Nettle Soup with Hazelnuts

Nettle soup is a lovely emerald green colour with an unique flavour. We always like to keep the nettle soup a surprise and ask people to guess what it is made from. Everyone always loves it, but can’t pin down its humble origins.

Nettles can be picked in spring and summer and are best when very tender. If you're interested in doing more with nettles, read about our best tips and recipes. Or, better yet, sign up for a foraging class!

Nettle Soup with Hazelnuts

Dietary: Vegan

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 250g nettle leaves, washed
• 250g new potatoes, diced
• 1 tbsp pearl barley
• 1 litre water
• 1 tsp vegetable bouillon powder
• black pepper
• 25g hazelnuts, roasted & lightly crushed
• optional soya crème or yoghurt

Method

1. In a large saucepan, sauté the onion in the rapeseed oil until soft. Add the garlic and quickly stir-fry.
2. Add the nettles, 700mls of water and the vegetable bouillon powder. Simmer gently for 30 minutes.
3. In another saucepan add 300mls of water, pearled barley and diced potato and cook until the pearl barley and potato are tender. Take off the heat.
4. Blend the nettle mixture until smooth (we use our Froothie Optimum 9200 Power Blender which is brilliant for blending nettles).
5. In a large saucepan mix the blended nettle with the pearl barley and the potato mix and heat through.
6. Check for seasoning and add black pepper.
7. Serve hot, topped with crushed roasted hazelnuts.
8. You can add a swirl of soya crème or yoghurt.