In addition to using stinging nettles to make soup they can be used to make beer or pesto, or added to pasta, a frittata or any dish where you would use spinach.
For years I’ve been hearing about people foraging for stinging nettles which are said to be very healthy — full of vitamins and anti-oxidants. And although they grow wild around our property, I had never had the nerve to try cooking them myself. Stinging nettles can give you a painful rash hence, the name.
Then I had the good fortune to go foraging with Peter Blush of Puck’s Plenty in nearby Stratford, Ontario. Peter leads groups on foraging trips into the countryside where he harvests nature’s edibles like wild ginger, wild leek, cattails, fiddleheads, garlic mustard, daylilies and mushrooms along with stinging nettle.
He did the picking and the initial blanching which takes the sting out of the nettles and then I made this nettle soup which is popular in Scandinavia and the British Isles.
When harvesting stinging nettles, Blush recommends wearing thick rubber or leather gloves to handle the raw leaves and stems. If you do come in contact with the stinging nettle, rubbing the affected area with a burdock leaf can ease the skin irritation.
According to Blush, the best time to pick stinging nettles is in the spring. Once the flowerets begin to form, usually by July, the plants will not taste as good, he says.
In addition to using the stinging nettles to make soup like I did, Blush says the nettles can be used to make beer or pesto, or added to pasta, a frittata or any dish where you would use spinach.
Blush has some warnings when it comes to eating wild edibles. You should never eat any wild plant that you aren’t 100 per cent confident you know what it is. There are many toxic plants and mushrooms that look similar to edible ones.
The first time you eat a wild edible, Blush recommends only eating a small amount in case your body has a bad reaction to the new food.
Get permission before foraging on private land and be sure the area you are foraging from has not been sprayed with pesticides or other chemicals.
Don’t overharvest. To be sustainable, always leave enough plants and mushrooms to regenerate for future harvests.
To learn more about foraging for wild edibles, Blush recommends Peterson’s Field Guide to Wild Edible Plants which has photos to help with identification. You’ll also find photos and recipes on Blush’s website at www.pucksplenty.com
Nettle Soup
Note you can substitute baby spinach in this recipe if you don’t have any nettle leaves.
Ingredients
10 cups (2.5 L) washed nettle leaves (don’t let the raw nettle leaves come in contact with your skin)
3 Tbsp (45 mL) olive oil
¼ cup (60 mL) flour
½ cup (125 mL) finely chopped onion
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup (60 mL) chives or green onion, chopped
3 ½ cups (900 mL) vegetable broth
1 tsp (5 mL) dried thyme
1 tsp (5 mL) dried oregano
½ tsp each salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups milk or light cream (I used half milk, half light cream)
Method
-Step one: After washing the nettle leaves (being careful not to let your skin come in contact with the leaves), boil the leaves in a large pot, with enough water to cover the leaves, for 15 minutes. Remove the leaves with a slotted spoon and rinse with cold water. (If using spinach, you can skip this step and add the raw spinach to the pot after the broth has been added.)
-Step two: Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add onion and sauté for a few minutes. Add the minced garlic and chives and continue to cook for another minute or two. Add broth, salt, pepper, thyme, oregano and blanched nettle leaves. Simmer for about 15 minutes until onions are soft. Let cool for a few minutes then blend with a hand-held immersion blender. In a small bowl, mix the flour with a cup of water; whisk to remove lumps. Add the flour mixture to the soup, bring to a soft boil to thicken while gently stirring. Remove from heat, add the milk or cream, and serve.
- Helen Lammers-Helps