, 2021 at 12:04 pm

        Brilliant idea TJ! Glad you enjoyed it so much. 🙂

        Reply
    5. miranda says

      April 24, 2021 at 5:31 am

      5 stars
      Oh my, this was delicious and so easy. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Sophie and Paul says

        April 24, 2021 at 6:09 am

        Thanks so much Miranda! Delighted you loved it 🙂

        Reply

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