Foraged Nettle Soup With Biscuit Waffles

Spring time calls for making a stinging nettle soup. It is easier than you think and the soup is very tasty. When you forage for wild food make sure you know your plants and no herbicides were used on them. After cooking, stinging nettles will not sting you.

For the bread part I decided to make biscuit waffles. They are quick to make and no oven is needed.

1 large cooking pot with lid

1 strainer

2 pitchers

1 cup measure

1 tablespoon measure

1 tongs

1 wooden spoon

1 knife

1 cutting board

4 small bowls

1 immersion blender or regular blender

1 waffle iron

Ingredients for the soup:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped onions

2 teaspoons dried herb de Provence (or your favorite dried herb)

12 oz. fresh cut stinging nettles

4 cups water

2 cups whole milk (for a richer soup use 1 cup milk plus 1 cup half and half)

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon chicken or vegetable bouillon base

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon butter, room temperature

Garnish:

Cooked crumbled bacon, optional

Daisies (Bellis perennis) or other edible flowers

Biscuit waffles:

1 can Grands biscuits (16.3 oz)

Butter for serving, optional

Wear long pants, long sleeve shirt, closed shoes and gloves for harvesting nettles. Cut nettles in the spring when they are tender. Harvest the upper part of the plant with stem and leaves and place into a bag. The cut nettles will grow back and you can harvest the same nettles again in a week or so.

Soak and rinse nettles in cold water until clean. Use the tongs to move them around. Drain nettles.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large pan and heat on medium. Add onions and dried herbs. Sauté 1-2 minutes until onions are glossy.

Add all the nettles to the pot. Stir until nettles are slightly wilted.

Add 4 cups water to nettles and bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes.

Add 2 cups milk or 1 cup milk and 1 cup half and half. Use the immersion blender to purée the soup to your preference. Heat until hot.

Beurre manié means kneaded butter. Use a fork or your fingers to knead 1 tablespoon flour with 1 tablespoon butter into a ball. Drop it into the hot soup and stir until it dissolves. It will thicken the soup slightly without making clumps. Add salt, pepper and chicken or vegetable bouillon base and cook one more minute. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Keep warm while making the biscuit waffles.

Heat your waffle iron. There is no need to grease the waffle iron. Pull each waffle into a larger disc and bake until done according to your waffle iron directions.

Serve soup and garnish with optional bacon and daisies. Serve waffles with butter if desired.

Serves 6