Stinging nettle is one of the first plants I learned to identify when I began my studies as an herbalist. It was so exciting coming across it in the canyon near my house and was really the first time I ever realized just how close by real food can be in nature.
I was amazed, and since then, nettle holds a very special place in my heart and often makes its way into daily recipes. Since the local nettle isn't doing very well this season because of the drought, I'll be using nettle of the dried variety in today's recipe, but you can certainly use fresh if you know how to handle it. (you can find dried nettle here
)
The flavor of nettle is similar to any other mild green so don't be afraid to try them if you enjoy green things, as they're delicious and so much better for you than spinach! Nettle is a powerhouse of nutrients and safe for the whole family.
In today's recipe, we'll be using them in a traditional recipe minus all the carbs… so instead of chicken noodle soup we're making Chicken Nettle Soup and I promise it's just as good.
This soup has become a quick favorite in my house and is really simple to make. Don't be fooled my its simplicity, it's packed with deeply nourishing vitamins and minerals that will uplift your adrenals, top up your magnesium levels, and help keep your allergies at bay…all in one tasty soup.
Here's What You'll Need:
Loving Preparation - Chicken Nettle Soup
• 6-7 cups bone broth (homemade is best, learn how to make it here)
• 3 large handfuls of cubed or shredded chicken
• 4 TB grass fed butter
• 1 large onion diced
• 4-6 large carrots diced
• 2 large ribs of celery diced
• 6-8 cloves of garlic chopped (remove any green shoots)
• ¼ cup dried nettle (you can get it here)
• Fresh flat leaf parsley chopped for garnish
• Fresh scallion chopped for garnish
• Salt and pepper to taste
Loving Preparation - Chicken Nettle Soup
• Add the butter to a pot and swirl around the bottom until it foams
• Add the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery and sauté for 5 minutes on med heat
• Add your cubed/shredded chicken and cook for 1 minute
• Season with freshly cracked black pepper
and sea salt
• Add the bone broth and dried nettles to the pot and turn up the heat until the soup begins to simmer
• Turn the heat down and gently simmer for 10-12 minutes until the carrots are fork tender
• Serve and garnish with fresh parsley and scallions
[yumprint-recipe id='1']This chicken and nettle soup is perfect for cold winter days, during colds and flu, or just when you need a bit more energy. Nettles are deeply nourishing, taste great, and provide lots of needed calcium, magnesium
, potassium, and iron to your everyday meals. I hope you give them a try!
For more on nettle, check out these articles:
Making Wild Nettles Beer
Foraging for Nettles: It's Fun, I Promise!
