Nettle and Wild Garlic Soup – A Taste of the Spring

Yesterday, I went for a walk in a nearby forest and found something absolutely wonderful – whole patches of wild garlic growing wild! The smell lingering in the air, those vibrant green leaves... I knew immediately what I had to do. An instant idea popped into my head, a real "no-brainer": combine this treasure with another spring gift of nature, which is also right in season now – young nettle.

So, the idea for this soup was born spontaneously, out of sheer delight at the plenty nature offers us in spring. I gathered a large amount of wild garlic leaves, remembering to handle the flowers gently – after all, they're edible and make a beautiful decoration. Along the way, I also spotted some young, healthy nettle. Returning home with a bag packed with wild herbs felt like coming back with the most valuable find.

When I gather these wild plants, I sometimes think about how widespread and old the tradition of using nature's gifts is. Spring nettles and wild garlic (or their local versions on other continents) were for people over centuries not only food in harder times or a way to supplement their diet after winter, but also a natural medicine and a symbol of nature's rebirth, used in many local traditions.

This change is incredible! Watching how these simple, stinging nettle leaves and intensely fragrant wild garlic leaves combine in the pot, creating a velvety, rich green cream, fascinates me every time. The combination is extraordinary – the earthy, slightly mineral note of nettle mixes with the clear, fresh, yet milder-than-traditional-garlic aroma of wild garlic.

For me, this soup is the real taste of spring – it tastes of freshness, the forest, and the meadow all at once. It has something basic, refreshing, yet warming about it. After a bowl of this soup, I feel truly fantastic – like a double energy boost from nature after the long winter.

Prep Time 25 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 55 mins

Cooking Methods: Cooking, Sauté

Cuisines: British

Courses: Dinner, Lunch, Main Dish, Soup

Difficulty: Beginner

Servings: 4

Calories: 210

Best season: spring

Description

This soup is a true explosion of spring greenness and flavour! This time, I focused on strength – the main role is played by a large amount of wild garlic, whose sharp, fresh aroma is the main flavour but blends beautifully with the more earthy, mineral note of young nettle. The result is an incredibly aromatic, smooth cream soup with a deep green colour.

It's full of flavour, yet creamy thanks to the potatoes, and delicately balanced by the sweetness of sautéed onions and honey. Every spoonful is the pure essence of a spring forest. Perfect as a warming starter or a light yet lunch full of character. Plus, it's incredibly healthy – a combination of two wild superfoods! Served with a dollop of cream or kefir and decorated with the delicate, edible wild garlic flowers, it looks simply beautiful.

Ingredients

200 g wild garlic leaves (flowers reserved for decoration)
150 g young nettle leaves
1 onion (diced)
1 leek (white and light green parts, sliced)
3 potatoes (peeled and diced small)
2 tablespoons olive oil (or clarified butter)
1 tablespoon honey
2 litres vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
Salt (to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
A dash of soy sauce (optional, to enhance umami flavour)

For serving

Wild garlic flowers
Kefir or sour cream
A few drops of good quality olive oil
Croutons (especially garlic ones)
Toasted seeds (e.g., sunflower, pumpkin)

Instructions

1
Prep vegetables and herbs
Dice the onion. Slice the leek. Wash, peel, and dice the potatoes small. Thoroughly wash the wild garlic leaves and their flowers; set the flowers aside for decoration. Thoroughly clean and wash the nettle leaves (essential to use gloves!).
2
Sauté the base
Heat the olive oil (or butter) in a large pot with a thick bottom. Add the diced onion and sliced leek. Sauté over medium heat for a few minutes until the vegetables soften slightly and the onion becomes translucent.
3
Add potatoes and honey
Add the diced potatoes and the tablespoon of honey to the pot. Sauté everything for about 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
4
Cook the broth
Pour the 2 litres of vegetable broth into the pot with the sautéed vegetables. Add the bay leaf. Bring to a boil.
5
Add nettles
Add the thoroughly washed nettle leaves to the boiling broth. Stir them in and cook over low heat, covered, for about 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are almost tender.
6
Add wild garlic
For the last 3-4 minutes of cooking (when the potatoes are almost soft), add the washed wild garlic leaves to the pot. They just need to be blanched and slightly cooked to retain maximum aroma and colour. Stir well.
7
Season
Remove the bay leaf. Season the soup with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. If using, add a dash of soy sauce.
8
Blend
Remove the pot from the heat. Using an immersion blender, carefully blend the soup until smooth and intensely green. Blend carefully to avoid splashes.
9
Serve
Serve the soup hot. Garnish with a dollop of kefir or sour cream, drizzle with olive oil, and most importantly, sprinkle with the reserved wild garlic flowers. You can also add toasted seeds or croutons.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 4

Serving Size 250ml

Amount Per Serving
Calories 210kcal

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 8g13%
Total Carbohydrate 28g10%
Dietary Fiber 5g20%
Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 3500 IU
Vitamin C 45 mg
Calcium 120 mg
Iron 5 mg

* Disclaimer: The provided nutritional values are estimates only. Actual calorie and nutrient content can vary significantly depending on the specific products used, exact quantities, and preparation method. Always consult with a healthcare provider for personalized dietary advice.

Notes

Foraging Herbs: Collect nettle and wild garlic in clean areas, away from roads and pollution. Collect nettles wearing gloves! Very Important: Make sure you can distinguish wild garlic from similar, but poisonous plants (e.g., lily of the valley, autumn crocus). Wild garlic leaves smell intensely of garlic when crushed – this is the key identifying feature. Collect leaves before or at the very beginning of flowering for the best flavour; collect flowers separately for decoration.
Flavour Intensity: Using 200g of wild garlic makes the soup very distinct. If you prefer a milder flavour, you can reduce the amount to e.g., 100-150g.
Wild Garlic Flowers: They are not only a beautiful decoration but also a tasty addition. They have a milder, sweeter flavour than the leaves, with a distinct garlic note.
Seasonality: This soup is the quintessence of spring - prepare it when the ingredients are available and in peak season. Don't try substituting fresh ingredients with dried ones - it's just not the same.
Perfect Pairings: The soup pairs wonderfully with simple starters like goat cheese and honey crostini, caramelized onion tartlets, asparagus bruschetta, or good crusty bread with herb butter.

Keywords: wild garlic soup, wild garlic, nettle soup, nettle, foraged food, foraging, Polish cuisine, spring soup, healthy soup, cream soup

Read it online: https://foodimekitchen.com/recipe/nettle-and-wild-garlic-soup-a-taste-of-the-spring/