Stinging Nettle Soup
Stinging nettle soup is a traditional spring recipe found across Slavic and Eastern European kitchens, where wild greens were long valued after the scarcity of winter. It can be made fully vegetarian if you use vegetable or mushroom stock. This rustic, simple recipe can be ready in under 45 minutes, including prep.
If you love this, you should check out my springtime roasted asparagus soup and borscht recipes as well.
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This is old-world, heritage cooking at its best. Stinging nettles have a deep green, earthy flavor often compared to spinach, but fuller, richer, and more complex. They carry a mild mineral freshness with hints of herbs and a slight woodsy quality. In soup, they become mellow and savory.
My herbed sourdough dinner rolls complement this soup perfectly.
Why You Should Make This
Ingredients Notes
- Cream or Sour Cream: I prefer sour cream for the extra tanginess, but heavy cream works. If you can’t do dairy, feel free to substitute with a non-dairy milk.
- Oil: I prefer using butter, bacon fat, or lard.
- Broth: Mushroom stock is lovely in this soup, but feel free to use vegetable, chicken, or beef as well. You can also just use a stock cube, Vegeta, or similar.
- I garnish this soup with chopped fresh dill and parsley and a squeeze of fresh lemon; those are optional.
- Use lovage instead of celery if you can; it’s a more authentic and deeper flavor.
The full ingredient list with quantities is in the recipe card below.
Recipe Instructions & Process Photos
Step 1:
Dice and prep all the vegetables. Wearing gloves, wash the nettle leaves well in cold water. Remove any tough stems, roughly chop, and set aside.
Step 2:
In a large pot, heat the butter or oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook until softened, about 5–7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and diced potato and cook for 2 minutes more.
Pour in the broth and add the bay leaf and thyme.
Step 3:
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add the chopped nettles and simmer for another 5–10 minutes.
Step 4:
Remove the bay leaf and blend until smooth. Stir in the cream or sour cream if using, heat gently, then season with salt, pepper, and fresh lemon juice to taste.
If you love old world recipes like this one, try my liver dumpling soup and Serbian prebranac.
My Top Tips for the Best Stinging Nettle Soup
Stinging Nettle Soup
Equipment
- Kitchen gloves (for handling raw nettles)
- 1 Large soup pot or Dutch oven
- Sharp knife & cutting board
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Immersion blender or countertop blender
Ingredients
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter or oil of choice
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 large potatoes peeled and diced
- 6 cups mushroom, vegetable or chicken broth
- 4 cups young stinging nettle leaves washed and chopped
- 1 carrot diced
- 1 celery stalk diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ cup heavy cream or sour cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh lemon juice to taste
- Fresh parsley and dill chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare the nettles: Wearing gloves, carefully wash the nettle leaves in cold water. Remove any tough stems and chop the leaves roughly. Set aside.
- Cook the onions and vegetables: In a large pot, heat the butter or oil over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion, diced carrot, and diced celery. Cook until the vegetables are softened and the onion is translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add garlic and potato: Add the minced garlic and diced potato to the pot. Cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add broth and seasonings: Pour in the vegetable or chicken broth. Add the bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let the soup simmer for about 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
- Add nettles: Add the chopped stinging nettle leaves to the pot. Simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes until the nettles are tender.
- Blend the soup: Remove the bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. Alternatively, you can carefully transfer the soup in batches to a blender and blend until smooth. Return the soup to the pot.
- Add cream (optional): Stir in the heavy cream or sour cream if using. Heat through without boiling.
- Season and finish: Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to brighten the flavors.
Notes
- Wear gloves when handling raw nettles to avoid stings. Once cooked, they are completely safe to touch and eat.
- Use only young spring nettles for the best flavor and tender texture.
- Thoroughly wash foraged nettles to remove grit or insects.
- Add cream or sour cream for a silkier soup, or leave it out for a lighter version.
- Adjust thickness with extra broth if needed after blending.
- Finish with lemon juice just before serving to brighten the flavor and freshly chopped herbs like dill and/or parsley.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
I forgot to mention, but another wild spring edible that works really well in this soup are wild ramps, the leaves specifically. You can use that instead of, or in addition to, the stinging nettle.
Ask any questions here in the comments section as well.