As spring unfurls, so do our lovely nettles. And they are just in time for our early spring harvest of leeks and our potatoes from winter storage! Cooking with nettle is one of my favorite ways to spend time with the stinging spinster. Not only does she remind you to be mindful in the kitchen, she also flavors our food with sweet nourishment.
Nettle Potato Leek Soup
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (optional)
4 medium leeks, finely chopped
1 lb. russet potatoes
8 cups Chicken Broth
1 bunch (about 8 ounces) stinging nettle
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Julia’s Good Medicine Balkan Herbal Sea Salt &/or
Julia’s Good Medicine Coriander Onion Pepper Grinder
Directions:
1 Melt the butter in a heavy stockpot over medium heat.
2 When it froths, stir in leeks and onion and fry until they both soften (you might smell a nice fragrance).
3 Add the potatoes and broth.
4 Cover and simmer until the potatoes soften and fall apart when pierced with a fork (this may take about 30 minutes).
5 While the potatoes are cooking in the broth, fetch a pair of gloves to pluck the nettle leaves from the stem (discard the stems).
6 Once the potatoes soften, add the nettles to the pot, cover once more, and cook for another 8-10 minutes (making sure that the nettle leaves wilt and darken in color).
7 Turn off heat and puree the soup, adding whipping cream and the herbal salt and pepper.
8 Serve hot and enjoy!
Photos by Rachael Witt