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Nettle Soup Recipe

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The woods (and some of our gardens…) are bursting with young nettles. Nettles are packed with minerals and were an important part of the spring cleansing tradition in places such as our Highlands and Islands where the lore of the goodness of nettles is rich. So don’t miss out, and try this nourishing soup. But be sure to use gloves when picking as the young nettles are the stinging-ist (new word).

Half a basket of young nettle tops
1 litre of stock (such as veg or chicken)
1-2 stalks of celery
a couple potatoes
shallots (or wild garlic is nice)
bit of butter or olive oil

cream or creme fraiche

Chop up the celery and shallots and sauté until becoming transparent. Add the stock, and chopped potatoes and simmer until the potatoes are soft. Add the nettle tops (and wild garlic if using) and just stir for a few moments to heat through. Remove from the heat and whiz the mixture until smooth. Serve with a dollop of cream or creme fraiche stirred lightly.

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