Wild garlic & nettle soup
Forage for some fresh spring greens and simmer with finely diced vegetables to make this vibrant, healthy, low-fat green soup
-
Prep:15 mins
Cook:35 mins
- Serves 6
- Easy
Nutrition per serving
-
kcal 189
-
fat 10g
-
saturates 4g
-
carbs 16g
-
sugars 10g
-
fibre 6g
-
protein 6g
-
salt 1g
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 25g butter
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 leek, finely diced
- 2 celery sticks, thinly sliced
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 1 small potato, peeled and diced
- 1.2l good-quality vegetable stock
- 300g young nettle leaves
- 200g wild garlic leaves (keep any flowers if you have them)
- 3 tbsp milk
Tip
Barney’s foraging rulesTake a pocket guidebook, and check it before picking anything. Make sure that it is legal to forage in a public area or that you have the landowner’s permission. Use all your senses to identify the plants you are looking for; it may look similar to wild garlic but if it doesn’t smell of garlic – don’t eat it! Never pick leaves next to busy roads or lanes, or low down, where dogs are regularly walked. If foraging for stinging nettles, wear gloves when picking and make sure to cook properly.
Method
Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion, leek, celery, carrot, potato and a good pinch of salt, and stir until everything is well coated. Cover and sweat gently for 15-20 mins, stirring every so often to make sure that the vegetables don’t catch on the bottom of the pan.
Pour in the stock and simmer for 10 mins. Add the nettles in several batches, stirring, then add the wild garlic leaves and simmer for 2 mins.
Remove from the heat and blend using a stick blender or tip into a blender. Return to the heat and stir through the milk, then taste for seasoning. Ladle into bowls and drizzle over a little extra oil, then top with a few wild garlic flowers, if you have them.
