Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Purple Dead Nettle Soup!

Early Purple Dead Nettle
One of the first early spring edibles is Purple Dead Nettle, Lamium purpureum, in the Lamiaceae family (mint).  You can use it in salads or as a spring vegetable.  However, it does have tiny hairs on the surface which gives it a texture problem for many.  One way to use it that removes that issue is in a pureed soup.  You can have the many nutritional benefits (high in iron, vitamins and fiber as well as having antimicrobial and antifungal properties) and still enjoy the meal!

Purple Dead Nettle Soup

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh purple dead nettle leaves and flowers
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped fine
3 cups milk
salt and pepper
fresh parsley to garnish (optional)

Directions:

Parboil dead nettle in lightly salted water for 5 minutes.  Strain.

Meanwhile, add butter to pan and fry onions until translucent (not browned), about five minutes.  Add flour and mix until combined.  Add milk and stir until smooth.  Simmer five minutes.

Add strained nettle to food processor or blender.  Blend until pureed.  Combine with milk mixture. Stir and heat through.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.

Great served with grilled cheese sandwiches!

9 comments:

  1. I have to say the name dead nettle doesn't have a very appetizing sound to it. (-: But it's a very interesting idea. Thank you for teaching me something I had never thought about.

    Fern

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  2. I've never tried eating them, but have always wanted to. This recipe sounds delicious. Thanks for posting, from a fellow forager in Texas.

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  3. This is delicious! You had me at onions! I've added garlic for a kick. (2020)

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  4. I foraged some purple dead nettles. I used the top. Leaves and stem for more fiber. When making my recipe I realized I didn't have enough. Luckily I also harvested some cleavers that grew along side of it. I sauted onions, gatlic cleavers young dandelion leaves and PDN fot five minutes. I boiled some egg noodles. I draoed the noodles and tossed them with the sauted greens. I. usually add some herbs and eat This However,to make it more appealing to children I add another step. In a bowl I mixed 1 cup of milk 2 eggs and a cup of shreded sharp cheese. I than folded in the greens and noodles, adding more cheese. I place the contents into a casserole dish and bake for about 30 minures. Its's a good way to get the grandchildren to eat their weeds.

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  5. I foraged some purple dead nettles. I used the top. Leaves and stem for more fiber. When making my recipe I realized I didn't have enough. Luckily I also harvested some cleavers that grew along side of it. I sauted onions, gatlic cleavers young dandelion leaves and PDN fot five minutes. I boiled some egg noodles. I draoed the noodles and tossed them with the sauted greens. I. usually add some herbs and eat This However,to make it more appealing to children I add another step. In a bowl I mixed 1 cup of milk 2 eggs and a cup of shreded sharp cheese. I than folded in the greens and noodles, adding more cheese. I place the contents into a casserole dish and bake for about 30 minures. Its's a good way to get the grandchildren to eat their weeds.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hello. My 1st time here. This sounds interesting. Would like to forage& try this rescipe & make a salve as well as. Tea. Keep in mind you have been Warned :do not to eat too much or diarehia will ensue. 😃

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  7. Thank you! for the recipe! I live in the woodlands of S. Oregon, and it is growing all over my yard! I wil go forage for this and dandelion and make some!

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  8. Do you know if you can eat ghost lamium as well?

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  9. Went to a restaurant once and got some full and they gave me a basket of plants and they told me to just put them directly in the water it wasn't till after I had eaten it and was very happy that I found out that all of these were like planted right outside the store and that they were also growing in my yard. But I must say that the soup is pretty tasty

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