Nettle soup is a traditional soup prepared from

stinging nettle ''Urtica dioica'', often known as common nettle, burn nettle, stinging nettle (although not all plants of this species sting) or nettle leaf, or just a nettle or stinger, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Urticaceae. ...

s. Nettle soup is eaten mainly during spring and early summer, when young nettle buds are collected. Today, nettle soup is mostly eaten in

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, and

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, whic ...

, with regional differences in recipe; however historically consumption of nettles was more widespread.

History

Nettle stew was eaten by inhabitants of

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

in the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...

, 3000 years ago. The consumption of young stinging nettle in

medieval Europe In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

was used medicinally, primarily as a diuretic and to treat joint pain and arthritis,

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...

, acne,

anemia Anemia or anaemia (British English) is a blood disorder in which the blood has a reduced ability to carry oxygen due to a lower than normal number of red blood cells, or a reduction in the amount of hemoglobin. When anemia comes on slowly, t ...

, hay fever, and as a blood purifier. Various Native American tribes have used stinging nettles for centuries, including the

Lakota Lakota may refer to: * Lakota people, a confederation of seven related Native American tribes *Lakota language, the language of the Lakota peoples Place names In the United States: * Lakota, Iowa * Lakota, North Dakota, seat of Nelson County * La ...

using the root for stomach pain, the Ojibwa using the stewed leaves for skin issues and used it to fight

dysentery Dysentery (UK pronunciation: , US: ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications ...

, the Potawatomi using the roots for fever reduction, and the Winnebago used nettles for allergy symptoms. Stinging nettles are known to have a high nutritional value, including calcium, magnesium, iron, and vitamins A and B. Historically, one of the easy ways of consuming nettles is either through a soup or a tea because the boiling water deactivates the nettle from stinging.

Regional variations

There are regional and cultural differences for recipes for Nettle soup.

Scandinavia

Finland

One of the local traditional dishes is a nettle and fish soup in the

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

town of

Porvoo Porvoo (; sv, Borgå ; la, Borgoa) is a city and a municipality in the Uusimaa region of Finland, situated on the southern coast about east of the city border of Helsinki and about from the city centre. Porvoo was one of the six medieval to ...

Sweden

A typical Swedish recipe for nettle soup (nässelsoppa) involves first

blanching Blanch or blanching may refer to: People * Andrea Blanch (born 1935), portrait, commercial, and fine art photographer * Arnold Blanch (1896–1968), born and raised in Mantorville, Minnesota * Stuart Blanch, Baron Blanch (1918–1994), Anglican bi ...

the nettles, and then straining them from the liquid. The liquid is then strained again to remove the dirt (pieces of sand or gravel) from it. Then a

roux Roux () is a mixture of flour and fat cooked together and used to thicken sauces. Roux is typically made from equal parts of flour and fat by weight. The flour is added to the melted fat or oil on the stove top, blended until smooth, and cook ...

is made, with butter and flour, onto which the "nettle water" (the water in which the nettles were blanched) is poured. The nettles are chopped very finely, or puréed, together with the other ingredients, which typically include

chives Chives, scientific name ''Allium schoenoprasum'', is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae that produces edible leaves and flowers. Their close relatives include the common onions, garlic, shallot, leek, scallion, and ...

(or ramson or garlic), and

chervil Chervil (; ''Anthriscus cerefolium''), sometimes called French parsley or garden chervil (to distinguish it from similar plants also called chervil), is a delicate annual herb related to parsley. It was formerly called myrhis due to its volati ...

fennel Fennel (''Foeniculum vulgare'') is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized ...

. The chopped or puréed nettles and herbs are then put into the nettle water, brought to a boil, and then left to simmer for a few minutes. The soup is commonly served with sliced boiled eggs or crème fraîche, and occasionally with poached eggs.

Native American

A Native American stinging nettle and squash soup recipe, provided by the Northwest Indian College, consists of stinging nettles, acorn squash, broth, garlic, onion and oil. The squash is cut, de-seeded and roasted. In a separate pot, the onions and garlic are sautéed until translucent, and then the squash and nettles (which can be cooked or fresh nettles) are added. Together they all cook in the pot for 20 minutes, then finished in a blender.

Iran

There is a nettle soup recipe from the Mazandaran province of Iran. There are variations on the ingredients for this soup recipe, however all of the recipes include stinging nettles, garlic, onion, chickpeas, turmeric, rice, lentils, greens, oil and either pomegranate paste or

pomegranate molasses Pomegranate molasses, also known as Dibs Ar-rumman ( ar, دبس الرمان, rakkaz rimonim he, רכז רימונים, robb-e anâr fa, رب انار, "pomegranate syrup"), and nar ekshisi ( tr, nar ekşisi, "pomegranate sour"), is a Middle Eas ...

. Optional ingredients can include other types of beans (pinto beans, fava beans), beets, butternut squash, other types of greens (local northern Iranian herbs zolang and anarijeh, spinach, Persian leek, cilantro), The water that the nettles are cooked in (for preparation of the soup) is saved and used as a drinking tea, for medicinal purposes.

Ireland

Irish nettle soup recipe includes nettles, potatoes, cream, leeks, onions, butter, and broth. Typically nettle soup in traditional Irish culture is consumed in late Spring (April and May) and is associated with purifying blood, reducing rashes, "keeps the rheumatics away", and adds vitamins to the diet.

Pontic Greeks

The

Pontic Greeks The Pontic Greeks ( pnt, Ρωμαίοι, Ρωμίοι, tr, Pontus Rumları or , el, Πόντιοι, or , , ka, პონტოელი ბერძნები, ), also Pontian Greeks or simply Pontians, are an ethnically Greek group i ...

, who originate from Turkey, make nettle soup with leeks, onions, bulgur, garlic, and hot peppers. In the

Pontic Pontic, from the Greek ''pontos'' (, ), or "sea", may refer to: The Black Sea Places * The Pontic colonies, on its northern shores * Pontus (region), a region on its southern shores * The Pontic–Caspian steppe, steppelands stretching from no ...

language, this soup is called .

Eastern Europe

Ukraine

Ukrainian nettle soup (green borsht) recipes include onion, carrots, potatoes, dill, and nettle; cabbage is often added to increase nourishment. It may either be vegetarian or cooked with meat broth and Ukrainian nettle soup is served with a sliced boiled egg and a spoon of

smetana (dairy product) Smetana (or ''smotana'') is a type of sour cream from Central and Eastern Europe. It is a dairy product produced by souring heavy cream. It is similar to ''crème fraîche'' (28% fat), but nowadays mainly sold with 9% to 42% milkfat content de ...

. It is usually cooked with fresh nettle in the late spring. The Ukrainian nettle soup is a variation of

Sorrel soup Sorrel soup is made from water or broth, sorrel leaves, and salt.Екатерина Авдеева. Ручная книга русской опытной хозяйки. СПб, 1842 Елена Молоховец. ''Подарок молодым ...

References

{{Soups Soups Swedish cuisine Finnish cuisine Norwegian cuisine Greek cuisine Greek soups Cypriot cuisine Cretan cuisine Turkish soups Bulgarian cuisine Ancient dishes Montenegrin cuisine Iranian soups Native American cuisine Vegetable soups Pontic Greek cuisine Irish cuisine