FORAGERS’ SOUP WITH SORREL AND YOUNG NETTLES

This is a simple soup, based on a very old, country recipe that I once received from a lady who sold me a bag of sorrel at our local market in Poland, who told me it was her grandma’s recipe. I have substituted some of the sorrel for nettles in this recipe, but if you can’t source nettles, then either replace the nettles completely with sorrel or use some peppery watercress instead. {Serves 8–10}

200 g (7 oz) sorrel and young nettles

50 g (2 oz/4 tablespoons) unsalted butter

2 litres (4 pints/8½ cups) water

3 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour

150 ml (5 fl oz/²/₃ cup) Greek yoghurt

salt and white pepper, to taste

hard-boiled eggs, to serve

First remove the nettle leaves from their stalks (wearing gloves to protect your hands) and thoroughly wash the sorrel and nettle leaves.

Melt the butter in a large frying pan (skillet) and add the sorrel and nettle leaves. Fry for a few minutes over a medium heat until wilted. Set aside to cool for about 20 minutes and then transfer to a food processor or a blender and whizz to a purée.

Transfer the purée to a large pan and add the water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Near the end of the cooking time, season the soup with salt and pepper and sprinkle in the flour, stirring all the time. Increase the heat and boil for 5 minutes, allowing the flour to thicken the soup.

In a bowl, add a tablespoon of the hot soup to the yoghurt, to prevent it from curdling.

Swirl a tablespoon of yoghurt into the soup and then place two hard-boiled egg halves into each bowl. You can turn this soup into a more substantial meal by serving potatoes on the side.

{Time: 50 minutes}