Nettle Soup
Food
Main Courses
Quick Meals
Starters
Gluten-free
Vegetarian
Tea rooms at the World of Beatrix Potter, Bowness-on-Windermere
4-6 Servings
Ingredients
55g butter
2 onions medium, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
1 leek small, chopped
1 garlic clove large, crushed, or better still, 3 tbsps of chopped wild garlic
Pinch nutmeg
1 carrier bag young nettle leaves
1 ltr vegetable stock (GF)
2 tbsp thick cream or crème fraiche
Salt and pepper to taste
TO GARNISH
Little cream or crème fraiche
Small bunch chives, chopped
Few sprigs wild chervil or parsley, chopped
Method
- Pick over the nettles leaves and wash them thoroughly
- Melt the butter in a large pan and sweat the onion, plus the celery and garlic until soft but not brown
- Add the stock and pile in the nettles
- Bring to the boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the nettles are tender
- Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg
- Puree the soup in a liquidizer
- Return to a clean pan, stir in the cream and reheat, but do not let it boil
- Check the seasoning, then serve, garnishing each bowl with a swirl of cream and a generous sprinkling of chopped herbs
