This Nettle Soup recipe is not set in stone and is a great way of using up leftovers lurking in the fridge. It offers a really easy lunch and brightens up one of those wild windy autumn or winter days with heat and earthy goodness. Another plus side, it is ready in 10 minutes and only uses one pan.
- 750 ml/g water
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely sliced
- Small thumb fresh ginger, coarsely grated
- 1 star anise
- Pinch dried chilli flakes
- 2 tablespoons soy
- 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
- 100g noodles, I like Clearsprings brown rice udon
- 2 handfuls nettles, fresh or dried
Optional ingredients:
- Handful mange tout, halved
- Few shitaki mushrooms, sliced
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- Left-over chicken
- Handful bean sprouts, placed in each bowl
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
- Roughly chopped mint and parsley to garnish
Suggested Instructions
- Place the water in a saucepan and while it is coming up to the boil add the garlic, ginger, star anise, chilli, soy, and sugar.
- Simmer for a couple of minutes, then add the noodles and cook for the time stated on the packet
- Add the optional ingredients and nettles and simmer for a further 2 minutes. Switch off the heat and add the fish oil and sesame oil
- Pour the contents over the bean sprouts in two bowls and sprinkle with the herbs. Serve immediately.
Serves: 2
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi I love your website! I have always heard that one should not eat the stinging nettle after it has flowered. What is your experience with that concept. Do you eat them and use for tea after flowering? thanks!
I won’t eat nettles once they have flowered and gone to seed, however I will use them flowering and in seed in a nettle tea or infusion.
thanks, that is good info. I was sad to forego Nettle tea once they’d all flowered. As it happens I cut down a patch about a month and 1/2 ago and it regrew a bunch of little freshies!
Having dried,seived nettle in your kitchen at all times gives you that bit extra in gravy,soups,pasta sauces etc.