The health benefits of nettles plus a delicious nettle soup recipe!
If you are a lover of our Beauty Kubes plastic-free shampoo for oily hair, you will know that they contain nettle powder.
Nettles are amazing plants, given a bad name due to the fact that they really are unpleasant if any part of your body comes into contact with them if they are untreated. (They are perfectly safe once cooked).
But in fact, they are packed with nutrients, that are essential for healthy hair and skin such as silicic acid, calcium, potassium, iron, chromium, magnesium, and zinc, including Vitamins A, B, C, K, and protein.
Part of the solution to dealing with the world’s plastic pollution problem is to buy less convenience foods. The best and most effective way of cutting down on this excess packaging crisis, is to take the time to make your own food. Then you also have absolute control over what goes in it!
Our recipe for roasted celery and nettle soup is absolutely delicious and will give your body a boost of essential nutrients. It can be frozen and keeps for about 1-2 months, so you can take it to work for an easy and tasty lunch. It is suitable for vegans.
First of all, you will have to get out and about to forage for some nettles. You will need around half a bag-full. Take a cotton bag with you to collect the nettles and take a pair of rubber or gardening gloves (they sting, remember!).
Ingredients:
Half a bag of nettle leaves (Top 4 leaves only)
6 large celery stalks
2 shallots
1 onion peeled and chopped
4 sprigs of thyme
6 garlic cloves (lightly crushed)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 medium sized potatoes
1 carrot
Vegetable stock (we used Swiss Organic, vegan Boullion)
½ tsp ground cumin powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Coconut milk to taste (optional)
Serves 4-6
Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees. Place the celery stalks (apart from 1 which will be used later), shallots, lightly crushed, peeled garlic cloves, thyme and a tablespoon of olive oil into a baking tray, with a pinch of salt and pepper, Place the baking tray into the middle shelf of the oven and roast for 30 minutes.
Once the celery has finished roasting, remove it from the oven and leave to one side.
Wearing rubber or gardening gloves, sort through the nettles, discarding and thick stalks. Wash the nettles and drain in a colander.
Heat the olive oil gently in a large saucepan, add the chopped onion and cook gently for 5-7 minutes until softened. Peel the potato and carrot and cut into chunks.
Cut the roasted celery into small chunks and put the contents of the roasting tin into the pan with the onions. Add a little boiling water to the roasting tin to loosen any roasted celery, this is where the flavour is, so add this little bit of water to the pan.
Add the stock, remaining celery stick (chopped) nettles, potato and carrot. Bring to a simmer and cook gently until the potato is soft, about 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat. Using an electric hand-held stick blender, purée the soup and then season with salt and pepper to taste. (You may wish to remove any pieces of roasted celery that didn't get fully blended with a slotted spoon).
Ladle into bowls and add a spoonful of coconut milk. Serve with your favourite bread and enjoy!