Today I got over-excited at the farmers market when I saw a bag of Spring nettle tops for €1.50. I keep meaning to pick some myself but I always forget gloves and I’m too chicken to pick them bare-handed! Nettles are fantastic for you and they’re basically like free spinach! Be mindful of where you pick them though aim for chemical free hedgerows! Nettles have lots of health benefits and are a diuretic which helps the body eliminate waste products and cleanse the liver.
I decided to make a nettle soup with miso. This recipe serves 4.
Ingredients
1 shallot, diced
1 tsp Irish Rapeseed oil
Garlic tops
Chives
Dulse seaweed
1 dessertspoon of white miso
1/2 tsp Fennel seeds
1 red chilli
1 large bowlful of nettles.
Method
Fry shallots in oil. Add fennel seeds. Fill with water, add seaweed, bring to boil and simmer. Place nettles in a bowl. Pour boiling water over the nettles to deactivate sting. Place nettles in cold water with a tongs and add to the soup. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 20 mins. Add miso to some cold water and whisk, add the miso mixture to the soup. Liquidise with a hand blender or leave to cool and use a liquidiser. Stir and serve.
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I’m so shocked that nettles are sold, needless to say that looks like a wonderful recipe.