Nettle Soup with Horseradish Cream

Deep green, earthy nettles get a kick from a dollop of horseradish-infused crème fraîche.

This soup is a deep taste of spring in a bowl—full of green and earthiness and fresh bright days ahead. Nettles are often considered weeds, but those who are smart enough to harvest them know that they bring a deeply earthy yet grassy flavor to spring tables.

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Nettle Soup with Horseradish Cream

You might find them in your garden or yard (only harvest nettles from areas that aren’t sprayed with pesticides or other potentially harmful chemicals), at specialty markets, or in tangled piles at farmers markets. 

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword creme fraiche, horseradish, stinging nettles

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 191kcal

Author Molly Watson

Ingredients

• 1/2 - 3/4 pound stinging nettles
• 2 spring onions or 1 medium yellow onion
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound russet or Yukon gold potatoes
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated or jarred horseradish

Instructions

• With your hands covered with rubber gloves or plastic bags, rinse the nettles clean in cool running water. Nettles can be quite gritty, so make sure they are fully and totally clean.
• Peel and roughly chop the onion and potatoes.
• In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 3 minutes.
• When the onions are soft, add the potatoes and the broth. Simmer until the potatoes are tender to the bite, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add the cleaned nettles and cook until they’re tender, about more 10 minutes. Stir in the pepper and nutmeg.
• While the potatoes and/or nettles cook, in a small bowl, stir the crème fraîche and horseradish together. Set aside.
• Use an immersion blender to thoroughly purée the soup or whirl the soup in a blender (in batches, if necessary). For a silky smooth texture, run that purée through a food mill (extra work and totally optional!). Adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve hot, with the horseradish cream on the side for diners to add as they like.

Notes

Nettles are often called stinging nettles for a reason: they sting. Wear gloves (or plastic bags) on your hands when handling them when they’re raw—once they’re cooked, all the sting is gone.