Nettles are one of the first wild greens of spring, and they grow almost everywhere. Here in rural Ireland they come up along every ditch, and so do the wild alliums: wild garlic in the woods and three-cornered leek along the lanes. Both go into this soup.
Nettles taste like a deeper, earthier spinach. Their sting disappears the moment they hit hot liquid, so the only time you need gloves is when picking and washing.
Foraging safely
- Pick young tops in spring, before the plants flower. Older leaves turn tough.
- Choose clean spots, away from roadsides, dog-walking paths and anywhere that might be sprayed.
- Only pick what you can identify with certainty. Wild garlic has look-alikes, including lily of the valley and lords-and-ladies, which are poisonous. Crushed wild garlic leaves smell strongly of garlic; if a leaf doesn't, leave it.
If you can't get wild onions, spring onions work well.
The original Princess Tofu blog published a wild onion and stinging nettle soup recipe back in 2014, and food sites still link to it. This is our own fully vegan version, written from scratch.
Ingredient notes and swaps
- Potato: thickens the soup. Use a handful of rolled oats or a tin of white beans instead.
- Stock: a good vegetable stock makes a difference; check stock cubes for milk.
- Cream: oat cream or a spoon of cashew cream makes it richer.
Tips for success
- Pick only the top four to six leaves of young nettles in spring.
- Use rubber gloves or tongs until the nettles are cooked.
- Blend just after the greens wilt to keep the color vivid.
Variations
- Wild garlic only: use 100 g wild garlic leaves and skip the nettles for a punchy garlic soup.
- Pea and nettle: add a cup of frozen peas with the nettles for sweetness.
- Nettle pesto: blanch extra nettles and blend with oil, nuts and garlic.
What to serve it with
- Brown soda bread or toasted sourdough.
- A swirl of oat cream and a few chive flowers.
Wild Onion and Stinging Nettle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 medium potato (about 250 g), peeled and diced
- 1 litre (4 cups) vegetable stock
- 150 g young nettle tops (a packed colander full)
- 50 g wild onion, three-cornered leek or wild garlic leaves, or 4 spring onions
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Salt and black pepper
- Oat cream, to serve (optional)
Method
- Wearing gloves, pick over the nettles, removing any thick stalks, and wash them well.
- Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Cook the onion for 8 minutes until soft, adding the garlic for the last minute.
- Add the potato and stock, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes until the potato is tender.
- Add the nettles, pushing them under the liquid, and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Add the wild onion leaves and cook for 1 minute more.
- Blend until smooth. Add the lemon juice and season well.
- Serve with a swirl of oat cream.
Keep it green: don't boil the soup once the greens are in, and serve it soon after blending.
Storage: keeps 2 days in the fridge, or freeze for up to 3 months. The color dulls a little on reheating.