Allotments 4 All

Does anyone have a decent recipe for Nettle Soup? We had some years ago and loved it. Since we have such a fantastic crop of them at our lottie it seems a shame to waste them!!!! ;D ;D

Tina

Tina whilst searching for potions for the garden using nettles, I came across this site! The soup sounded good ;D DP
http://www.nettles.org.uk/nettles/activities/nettlesoup.asp

Well, who would have guessed that it was 'National Be Nice To Nettles Week'!!!!!
;D ;D
Thanks DP, this recipe sounds just like the one that we lost!! Roll on tomorrow lunchtime (and I don't even have to go and pick them, I am on nights, and lovely hubby is going to pick them and cook them)!!

Tina.

Well, if he is chopping em down, not be nice to nettles week in your area!! Hehehehehe   Hope he has good gloves to wear :o  Let me know what the nettle soup is like, I have never had the courage to try it :-\  Dottie P.

 Doris

:P

He said it took him nearly 3/4 hour to pick a bag of them (with gloves ;D). He only picked the top two or three inches and left the rest (presumably to try and encourage them to take over the entire plot  :-\).

Soup itself he reckons is an absolute doddle, one of the easiest he has made (and that's quite a few).

Anyway, very nice, quite strong and so only needed a small portion. We thought it could probably do with a little 'something' , possibly garlic or some sort of herb, just to lift it a bit. Cooking is OH's hobby, so no doubt we will have further variations as the weeks go by!!

Tina.

They have a high level of VitaminsA and C,2.3%by weight of ironand a remarkable5.5%of protein.So well worth the effort for their nutritional values.Only the top shoots should be used.
Nettle purree can also be made.Tastes a bit like pea-pods.Nice spread on toast with a poached egg on top.By the way the older leaves have a laxative effect.

Oh err BB, nutritious as well as delicious!! Glad you enjoyed it Tina, think I shall give it a miss tho, the thought of eating nettles.............just can't pluck up the courage!

I made a lovely nettle soup thickened with rice, from the River Cottage cookbook. But it smelled weirdly of fish!! Tasted wonderful though.

Ten x

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but... how do you grow nettles? do you just have to rely on wild ones?
Jemma

I've got a recipe for nettle soup that is very similar to the one provided by DP. All the same ingredients plus 1 onion and seasoning with grated nutmeg. That may enhance the flavour somewhat.