Here's to Beer! Nettle Soup

One of the sure signs of spring in the Northwest is the profusion of stinging nettles in every forager’s basket. This prickly plant may seem intimidating, or downright offensive, but handled properly, it can be a feast. It has a very “green”, vegetal flavor, which is somewhat reminiscent of spinach, green bean, or that other spring staple, asparagus. It makes for great salads, pesto, or soup. Try this super simple nettle soup if you should find yourself with a bunch of nettle tops at your disposal.

First, a word of warning for those of you who have not handled stinging nettle. They call it “stinging” for a reason. Use tongs or gloves when handling it, or suffer an itchy rash. To defuse the sting, you need to blanche the nettle in a large pot of well salted boiling water. The nettle’s color should intensify after a minute or two, after which you should plunge the nettle into a waiting ice water bath to stop the cooking. Pull the nettles from the water bath and squeeze out all of the water. They should have no “sting” left to them, if they still feel “stingy”, blanche them a bit longer. Stems are ok to use, but cut away any that are very woody. You now have useable nettles.

Stinging Nettle Soup

8 ounces of stinging nettle tops, blanched, shocked, squeezed dry, and chopped coarsely

One cup of roasted garlic

One and a half quarts of Heavy Cream

Put the nettle and garlic together in a stock pot and cover with the cream. Roasting the garlic adds a depth of flavor to the soup, and is well worth the extra effort. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Bring the soup up to just warm, and remove from heat.

Puree the mixture, with either an immersion blender or standing blender. Puree to your desired level of refinement, either coarse, or super fine. I recommend more towards the fine side, as the nettle can be somewhat fibrous if left too big, but this is a matter of preference. Taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary. Garnish with something that fits the earthy, foraged vibe of this dish, such as a bit of sautéed black trumpet mushroom.

Of course, I would be remiss if I did not recommend a beer to accompany this. I think the heavy cream element of this dish needs the citric kick of a sour beer as a foil. Try “Le Terrior” by New Belgium, a dry hopped, barrel aged beer that brings an acidic, earthy, herbaceous funk to the party. Or, if you can find it, try “Vlad the Imp Aler” by barrel aging masters Cascade Brewing. This barrel aged golden ale is a sheer masterpiece of funky goodness. Serve it all with some good cheese, such as Seastack by Mount Townsend Creamery, and a crusty baguette. Cheers!

Rich Coffey is a professional chef and the first certified Cicerone in the state of Washington. Find out more about him here.