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5.0 from 27 votes

Scandinavian Nettle Soup

This is a mashup between a traditional Swedish nettle soup and a smooth French-style fish bisque. Any lean, white fish works here. Don't use an oily fish. Or skip the fish and use a potato to thicken the soup. If you don't have nettles, use a 50-50 mix of parsley and spinach for a similar effect. The greenery must be blanched before you use it in this soup. You can buy frozen, cooked spinach, but you'll need to blanch parsley for 1 minute in salty, boiling water before shocking it in an ice bath. Nettles need anywhere from 30 to 90 seconds in the boiling water.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 162 kcal
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Scandinavian

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup chopped white onion
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
  • salt to taste
  • 1 pound lean white fish or 1 large russet potato , chopped roughly
  • 1 pound chopped, blanched nettles, or parsley and spinach
  • Sour cream and black pepper for garnish

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Cook the onions in the butter over medium heat until they are soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
  2. Pour in the stock and add the thyme, nutmeg, salt, fish (or potato) and nettles. Bring this to a gentle simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes. You want the nettles to be very tender.
  3. When the nettles are ready, taste the soup and add salt and nutmeg if it needs it. You want to be able to pick up the nutmeg in the final dish.
  4. Puree the soup in a blender. You might need to do this in batches. If you want to get fancy, push the puree through a fine-meshed strainer. Put back on the stove just to warm through. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and some black pepper.

Notes

  • Don't want to use fish here? Skip it and use 1 large, peeled russet potato instead. Oh, and you don't have to strain the soup after pureeing it. I do because I like refined soups. It'll be fine right out of the blender.

Nutrition Information

Calories 162kcal (8%) Carbohydrates 24g (8%) Protein 4g (8%) Fat 6g (9%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Cholesterol 15mg (5%) Sodium 640mg (27%) Potassium 607mg (17%) Fiber 7g (28%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 2031IU (41%) Vitamin C 6mg (7%) Calcium 384mg (38%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 162

% Daily Value*

Calories 162kcal 8%
Carbohydrates 24g 8%
Protein 4g 8%
Fat 6g 9%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 15mg 5%
Sodium 640mg 27%
Potassium 607mg 13%
Fiber 7g 28%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 2031IU 41%
Vitamin C 6mg 7%
Calcium 384mg 38%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.