Very Healthy Nettle Soup!

Nature gives us a taste of summer in April with warmer days, longer evenings and a lush green emerging throughout the countryside.  But with the beautiful spring and summer flowers come the menacing summer weeds!  In the past some of these weeds were used as a medicinal food.  The wild stinging nettle was probably the most common.  This amazing plant has diuretic properties that help eliminate waste products, especially excess acid, from the body.  It’s therefore great (when eaten regularly) for arthritis, gout and as a general blood purifier and tonic.  It is also high in iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, silica, chlorophyll and vitamin C and D.  This makes it a ‘Super’ food, great for all types of illnesses, especially anaemia and respiratory problems.

To benefit from the wonders of this super-food, make a tea or soup with the young, tender leaves.  Find the nettle plant away from busy roads and industry, ideally in the middle of nowhere, so it won’t be contaminated with pollutants!  To make the tea, just pour boiling water over a few young leaves and strain.  Or, combine the nettle leaves with peppermint leaves and pour boiling water over them.  Don’t forget to use gloves to collect them, but don’t worry, cooked nettle doesn’t sting anymore!

Nettle Soup

Melt a little butter in a heavy saucepan.  When it foams, add 275gms (10ozs) potatoes (peeled and cut into 1cm cubes), 110gms (4ozs) chopped onions and 110gms (4ozs) chopped leeks.  Stir until vegetables are well coated in butter.  Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.  Cook on a low heat for 10minutes, or until vegetables are soft but not brown.  They may need to be stirred a few times during the 10mins to ensure the vegetables don’t stick to the pan.  Add 1litre of stock (chicken is the tastiest for this recipe), and boil until the vegetables are just cooked.  Add 150gms (5ozs) young nettle leaves (washed and chopped) and cook for just 2-3 more minutes.  Don’t overcook the vegetables as the soup won’t taste so good.  Add 150ml milk and liquidise.  Taste and add a little more salt or pepper if you think it needs it.