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Wild Garlic and Nettle Soup

A vivid green spring tonic of young nettle tops and wild garlic, made silky with potato.

Serves 440 minutesPlant-basedGluten-freeRich in calcium, iron and vitamin C

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 leek, sliced and washed
  • 1 medium potato (about 200 g), peeled and diced
  • 1 litre vegetable stock
  • 150 g young nettle tops (a full carrier bag, picked with gloves)
  • 50 g wild garlic leaves
  • A squeeze of lemon juice
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • Wild garlic flowers and a swirl of coconut yoghurt, to serve

Method

  1. Prepare the nettles: wearing rubber gloves, pick off the leaves and tender tips, discarding the tough stalks. Wash well. (Cooking removes the sting completely.)
  2. Soften: heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion and leek for 8 minutes, until soft. Add the potato and stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes, until the potato is tender.Lighter option: soften the vegetables in a few tablespoons of water or stock instead of oil, adding a splash more whenever the pan starts to look dry. Each tablespoon of oil you leave out saves around 120 calories, and most people find the dish tastes just as good.
  3. Add the greens: add the nettles and simmer for 3–4 minutes, until wilted. Add the wild garlic and cook for 1 minute only, to keep its colour and flavour.
  4. Blend: blend until smooth, then add lemon juice and season to taste.
  5. Serve: serve with a swirl of yoghurt, and scatter with wild garlic flowers if you have them.

Why it's good for you: Nettles have been eaten as a spring "blood tonic" for centuries and are rich in minerals, including iron, calcium and magnesium, as well as vitamin C and K. Wild garlic shares many of the sulphur compounds that make garlic so valued for the heart and immunity.

Good to know: Pick only young nettle tops in spring, before the plants flower, and away from roadsides and sprayed fields. Only gather wild garlic if you are completely sure of what it is. If you take blood-thinning medicines such as warfarin, check with your GP or pharmacist before eating large amounts of nettles or other vitamin K-rich greens.

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