Heavy Nettle Soup

For an Iron-Rich Meal

Servings: 4

Posted by Cassandra

Here's what I think of and do with nettles. They are an amazing plant, and are great sources of iron. They are especially good for people with iron deficiencies, women {especially while pregnant, breast feeding, or menstruating}, weight lifters because they help build muscle, and vegetarians who might be lacking iron in their diets. Anyway, they are good for you, really no matter what. The way to deal with their pokey ways is to put them in hot water and then they don't poke anymore. You can wash them and put them directly into soup. When washing them I use tongs and dip them in a big bowl of water. Or if I use them in anything like spinach and don't want the stems I use gloves to pull the leaves off. When doing this I like to approach them and say "thank you for your medicine". I feel like they appreciate it and give me a lot less stings. Also some people use stings of the nettle to help with arthritis.  No doubt it hurts and I like to avoid pain. Here is a favorite soup recipe which at the cafe we call Heavy Nettle Soup:

INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound of nettles
4 potatoes
2 fennel bulbs
3 yellow onions
2 large sprigs of thyme
2 cups of veggie broth
2 cups of water
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 a lemon
1/4 cup of white wine.

PREPARATION
First, cut the onions, I like slices of them. Put them in a medium pot that has been heating for a bit with olive oil. Add good sized pinches of salt. Slice the fennel the same way and add them to the pot with salt. Chop your thyme add that. Then after about 15 minutes add wine. Let cook for another 5 stirring occasionally. Add garlic at the end toast it a bit. Onions should be translucent. Add chopped potatoes and salt and cover with water and broth, bring to a boil on high and then cover and turn down to medium heat for ten minutes until potatoes are soft. Then add washed nettles the whole kit and koboodle. They will wilt quickly and no longer be dangerous. More salt. If you have an immersion blender that's the easiest or you can use a blender or a food processor to make it into a pure. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and touch more like a 1/4 cupolive oil, black pepper, raw garlic if you like a more garlicky soup.

I'd say it serves 4. Enjoy!
Eat right!
Be powerful!