NETTLE SOUP

Our bodies work in harmony with nature. Each season brings us the food we need to truly nourish us. One of the easiest ways to know what is in season in your local environment is to forage for food. Now that we approach spring we can see more vibrant greens including wild garlic and nettles. These are fairly high in potassium which has a cooling effect on the body and signals to the kidneys, along with the increased sunlight, that we are now approaching summer and no longer need to activate as much vitamin D. We will hopefully be exposed to lots of Sun and making vitamin D in your skin from the Sun rays. After it has been hot for months we start to see berries which are even higher in potassium, cooling the body down even more. So as you can see it is very beneficial to supply your body with food in season so it can work in harmony with the environment. We would not want to decrease our vitamin D activation in the winter.

Nettles are one of the first spring greens which grow after winter and are packed full of many nutrients we may not have had access to over the winter months. They contain vitamin A, C & K, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and potassium, as well as amino acids and polyphenols. Perfect food to nourish us after the winter months.

Ingredients (serves 4)

Half a carrier bag of stinging nettle the top parts

1 onion finely chopped

1 litre vegetable stock

1 potato, peeled and cut into cubes

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

A pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil

Wash and drain the nettles. Heat oil in the pan and when hot add the onion. Cook it until golden. Then add a potato and a carrot and cook it until slightly browned. Then add the stock and boil it until all the veg are soft. Add the nettles and cook it for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and using hand blender puree until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.