VEGAN >Cream of Nettle soup

This is the soup, with a sprig of mint leaves (also from the garden). Very delicious — we should eat nettle soup more often. Nettle reduces blood sugar levels. The juice is often good for nervous eczema. The White Dead Nettle (Lamium album) although similar in appearance belongs to a completely different botanical family, but it acts as an astringent and is also effective for diarrhea.

Don't worry - they don't sting when cooked! Nettles are very nutrient rich and of course - free! Don't gather them beside a busy road where they will have been contaminated by traffic fumes - we pick them in our garden. If you keep cutting them from springtime you get a regular supply of fresh leaves. Though we stop using them into summer as they seem to get rather insecty!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of vegan (Earth Balance) margarine

2 tablespoons of millet or spelt flour

1 onion, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Freshly picked and washed young nettles (several good handfuls - picked with gloves and caution!)

2 cups rice or soya milk

1 cup water or stock

tumeric or black pepper to taste

Lightly fry the onion and garlic in EARTH BALANCE marg. for a few minutes then stir in the nettles (no need to chop or remove stalks) until they soften. Stir in the millet or spelt flour and gradually add the rice or soya milk and water or stock, stirring all the times. Add seasonings and liquidis. Delicious... Also see an alternative version with potato instead of soya here on Frugal Living in the UK

Printable version