Swedish Nettle Soup

This easy Swedish Nettle Soup is best enjoyed with a poached egg or a dollop of sour-cream and some crusty freshly baked bread. Perfect for a delicious, healthy spring lunch!

You can use any garden greens or foraged greens for this traditional soup recipe. Such as nettles, spinach, kale, sea spinach, chard, ramsons and sorrel. Either on their own or mixed. Because the greens do not boil for long, and the soup does not contain cream, it retains its vibrant green colour after cooking. When you eat it, you know it is so good for you! And if you use foraged greens or vegetables from your garden, it is good for your wallet too!

How to pick Stingy Nettles

Nettles have long been a part of our diet and they contain Vitamins (A and C) minerals, Iron, fibres and protein. It is also traditionally taken as a tonic to detox, or cleanse in spring. Spring nettles are very tender and can be used as you would spinach (apart from eating raw unless you’re a bit of a sucker for punishment.

Nettles are best picked in spring as they are tender and fresh. Later in the season, the stems get tough, and the plant becomes a haven for all kinds of creatures including butterflies and ladybirds. When picking nettles, it is good to wear gloves to avoid getting stung. Even tender nettles sting! Pinch off the stem just under the top three pairs of leaves. Like spinach, Nettles lose a lot of volume when cooked, so always pick a little more than you think you’re going to need.

At home, rinse the nettles well and drain.

To prepare nettles for soup or freezing, boil a large pot of water and put the nettle tips into the boiling water. Boil for a few minutes until tender. Remove and place in cold water to retain the colour of the leaves. I love making Swedish Nettle Soup, and I freeze lots of it for those lazy days when I don’t want to cook but still want to eat something that is really tasty and good for me. Don’t throw away the nettle water! The water can be drunk as a detox tea, used as a hair rinse or to water the house plants with.

Other ways to eat nettles

The nettles can also be blanched, drained and sautéed in butter, either on its own or with other spring greens such as sea spinach and ramsons and a touch of garlic. If you like, you can finish off with a dash of cream. Sprinkle some sea salt and lemon juice over and serve. Delicious with meat or fish, with egg dishes, pasta, or on its own with tomato salad and crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Hanna Bäckmo

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