Seriously, this is the happiest soup I’ve ever made or had the pleasure of consuming. There is no other way to describe it. Perhaps it is partially the virtuousness I feel, eating local, wildcrafted herbs & greens in season. Mostly, though, it is just a great, simple soup. Learn more about nettles (and allergies); for more about Fiddleheads.
Recipe
(Based on the suggestion of the Friendly Happy Guy from Forbes Wild Foods at Dufferin Grove Farmer’s Market)
Ingredients
-
Fiddleheads 1/2 pound fresh local fiddleheads, soaked and rinsed in a bowl of water several times, ends cut off.
- 1 heaping, packed colander full of fresh wild stinging nettles, stems removed (remember to wear your gloves to avoid the sting!).
- 2 onions, chopped (plus green onion, or the green shoots growing off an old onion if that happens in your house)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 2-4 cups stock (veggie stock is good)
- Water
- Sea Salt
- Pepper
Directions
Saute onions & garlic in olive oil until tender. Add water if necessary to prevent sticking. Add cleaned fiddleheads and continue sauteing. Add a bit of stock. Wait a minute or few. Add nettles. Pour stock over nettles, and add water to just barely cover the greens. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 15 minutes, swirling/stirring to make sure nettles get wilted. About 10 minutes in, add the green onion. Add sea salt and maybe pepper. Blend. A hand blender works well, right into the hot soup in the pot.
Enjoy Happy Soup!
PS: some internet recipes for nettle soup swirl in cream at the end, but i really think this soup needs no enhancement.
