Recipe: Stinging Nettle and Wild Ramp Soup

May is here and with it, an overwhelming abundance of wild foods that are perfectly prime for harvesting. While my mind is frantically inundated with ideas for recipes and my fingers are busy picking, my allergies have been reawakened resulting in itchy eyes and throat irritation.

Lucky for us foragers, there are a wide variety of wild plants and herbs available right now to help combat these pesky side affects. Stinging nettle is a great example. A nutrient-dense plant, stinging nettle is commonly used to treat arthritis, reduce seasonal allergy symptoms, manage blood sugar, and support prostate health due to its potent anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties.

It is rich in vitamins A and C, minerals, and antioxidants, often consumed as tea, in soups, or taken as capsules to reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure, and ease joint pain.

Look for stinging nettle in open fields, wood edges and along streams. When picking, be sure to wear gloves (otherwise, as their name suggests, they will sting you!) and pluck only the top layer of leaves.

Nettle soup is a classic, easy and oh-so-delicious staple in many cuisines and cultures. There are a number of different variations including creamy nettle soup, but for my version I wanted to keep it as simple as possible while also using up some of the last of the wild ramp leaves I foraged a few weeks ago in the Berkshires.

The result is a gorgeous green soup full of bright flavors and wonderful vitamins and minerals ideal for fighting off those annoying spring allergies.

Ingredients:

4 cups of stinging nettles

2 – 3 cups of chopped ramp leaves (you can also use one store bought leek, or sorrel)

2-3 celery stalks

One white onion

One potato (you can also use white rice)

4 cups of chicken or veggie stock

Instructions

Rinse your nettles, then chop them (still wearing gloves!). In a pot, slowly sweat chopped celery, ramps (or store bought leeks), onion and a diced potato. After about 5 mins of sweating, turn the heat up to medium for about 8 mins to let the potatoes soften.

Add in your chopped nettles on top of the other ingredients and cover the pot with the lid to steam the greens for 2-3 mins. Once they turn bright green, pour in chicken or veggie stock, then bring to a low boil for 20 mins.

Using an immersion blender, pump contents until smooth. Top with a hard boiled egg for a classic Scandinavian take, or use some finely chopped herbs.

Join me on May 23 in Lynn, MA for the season’s first forage and wild food picnic, featuring a number of ramp and nettle dishes.