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Nettle soup is a broth-based soup made by boiling nettles, which are known for their health benefits. Traditional recipes come from Northern Europe, but modern versions often include cream or milk and additional ingredients. Nettles lose their sting when boiled, and the soup is a cheap and nutritious dish to make. Fresh nettles can be found in farmers markets and herb farms, but handling them can be problematic due to their sting.
The phrase “nettle soup” applies to almost any broth-based soup made with boiling nettles. Stinging nettles are herbs with the scientific classification Urtica dioica. They are consumed much less frequently than most other herbs, but are still renowned for many health benefits. Nettle soup is a popular nettle preparation because nettles lose most, if not all, of their sting when boiling.
Stinging nettles are believed to be native to Northern Europe, especially Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea region. Most nettle soup recipes are variations on soups traditionally made in these cultures, even though nettles grow wild in much of Europe, Asia, and North America today. Nettle soups are relatively easy to adapt, and cooks often add their own twists and ingredients.
In its most traditional form, nettle soup requires little more than water, chives or green onions, and butter. Nettles should be boiled briefly to reduce their sting and are then drained and mashed with chives or green onions to make a paste. That pasta is sauteed in butter, then simmered in the original liquid to make a rich broth. Soup made this way is usually referred to as Swedish nettle soup and is often served with soft-boiled eggs.
More modern versions of the soup are often cream or milk based and are typically pureed to make a cream of nettle soup. Potatoes, yellow onion and leek are common additions. Many cooks use nettles as they would any leafy green. The taste of nettle is often compared to spinach, and cooks often cook nettle and spinach interchangeably in soups and other dishes.
One of the biggest differences between nettles and most other plants is its sting. Nettle leaves are covered in tiny “hairs” that contain a chemical compound. When these hairs come into contact with the skin, they can leave a rash and often cause a burning sensation. Many herbalists and natural medicine practitioners believe that ingesting small amounts of this compound may have beneficial consequences.
Much of the chemical’s potency is attenuated in the boiling required to make nettle soup. However, soups retain the nutritional content of the leaves, which are rich in vitamins and antioxidants. Most nettle soup recipes call for no more than one pound (about 0.5 kg) of fresh nettles, which is widely recognized as a safe amount for regular consumption.
Nettle soup is often a very cheap dish to make, as nettles grow wild in most places. They are often one of the first plants to break through snow packs in the early spring. If left alone, nettles will flower in early summer, but young plants are usually best for nettle soup. Most recipes call for only the top third of a nettle stalk’s new leaves.
You can sometimes find nettles in grocery stores, but this is rare in North America. Some farmers sell stinging nettles in bundles at farmers markets, and sometimes herb farms grow it as well. Handling fresh nettles can be problematic due to their sting. Most nettle sellers wear gloves when handling the herb, and the nettles are usually packaged in plastic to avoid any skin contact.
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