Category: soup

Free from the Fields: Stinging Nettles

stinging nettle – urtica dioica

An 1844 edition of Chamber’s Journal lauds the many benefits of consuming stinging nettle tea. The journal claims that nettle tea can cure measles and serve as a nutritious panacea. It cites a charming rhyme which gave instruction for brewing nettle broth:

Gin ye be for lang kail
Cow tho nettle, stoo’ the nettle;
Gin ye be for lang kail
Cow the nettle early.

Cow it laigh, cow it sune,
Cow it in the month of June
Stoo’ it e’er it’s in the blume;
Cow the nettle early.

Cow it by the auld wa’s,
Cow it where the sun ne’er fa’s,
Stoo’ it whan the day daws;
Cow the nettle early.

The plant is indeed a powerhouse of health-giving properties. Nettle broth, or tea, is rich in antioxidants and vitamins A, C, D, iron, potassium, manganese, and calcium. Nettle is also surprisingly high in protein. And you need not only use the nettle for tea; the fresh plant can be consumed in a variety of dishes; cooking removes the toxic compounds found in the plant. Nettle is frequently used in soups, pesto and polenta dishes.

Nettle can also ease eczema and soothe arthritis. The tea can help one overcome the pangs of caffeine withdrawal and also subdue nasty seasonal allergies.

stinging nettle, schematic illustration


This wonderful plant is native to Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and North America. Harvest it and use it for flavorful teas or in soups and stews. For more directions on how to harvest and prepare stinging nettles visit natureskills.com. And here’s a recipe for stinging nettle soup from cookography.com. Serve it with a crusty bread and white wine.

Stinging Nettle Soup

1/2 cup butter
3 cups sliced onions
3 cups potatoes, cut into chunks
3 cups chicken stock
1 ounce nettles leaves
Small bunch of chives, snipped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Heavy cream, to serve

Directions: Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the sliced onions, cover and cook for about 5 minutes until just soft. Add the potatoes to the saucepan with the chicken stock, cover and cook for 25 minutes longer. Wearing latex gloves, remove the nettles leaves from their stems. Rinse the leaves under cold running water, then dry on paper towels. Add to the saucepan and cook for 5 minutes longer. Ladle the soup into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Return to a clean saucepan and season well. Stir in the chives and serve with a swirl of cream and a sprinkle of pepper.

 
Why Fast and Fermented Foods by Christine Baumgarthuber

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From Matera, Italy: Bread Soup

olives and tree, schematic illustration

The hills near Matera, Italy stand brown and cragged against a cornflower-blue sky. For centuries their arid slopes defied nearly all attempts at cultivation; as a result, the inhabitants of Matera suffered the worst privation, such as living side-by-side with their livestock in caves. An 1878 guidebook describes Matera as “a dirty town [its] lower classes [being] the least civilized of the province of Basilicata.” But the farmers of Matera did manage to produce from the dry and rocky soil excellent wine and olive oil, and their traditional dishes reflect this meager but flavorsome yield.

Here is a recipe from the province of Basilicata for bread soup, a clever dish that turns day-old bread into a savory supper. Serve it with a green salad and red wine.

Bread Soup

9 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
4 eggs, well beaten
1/2 pound stale crusty Italian bread, crumbled or cut into squares
ground hot pepper
1 small bunch basil, chopped
1 pint (500 ml) water
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pecorino Romano cheese, to taste

Place crumbled bread in soup bowls. In a large soup pot, saute the garlic and ground hot pepper. Add the water and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook for a few minutes, then stir in the basil and eggs. Pour soup over crumbled bread in soup bowls. Add salt and pepper and grated Pecorino Romano, if desired.

 
Why Fast and Fermented Foods by Christine Baumgarthuber

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"Bean" Down So Long that It Looks Like Beef to Me

Here’s a tasty and economical dish from A Veggie Venture. There’s nothing cheaper, and more nutritious, than beans. The ham bone adds a touch of flavor — leave it out if you prefer your soup vegetarian. Serve this with a hunk of wholegrain sourdough bread. The price: About $6.50 for the entire meal. Not bad!

15-Bean Soup

Hands-on time: 5 minutes the night before, 15 minutes the next day
Time to table: 12 – 24 hours
Makes 11 cups


20 ounces assorted beans
1 big ham bone (my choice, but could use a couple of ham hocks or some sliced ham)
1 large onion, chopped
15 ounces canned diced tomato
1 teaspoon chili powder
Juice of a lemon (don’t skip this)
1 – 2 cloves garlic, minced (I used a tablespoon from a jar)
SPICE PACKET – I ignored this

NIGHT BEFORE: Rinse the beans and pick out any dried beans. Cover with 2 quarts of water and leave to soak overnight. The beans will expand about 3X so be sure your pot is big enough. Drain the water.

DAY OF: Put the beans in a very large pot or Dutch oven. Cover with two quarts of new water. Add the ham bone (or whatever you’re using) and onion. (The bag says to add the onion just a half hour before serving. To my taste, the onion was completely raw like that.) Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 2 1/2 hours. If a kind of scummy foam rises to the top, scrape it off with a slotted spoon and discard.

Add the tomatoes, garlic, chili powder and lemon juice and let simmer for another 30 – 60 minutes. At this point, Mary some times adds a can of drained and rinsed beans.

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