Roasted Asparagus Nettle Soup

I’ve become a little obsessed lately with a wild foraged food: stinging nettles, which led to a soup perfect for spring – roasted asparagus nettle soup.  After the gloom of winter, I can’t get enough of green vegetables come the spring.  While I’ve always been a huge fan of asparagus, I’m always curious about other spring greens, particularly those that can be locally foraged or sourced.  I’d read quite a bit about stinging nettles, but to tell the truth, I don’t think I’d know one in the wild if it, well, stung me.

So I was incredibly excited to see that our local food co-op has been sourcing and selling local stinging nettles.  It’s well worth the $3.99 to buy a full bag of stinging nettles and spare myself wandering around the woods to find a plant I don’t think I’d recognize anyway.  Plus, stinging nettles have a reputation for having a nasty bite before they are cooked.  I much prefer the easy transfer from bag to boiling water using long tongs.

I’ve been doing a lot of research about how to use stinging nettles.  As it turns out, they are incredibly versatile and can be used in both sweet and savory dishes.   The flavor of stinging nettles is herbaceous – a little reminiscent of spinach, but with an earthier undertone.  I’ll confess – I’m thoroughly hooked.  I started out with the roasted asparagus nettle soup and have since also made nettle pesto.  I love these so much, I finally broke down and bought a pasta maker so I can make stinging nettle ravioli next weekend.

You can certainly substitute spinach or another green for the nettles in this soup.  Green is green, especially this time of year.  That said, if you happen to have a nettle foraging story, I’d love to hear it in the comments below.

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Roasted Asparagus Nettle Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup to 1 cup cooked stinging nettles, roughly chopped
• 2 or 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup half and half
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the trimmed asparagus on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil. Roast for 30 minutes or until the asparagus is lightly browned. Roughly chop the asparagus.
2. While the asparagus is roasting, prepare the stinging nettles. Add the nettles to boiling water in a saucepan. Be very cautious not to touch the nettles. Boil for five minutes and then drain. Chop the nettles roughly, using what's needed for the soup and saving the rest for other recipes (nettles can be frozen for later use).
3. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and saute over medium heat until the garlic is lightly browned. Add the asparagus, the cooked nettles, the stock and the water. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Simmer for 10 - 15 minutes.
4. Use an immersion blender or blend in small batches until the soup is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste and the half and half. Bring the soup back to a simmer and cook until it is hot.
5. Serves 4. Enjoy!

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