Chilled Stinging Nettle Soup is a decadent yet simple summer soup with all the health benefits of nettles! It’s luscious, wildly flavorful and totally safe to eat. A perfect recipe for the culinary adventurer in you. Vegan and gluten-free.

Last month I had the pleasure of teaching a Forage and Feast culinary workshop here on the Peninsula where stinging nettles grow with wild abandon. Seven adventurous souls and I plunged into the Olympic National Forest, emerging with enough nettles to cook up an impressive feast. The day was unseasonably warm, and our group gathered under a big tent outside which provided a bit of welcome shade. We cooked and ate our way through nettle pasta, focaccia, and cookies. Yum! Then it hit me. “What this meal *really* needs is a chilled soup to balance all those carbs!” I pictured a vibrantly green creamy soup, with loads of flavor, and a touch of excitement from stinging nettles. That is exactly the chilled summer soup I am sharing with you today!

If you’re new to stinging nettles and are feeling a bit cautious (or downright terrified), that’s totally okay! Stinging nettles have earned their name! But if curiosity has led to purchasing them at the farmer’s market or harvesting them in the wild, I promise this recipe is your chance to become fast friends with this nutritious leafy green.

Are Stinging Nettles Safe to Eat?

Always handle raw nettles with gloves or tongs. That being said, it’s *very* easy to make them safe for eating. Once the leaves and tender stems have been blanched in boiling water for 60 seconds, they will no longer sting you. Yup! That’s the secret to deactivating nettles.

Want to explore further? Click here to read a blog post on how to harvest and cook stinging nettles.

A word of caution: Do NOT eat stinging nettles raw. They will sting your skin and the inside of your mouth. The stingers must be deactivated before eating.

What do stinging nettles taste like?

Think earthy spinach. Nettles are mild leafy greens with earthy notes. They taste scrumptious in recipes calling for cooked spinach or kale. I love them in Stinging Nettle Pesto, Kale Pasta (Replace the kale with 6 cups of deactivated stinging nettles and blend with 1 cup of pasta water.) and Yam Chickpea and Peanut Stew (replace the kale with stinging nettles)

Are stinging nettles good for you?

Nettles have a unique nutritional profile. They are high in protein, can reduce seasonal allergies, and have been used medicinally for centuries. Click here to learn more about the mighty nettle.

So now that we’re good friends with stinging nettles, let’s talk about the recipe.

This simple recipe is based on a cold leek and potato soup called vichyssoise. The exceptional flavor comes from 3 members of the onion family; leeks, shallots, and yellow onions. The creamy texture comes from potatoes. Traditionally, heavy whipping cream is whisked in at the end. To make it vegan, we cook cashews along with the vegetables which blend up just like dairy-based cream. Stinging nettles blanched during the last 2 minutes of cooking add a layer of wild flavor.

What potatoes should I use?

Use a lower starch potato like Yukon gold. Do not use Russet potatoes. Their high starch content makes a gummy texture when blended. (Think Poi.) Yellow or golden potatoes blend perfectly creamy without creating a gummy or gluey texture.

Does it have to be served chilled?

This soup tastes delicious warm or cold, but, it is much thicker with a richer mouth feel when served chilled.

Tip! You can speed up the cooling process by placing the warm soup pot in a sink filled with cold water. Once it reaches room temperature, set it in the fridge to finish chilling.

Can I use another leafy green other than nettles?

Although I haven’t tested other greens but feel that kale or spinach would make excellent substitutes. You can also skip the greens, making classic leek and potato soup.

Tips for making this recipe

Take your time sautéing the aromatics. Leeks, scallions, and onions become increasingly sweeter as they cook. Sauté them for around 10 minutes to temper any raw spiciness.
Use low-starch potatoes. Great potato options are Yukon gold or fingerling. High-starch potatoes, like russets, turn gummy when blended.
Blend until completely smooth. The luscious mouth feel of this soup is created in the blender. This may take a couple of minutes, depending on what type of blender you’re using.
Cover when chilling. This prevents a skin from forming on the top.
Salt to taste again after the soup is chilled. Cold food tastes less salty so you may need to add more salt after you pull it out of the fridge.

Here’s everything you need to make Chilled Stinging Nettle Soup

Ingredients for chilled stinging nettle soup

Ingredients / Serves 4

3 tablespoons of vegan butter
2 cups of leeks (2 medium) green tops removed and thinly sliced into half moons
1 cup of shallots (2 medium) small diced
1 cup of yellow onion (1 small) small diced
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
½ teaspoon of ground pepper
2 cups of yellow potatoes (about 3 small) peeled and cubed
½ cup (70 g) of raw cashews
4 cups (946 ml) of vegetable broth
6 cups of packed fresh stinging nettle leaves and tender stems, carefully rinsed (see note on using frozen)
Vegan crème fresh for serving (optional)

*Note: If using blanched, frozen nettles, you’ll need ½ cup of thawed, chopped nettles.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1.Sauté the aromatics- In a 4-6 qt. soup pot, over medium-high heat, melt the vegan butter. Tumble in the leeks, shallots, and onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until soft, wilted, and sweetly fragrant, 7-10 minutes.

2. Add the potatoes, cashews, and veggie broth- Plop in the potatoes and cashews followed by the vegetable broth. Stir them all around and cover the pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a lively simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender, and the cashews have softened, about 10 more minutes.

3. Blanch the nettles- Use tongs to submerge the stinging nettles in the hot soup, making sure they are fully covered. Cook for 2 more minutes.

4. Puree the soup- Carefully transfer the soup to a high-powered blender. You may need to do this in batches. Secure the lid, leaving the venting open hole to allow steam to escape. Cover lightly with a kitchen towel to protect from spattering. Blend, starting at low speed and working your way up to high speed, until completely smooth with no cashew lumps remaining. This may take a few minutes.

5. Chill- Rinse out the soup pot and pour the soup back in. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper to your liking. Keep in mind chilled soup will taste less salty. Let it cool to room temperature before covering and placing in the fridge to chill and thicken.

6. Serve- Before serving, stir the soup and ladle into individual bowls. Garnish with a swirl of crème fresh.

More Recipe with Nettles

Vegan Nettle Spanakopita

Vegan Pesto made with Stinging Nettles

Nettle Pancakes with Chickpea Flour

Check out my guide to foraging for and cooking stinging nettles!

I hope you enjoy this chilled summer soup as much as my family has. In fact, my 89-year-old mother-in-law loves eating the leftovers for a quick and savory breakfast!

Have a fabulous week and until next time, happy foraging!

X,o,

Carol

Chilled Stinging Nettle Soup