Love Soup by Anna Thomas

Author:Anna Thomas
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

nettle soup with fennel and leeks

Because their flavor is subtle, nettles should not be combined with very assertive flavors, or they will be overwhelmed. I tried them with fennel and leeks, two more vegetables that become mild-mannered with cooking, and really liked the combination—flavorful but delicate.

See the note about handling nettles here.

• • • SERVES 6 • • •

12 oz. (350 g) nettles

1 medium fennel bulb (150 g)

8 oz. (225 g) leeks, white and light green parts

3 Tbs. (45 g) Arborio rice

1½ tsp. sea salt, plus more to taste

3–4 cups (750 ml–1 liter) basic light vegetable broth

2 Tbs. (30 ml) olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped (250 g)

cayenne

3–4 Tbs. (45–60 ml) fresh lemon juice

freshly ground black pepper (optional)

• • •

garnish: crème fraîche or fruity green olive oil

Wearing rubber gloves, give your nettles a good rinse and pull the leaves off the thicker stems. Small, delicate branches are fine to leave. You’ll have about 8 cups of nettles, loosely packed. Alternately, dump the untrimmed nettles into a large pot, douse them with boiling water, immediately drain them, and then proceed to strip off the leaves with no gloves and no fear of being stung. You’ll have about 2½ cups of damp nettle leaves.

Chop the fennel and leek into ¼-inch dice. Combine the fennel, leek, nettle leaves, rice, 1½ teaspoons salt, 4 cups (1 liter) water, and 3 cups vegetable broth in an ample soup pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet, add the chopped onion and a pinch of salt, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onion is soft and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Add the caramelized onion to the soup and simmer, covered, for another 10 minutes.

Allow the soup to cool slightly, then puree it in a blender, in batches, or with an immersion blender, adding a bit more vegetable broth if it seems too thick. Return the pureed soup to the pot, add a pinch of cayenne, and adjust the salt to taste. Add 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, stir, and taste. Isn’t it amazing how lemon makes the nettles come alive? Add more lemon juice, a scant teaspoon at a time, until the soup develops the right piquant balance. Finish the seasoning with a few grinds of black pepper if you like.

Garnish each bowl of soup with a spoonful of crème fraîche or a drizzle of fruity olive oil.

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