Pat Whelan Butcher

Here’s a simple and delicious recipe for Nettle Soup – Just to prove that I’m not a total carnivore!

1 large onion

1 clove garlic

2 potatoes

2 handfuls nettle heads

1 pint of vegetable stock 

Olive oil, salt and pepper

150ml single cream

Peel and chop the onion, garlic and potatoes and fry them for 3-4 minutes in a large saucepan in a little olive oil. Trim away the stems from the nettle tops, wash well and add them to the pan. Pour over the vegetable stock. Boil fairly rapidly for 15 minutes until the potatoes are cooked. Add cream, liquidize and return to the pan to keep hot. Season and serve.

Friends have used variations of the above with great success.  Some have added carrot, the calorie conscious have swapped various things for the cream, some one even used chicken stock and said it was a triumph.  So feel free to experiment.