Nettle Soup

Ingredients

• 1/2 large shopping bag of fresh nettle tops
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 pound of Yukon Gold or russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 to 2 cups of water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 to 3 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream

Directions

1. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring it to a boil. Set out a large bowl filled with ice water. Put on protective gloves, then move the nettle tops into the boiling water and blanch them for 2 minutes.
2. With tongs, pull the softened nettles from the pot and drop them into the ice water to cool quickly. Drain them in a colander.
3. Trim off and discard any large nettle stems. This is much easier after blanching, since the sting has been neutralized. For this recipe, you should end up with 3 to 4 cups of tender blanched nettle tops and leaves. If you have extra blanched nettles at this stage, freeze them for later.
4. In a 6 quart soup pot, warm the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Stir in the chopped shallots and celery, and cook until they have softened, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the chopped potatoes, chicken stock, bay leaf, and thyme. If your stock is unsalted or low sodium, stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring the soup to a simmer, then let it simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Coarsely chop the blanched nettles. Stir 3 to 4 cups of the chopped blanched nettles into the pot. Pour in just enough water to barely cover the nettles and potatoes, 1 to 2 cups. Bring everything back to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are soft and the nettles are tender.
7. Take out the bay leaf, along with any thyme sprigs if you used them. Purée the soup with an immersion blender, or blend it in batches in a standing blender. Return the soup to the pot if you used a standing blender, then take it off the heat.
8. Season with salt to taste. Depending on how salty the stock is, the soup may need at least 1 teaspoon or more. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper and the lemon juice. Just before serving, swirl in the cream. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
9. Finish each serving with a sprinkle of black pepper and a sprig of fresh mint.