Cream of Nettle soup

Don't worry - they don't sting when cooked! Nettles are very nutrient rich and of course - free! Don't gather them beside a busy road where they will have been contaminated by traffic fumes - we pick them in our garden. If you keep cutting them from springtime you get a regular supply of fresh leaves. Though we stop using them into summer as they seem to get rather insecty!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of vegan margarine or oil

2 tablespoons of white flour

1 onion, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Freshly picked and washed young nettles (several good handfuls - picked with gloves and caution!)

2 cups soya milk

1 cup water or stock

salt and pepper to taste

Fry the onion and garlic in the oil or marg. for a few minutes then stir in the nettles (no need to chop or remove stalks) until they soften. Stir in the flour and gradually add the soya milk and water or stock, stirring all the time. Add seasonings and liquidise. Delicious...