History Cookbook: Nettle soup

Healthiness : (5 votes)

Difficulty:  
Comments: Nettles sting and should be gathered with gloves. ONLY use very young nettle tips and discard any woody stems or stalks.
Preparation Time: Collecting enough takes a while, store somewhere cool if you plan to make the soup the next day.
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Number of servings: 4
Serving suggestions: Serve with oatcakes and seasonal nuts or berries for authenticity.
This is a vegetarian recipe


This prehistoric version of nettle soup is tasty. The oats give it a slightly disconcerting texture though. Give it a try or, if you prefer a modern version with potato, follow the link to Modern Nettle Soup below.

Early dishes like this would have been cooked in a clay pot sitting directly on the ashes of a fire. Much food was collected or hunted and this recipe reflects this. Many greens such as dandelions, ground elder and lime leaves were gathered and eaten.

Only use young nettle tips, older nettle stingers do not easily breakdown and so should not be used.

• 1/2 a basket of nettles, approx 1/2 lb (250 gm)
• 1 1/2 pints vegetable stock. (0.85 litre)
• 2 oz butter (50 gm)
• 2-3 handfuls of oatmeal
• sea salt to season

• Knife
• Saucepan
• Stirring spoon

Always wash your hands before preparing food.

1. Chop the nettles roughly
2. Put into pan with the butter, heat gently until wilted
3. Add the stock, bring to the boil 
4. Turn down the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes
5. Add the oatmeal, stir and serve

• Modern nettle soup