Ireland: Creamy Nettle Soup

The history of nettle soup in Ireland goes back a long way. Various hermits and hermit-saints were reportedly very fond of it, and there's even a legend about one of them who got snarky with his cook when he found the man was ruining the (theoretically) strict asceticism of the saint's nettles-only diet by sneaking oatmeal into the soup.

More recently -- say in the last few centuries or so -- nettle soup has acquired a reputation as a spring tonic and/or detox agent. Leaving aside the nettle's curative properties, it is known to contain significant amounts of iron, for a vegetable... possibly a good thing for people who've had (as the Irish have occasionally had in the past) a long winter without much meat in their diets.

This nettle soup is easy to make, relatively quick, and absolutely delicious. One warning -- probably unnecessary if you've ever run into a nettle with your bare skin: make sure to wear rubber gloves or other protective handwear when picking nettles. Also please note that, if nettles aren't yet coming into season where you live, you can easily substitute spinach in this recipe.

The recipe:

• 1 large onion

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 liters / quarts water
• 1 chicken stock / bouillon cube
• 3-4 medium potatoes (bakers, not waxy / salad potatoes)
• Approximately 350 grams / 12 ounces of nettle tops (about a large colander full)

Peel and chop the onion: in a large pot, sauté it in the butter until transparent. Add the water and stock cube, and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Meanwhile, peel and cube the potatoes. Put them into the pot and allow them to cook for about twenty minutes.

Meanwhile -- if you haven't already done so -- go out and pick your nettles. Make sure to pick only the tender young tips of the nettle plant -- the first inch or two of new growth: older growth is bitter-tasting. Put them into a colander and rinse them well (still wearing gloves!!) in cold water. Shake them to get rid of excess water, and dump them into the soup. The simmering process will kill the nettle leaves' sting and make them safe.

You don't need to cook them very long: if you do, you'll ruin this dish, as you want to keep the maximum amount of the nettles' vitamins in place. Five minutes in the boiling stock/potato/onion mixture is plenty. The nettles will turn a vivid green as they cook.

After five minutes, remove the pot from the heat. Use a stick mixer (or other blender / liquidizer) to liquefy the soup. When serving, dish it out and add a swirl of double cream, creme fraiche, or (if you prefer an even lower-fat alternative) yogurt. Or, if you prefer, garnish with croutons or snipped chives.

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