Cream of Nettle and Asparagus Soup Recipe

Recipe for Cream of Nettle and Asparagus Soup sent in by: Granny Dumplin

Ingredients for Cream of Nettle and Asparagus Soup:

• 4 baking size potatoes peeled and 1 inch cubed.
• 1 bunch of the woody ends of asparagus chopped into small pieces
• 1 large mild onion roughly chopped.
• 1 bunch of wild garlic leaves (you can find these growing in wild in our country lanes) or 3 cloves of garlic chopped
• 2 pints hot stock (chicken or vegetable)
• 1 cup whipping cream.
• ½ carrier bag of nettle tops (well washed & chopped)
• 1 hand full chopped flat leaf parsley
• ½ handful of chopped chives
• ½ teaspoon chilli seeds (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method for Cream of Nettle and Asparagus Soup:

1. Place onion, garlic, chilli seeds, potatoes and asparagus in a thick bottom pan and cover with the hot stock
2. Bring to a rolling boil and then reduce to a simmer. Keep at a simmer until the potatoes are well cooked
3. Remove from heat
4. Roughly mash complete mixture – an old fashioned potato masher or a fork will do this.
5. Reheat and then remove from the heat again.
6. Stir in the nettles and half of the parsley
7. Cover pan and allow to cool
8. When cool blend well in a food processor or with a stick blender in the pan
9. Strain mixture through a sieve back into the pan, re-heat, add the cream and gently reduce until soup thickens (or use corn flour, just mix three teaspoons of corn flour with a small amount of water to a paste. Add more water to about half a cup and then mix into the soup, stirring all the time)
10. Add salt and pepper to taste, the rest of the chopped parsley and all of the chives

Notes:

Serve piping hot with ripped up chunks of crusty loaf with lashings of real butter. Float a chive flower head in the centre of each bowl (optional).

This dish is the best of a British spring hedgerow in a bowl.