Nettle Soup Recipe - How to Make Nasselsoppa or Nettle Soup (2024)

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5 from 7 votes

By Hank Shaw

March 19, 2018 | Updated June 06, 2022

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Nettle Soup Recipe - How to Make Nasselsoppa or Nettle Soup (2)

Every year about this time, I long for the green of spring. It is an itch I need to scratch. Bad.

And yes, I realize that as a resident of Northern California I ought to be the last person whining about winter, but I cannot help it. It’s not the weather so much as it’s that I need a break from heavy stews and braises, at least for now. And because I do live in NorCal, I can scratch my itch even in February.

We’ve had a warm, dry winter. Every little bit of rain we get is welcomed. This year we all have reverse seasonal affective disorder: When it’s gloomy and rainy, we’re happy. It means we get to drink water this summer.

Spring rains transform our grassy hillsides into what seems to be emerald suede — not unlike this nettle soup. Anyone who knows me knows that I am in love with smooth soups. Elise and I have made lots of them over at Simply Recipes, and one of our favorites is my Provencal fish soup.

Every year around February or early March we goto a farm in the Delta where dwarf nettles grow as a weed; my friend Josh has permission to forage there. Dwarf nettles, Urtica urens, don’t have nearly as nasty a sting as Urtica dioica, which is the standard stinging nettle. These are more dainty, more civilized. But dwarf nettles, at least in this part of the world, can carry a very faint fishy aroma.

Nettle Soup Recipe - How to Make Nasselsoppa or Nettle Soup (3)

This aroma is easy to mask in normal cooking, but I will often pair fish with dwarf nettles anyway — go with the flow, right? Sometimes I skip the fish, though, and use a russet potato instead.

The easiest way to pick any nettles is to wear heavy garden gloves. Grab the top 4 to 8 inches of the plant, twist and yank off the tops. Josh is more methodical, snipping everything down to a part of the stem that has a little red on it; Once you get to that part of the stem, the nettle is too fibrous. Toss the nettles into a paper grocery bag and you’re good to go.

I’ve written a lot about processing and cooking nettles, so I will direct you to that post if you have questions.

I’ve made nettle pasta, and I’ve made nettle pesto and a whole bunch of other things, but I like nettle soup every bit as much. Everyone seems to have a nettle soup recipe, however, so I decided to make mine a bit different.

I combined the technique of the Provencal smooth soup with the flavors of thenässelsoppa, a Scandinavian nettle soup.It was exactly what I needed. You cannot get any greener than this soup, and the flavor was warm, smooth and alive — bright, clean and briny. A perfect herald of spring.

5 from 7 votes

Scandinavian Nettle Soup

This is a mashup between a traditional Swedish nettle soup and a smooth French-style fish bisque. Any lean, white fish works here. Don't use an oily fish. Or skip the fish and use a potato to thicken the soup. If you don't have nettles, use a 50-50 mix of parsley and spinach for a similar effect. The greenery must be blanched before you use it in this soup. You can buy frozen, cooked spinach, but you'll need to blanch parsley for 1 minute in salty, boiling water before shocking it in an ice bath. Nettles need anywhere from 30 to 90 seconds in the boiling water.

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Course: Soup

Cuisine: Scandinavian

Servings: 6 people

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup chopped white onion
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 pound lean white fish or 1 large russet potato , chopped roughly
  • 1 pound chopped, blanched nettles, or parsley and spinach
  • Sour cream and black pepper for garnish

Instructions

  • Cook the onions in the butter over medium heat until they are soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook another minute.

  • Pour in the stock and add the thyme, nutmeg, salt, fish (or potato) and nettles. Bring this to a gentle simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes. You want the nettles to be very tender.

  • When the nettles are ready, taste the soup and add salt and nutmeg if it needs it. You want to be able to pick up the nutmeg in the final dish.

  • Puree the soup in a blender. You might need to do this in batches. If you want to get fancy, push the puree through a fine-meshed strainer. Put back on the stove just to warm through. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and some black pepper.

Notes

Don't want to use fish here? Skip it and use 1 large, peeled russet potato instead. Oh, and you don't have to strain the soup after pureeing it. I do because I like refined soups. It'll be fine right out of the blender.

Nutrition

Calories: 162kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 640mg | Potassium: 607mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2031IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 384mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @huntgathercook or tag #hankshaw!

