Nettle Soup with Mint & Ricotta
A continuation of Daphnis + Chloe guest recipe posts featuring hand-picked herbs that will carry you to the summery coasts of Greece . . . This particular recipe features nettles which, when cooked, are reminiscent of spinach. Nettles are a powerhouse of antioxidants, minerals, + nutrients that aid in healing from bouts of acute seasonal allergy & urinary tract infections.
It is also a deeply effective herb to use for optimum sexual & reproductive health, for both women and men. Nettles provide prostate health support by inhibiting 5-alpha-reductase, which is an enzyme that plays a critical role in the overgrowth of prostate tissue. For women, nettles can be used as a diuretic to overcome premenstrual symptoms such as fluid buildup. I suggest drinking nettle tea a couple of days [or when pre-menstrual symptoms begin] prior to menstruation. Or simply devour a bowl of this mineralising nettle soup with mint & raw ricotta . . .
NETTLE SOUP WITH MINT & RAW RICOTTA
6 servings
An entrée for a Spring lunch or dinner in the countryside, dedicated to all foraging amateurs.
Fresh nettles are a typical ingredient of the traditional kitchen of Northern Greece and they are present in many Eastern European recipes. They might be hard – if not impossible – to find fresh in the cities, but if you happen to spend time in the countryside in late winter or in the spring, you can pick them from the wild. Always wear gloves to collect and clean them, in order to avoid itches.
ingredients
4 bunches of nettles, stems discarded
500 gr organic spinach leaves, washed and thinly sliced
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
2 spoons dried mint leaves
250 gr raw, grass-fed cow or goat ricotta, if tolerated
250 ml grass-fed ghee
Salt, freshly ground pepper
directions
Heat the ghee in a large pot. Sauté the spring onions, then add the nettles and spinach a handful at a time [the whole process will take about 5 minutes].
Add 1 lt of water, salt, pepper. Cook for about 30 minutes, until the greens are tender. Take off the fire, add half of the cheese and stir well.
Serve in bowls with the remaining cheese.
