Soup recipes: How to make nettle and wild garlic soup with easily foraged ingredients

Nettle and wild garlic soup is a tasty spring dish

Our food columnist Darina Allen has often spoken about her love of foraging for ingredients and this dish is the perfect way to use the fruits of your labour.

This soup uses both wild garlic and nettles, which grow in abundance in the Irish countryside at this time of the year.

Nettle and wild garlic soup

recipe by:Darina Allen

In late April, the air in the wood is heavy with wild garlic interspersed with nettles - capture the scent with comforting soup served with crusty bread

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 25 mins

Course

 Starter

Ingredients

• 45g butter

• 150g potatoes, peeled and chopped

• 110g onions, peeled and chopped

• salt

• pepper

• 900ml water or stock

• 300ml creamy milk

• 75g nettles, chopped

• 75g wild garlic leaves, chopped

• wild garlic flowers, to garnish

Method

1. Melt the butter in heavy-bottomed saucepan. When it foams, add the potatoes and onions, and toss them until well coated. Sprinkle with salt and freshly-ground pepper. Cover and sweat on a gentle heat for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the nettles (use plastic gloves) and wild garlic leaves. When the vegetables are almost soft but not coloured, add the stock and milk bring to the boil and cook until the potatoes and onions are fully cooked. Add the chopped nettles and wild garlic and boil with the lid off for 4-5 minutes approx. until the leaves are cooked. Do not overcook or the soup will lose its fresh green colour.

3. Puree the soup in a liquidiser or food processor. Taste and correct seasoning. Serve sprinkled with a few wild garlic flowers.