Categorized as:
Featured, Foraging, Recipe, Scandinavian

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About Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet’s largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

Read More About Me

Nettle Soup Recipe - How to Make Nasselsoppa or Nettle Soup (2024)

FAQs

Nettle Soup Recipe - How to Make Nasselsoppa or Nettle Soup? ›

Stinging nettles are known to have a high nutritional value, including calcium, magnesium, iron, and vitamins A and B. Historically, one of the easy ways of consuming nettles is either through a soup or a tea because the boiling water deactivates the nettle from stinging.

Why does nettle soup not sting? ›

Stinging nettles are known to have a high nutritional value, including calcium, magnesium, iron, and vitamins A and B. Historically, one of the easy ways of consuming nettles is either through a soup or a tea because the boiling water deactivates the nettle from stinging.

What are the side effects of nettle soup? ›

Stinging nettle is generally considered safe when used as directed. Occasional side effects include mild stomach upset, fluid retention, sweating, diarrhea, and hives or rash (mainly from topical use). It is important to be careful when handling the nettle plant because touching it can cause an allergic rash.

How to make nettle plant food? ›

Add water to just cover the nettles, ideally with water collected from a water butt, but tap water is fine. Add a weight such as a brick to submerge the nettles. Wait patiently to brew. Watch the bubbles and smell the aroma!

How long to boil nettles for? ›

Alternatively, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the nettles for 4 minutes. Cool them quickly in a bowl of ice water. Squeeze the nettles as dry as possible before sautéing them.

What part of nettles can you eat? ›

Roots, seeds, stems and young, tender leaves are all edible. Native Indigenous people use stinging nettle for medicine, ceremony and as a food source. Mature fibrous stems have been used to make rope, cloth and fishing net.

Why is stinging nettle bad for kidneys? ›

Older nettle leaves can contain oxalate, which can irritate the kidneys. In one case, a woman developed atropine poisoning after drinking stinging nettle tea that was contaminated with belladonna. One source reports that nettles may raise blood sugar levels.

Who should avoid stinging nettles? ›

Avoid stinging nettle if you're allergic or sensitive to nettle or plants in the same family. Avoid if you're pregnant or breastfeeding because there isn't enough information on its safety. Use with caution if you're elderly because of the potential of causing low blood pressure.

When should you not eat nettles? ›

You really should not eat them once they begin to form flowers – as they'll start to produce a substance that can interfere with kidney function – but is of great benefit to butterflies and moths! If you ever pull up nettle roots, you'll notice they are yellow and are often used as a natural die.

What cannot be taken with nettle? ›

Interactions ?
  • Medications for diabetes (Antidiabetes drugs) interacts with STINGING NETTLE. Stinging nettle might lower blood sugar levels. ...
  • Warfarin (Coumadin) interacts with STINGING NETTLE. ...
  • Lithium interacts with STINGING NETTLE. ...
  • Water pills (Diuretic drugs) interacts with STINGING NETTLE.

Is nettle hard on the kidneys? ›

Nettle tea benefits the kidneys by increasing urine output and uric acid removal. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it improves kidney function and urinary flow. Nettle tea is a natural diuretic that promotes proper fluid flow in the kidneys and bladder, preventing kidney stones from forming.

What does nettle do for a woman? ›

The chemical compounds in stinging nettle have a variety of health benefits for women. Because of its astringent characteristics, it can relieve unpleasant premenstrual symptoms including cramping and bloating, as well as reduce blood flow during menstruation.

Should you wash nettles before making tea? ›

Wash the nettles one by one, to get rid of soil and insects. Put the nettles in a pot and add enough water to just about cover them. With some experience, you can adjust the amount of water depending on how strong you would like your tea.

How much nettle per cup of water? ›

Making stinging nettle tea is a very easy business. You will need about one cup of nettle leaves for every two cups of water. Simply add the nettle leaves to the water and bring to the boil. The tea can be made stronger or weaker by adding more, or less, water.

Do you wash nettles before drying? ›

There are several ways to dry nettles. First, wash and dry them as much as possible, either in a salad spinner or between tea towels.

How do you clean and prepare nettles? ›

The whole young plant can be eaten, stems and all. Larger stems will get fibrous and should be removed. Rinse nettles in a colander before cooking. Methods for preparing nettles include: • Boiling – boil nettles for 3-5 minutes.

Can you eat raw nettles? ›

Cooking nettles breaks down the formic acid and renders the plant safe to eat. If you're feeling brave, you can eat them raw if pounded in a mortar and pestle!

Do you have to blanch nettles before cooking? ›

Blanching and chopping the greens ensures a smooth texture but is optional. If your nettles are young, you can also put them directly into the blender without blanching which will cook them. Reheat the soup, season to taste and serve. It has a potent flavor almost reminiscent of oysters.

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