Nettle Recipes

Stinging Nettle Soup (Vegan)

Recipe by Good Earth Organic Farm

Ingredients

 

  • Two gallon bags of nettles
  • 1 tsp. rapeseed oil
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 2-4 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 4-5 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped,
  • 4¼ cups vegetable stock
  • ½ can coconut milk
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

  1. In a slow cooker or large stock pot, heat the oil on medium heat and add the onions. Cook them slowly for 5 -7 minutes until they’re softened.
  2. Add the garlic, potatoes, and carrot and stir the soup. Let it simmer for a couple more minutes before adding the vegetable stock.
  3. Once the stock is added, heat until it’s simmering and add the nettles into the pot.
  4. The nettles will be overflowing out of your pan, but as they cook they will start to shrink and you will be able to mix them into the stock. Simmer the mixture gently for 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
  5. Blend ¾ of the soup with either an immersion blender, or in a blender or food processor until it’s smooth.
  6. Season with salt and pepper to taste
  7. Serve the soup with a swirl of coconut milk on top.

Sautéed Nettles & Shiitakes

Recipe by Good Earth Organic Farm

Ingredients

 

  • 1 tbsp. olive oil or butter
  • 2 cups fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 5 cups stinging or wood nettle leaves or tops, chopped
  • 2 tsp. tamari or soy sauce
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped

​Instructions

 

  1. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.
  2. Add shiitakes and cook uncovered, stirring until mushrooms release and then reabsorb moisture.
  3. Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent.
  4. Add nettles and tamari. Cover and cook until tender, about 4 minutes.
  5. Add garlic and cook uncovered for about 2 minutes.
  6. Serve and enjoy.

Spring Raab with Nettle Pesto

Recipe by Turnip the Beet Farm

Ingredients

  • ½ lb. kale raab
  • ½ lb. raw stinging nettles
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted (reserve 1 tbsp. for garnish)
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper (white or black)
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese, finely grated (reserve 1 tbsp. for garnish)
  • 1 tbsp. lemon zest

Instructions

For the pesto:

  1. Bring well-salted water to boil in a pot big enough to hold nettles and stems. Once boiling, use tongs to place the nettles in the pot. Blanch in rapidly boiling water for 1 ½ minutes. Prepare an ice bath.
  2. Using tongs, remove from water and place in ice bath to chill rapidly. Separate leaves from bigger stems, placing all leaves and some of the smaller stems on a clean kitchen towel. Wring dry.
  3. Place nettles in a food processor with the pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, parmesan, salt, pepper  and oil. Pulse until until uniform, but not too smooth. Scrape down sides to make sure all is combined.

For the raab:

  1. Boil raab in well-salted water.
  2. Once raab is cooked to al dente, remove with tongs and immediately toss in the pesto.
  3. Garnish with lemon zest, pine nuts, and grated parmesan. Serve immediately.

Nettle Soup

Recipe by Turnip the Beet Farm

​Ingredients

 

  • ½ lb. stinging nettles
  • 1 onion
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 1 tsp. fine sea salt (plus more to taste)
  • 1 lb. potatoes
  • 6 cups broth
  • ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
  • ½ cup heavy cream (optional)
  • Sour cream, yogurt, or horseradish cream (optional)

Instructions

 

  1. Wear gloves if you’re going to handle the raw nettles!
  2. Peel and roughly chop the onion.
  3. In a large pot, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, about 3 minutes.
  4. While the onions cook, peel the potatoes and chop roughly.
  5. Add the potatoes and broth to the onions and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer, and cook until the potatoes are mostly tender, about 15 minutes.
  6. Add the nettles and cook until they’re very tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, plus the pepper and nutmeg.
  7. Puree the soup with an immersion blender or in a blender or food processor in batches. For a silken, less fibrous texture, run mixture through a sieve.
  8. Stir in the heavy cream, if desired. Season the soup to taste with additional salt and pepper.
  9. Serve hot, garnished with sour cream, yogurt, or horseradish cream, if desired.