Ways to use nettles (and yes, there's soup)

Close up of a nettle plant and trichomes

If you've been following along, you'll know I'm a bit obsessed with nettles at this time of year. They're everywhere, they're free, and once you get past the sting, they're one of the most useful plants in my dispensary...

If you want the full picture on what nettles actually do medicinally, I've written a detailed article here.

A simple cup of nettle tea

This is the most accessible starting point, and honestly a lovely daily habit. A small handful of fresh young tops steeped in a mug of just-boiled water for 5–10 minutes gives you a mild, green-tasting drink...

If you're drinking it for hayfever support or as a general tonic, a couple of cups a day through spring is a good place to start.

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Nettle soup

Serves 4

Pick and rinse about 200g of young nettle tops (gloves on until they're in the water). In a large pan, soften a roughly chopped onion and a couple of sliced garlic cloves in butter or olive oil over a medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add a peeled, diced potato and pour in a litre of good stock. Simmer for 15 minutes until the potato is tender. Drop in the nettles, stir, and cook for just 2–3 minutes. The heat destroys the tiny hollow hairs that cause the sting (called trichomes) immediately and keeps the colour vivid. Blitz smooth, stir in a dollop of crème fraîche if you like, and season well. That's it.

It freezes beautifully before the cream goes in, and a handful of toasted seeds on top makes it look properly finished.

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Nettle tincture

If you want something that keeps and that you can use in a more targeted way say, as part of a protocol for hayfever, a simple tincture is very easy to make at home. You're essentially macerating fresh nettles in alcohol to extract the plant's constituents in a concentrated, shelf-stable form.

Pack roughly chopped fresh nettle tops into a sterilised glass jar (about 100g) and pour over 200ml of 40% vodka (this is a standard 1:2 fresh plant ratio). Make sure everything is submerged, seal the jar, and leave it somewhere cool and dark for 4–6 weeks, giving it a shake whenever you remember. Then strain through muslin, pressing the plant material firmly, and bottle in dark glass dropper bottles. Label it clearly with the date. It'll keep well for up to a year.

The usual dose is 2–4ml in a little water, two or three times a day. But if you're working with a specific condition, it's always worth getting some individual guidance on that.

Nettles are one of those plants that reward you the more you work with them. So whether you start with a cup of tea or a batch of soup, you're in good company!