Why would I want my family to be eating stinging nettle?

Well, it is a truly amazing nourishing herb, packed with vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and even protein. Nettle is an especially good source of iron, phosphorus, potassium, and the B complex vitamins. Eating nettle helps nourish our circulatory, immune, endocrine, nervous, urinary, and digestive systems. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

There’s much more I could say, but I want to get on to this delicious soufflé recipe.

This recipe is a combination of one from Susun Weed’s Healing Wise and Mollie Katzen’s The Enchanted Broccoli Forest.

You’ll need:

• 1 1⁄2 cups water

• 4 cups nettle tops

• 2 T olive oil

• 1 onion, minced

• 2 T whole-wheat flour

• 1 cup nettle broth

• 6 eggs

• 1 /2 cups grated cheddar cheese

• salt and pepper to taste

What to do...

Preheat your oven to 375.

Start by cooking the nettle in boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Drain well, saving the broth.

Puree nettle in blender and set aside.

Sauté onion in oil until golden.

Add whole-wheat flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Slowly add a cup of nettle broth and cook, stirring often for a few minutes until thick.

Set aside.

Separate the eggs, putting both yolks and whites in large seperate bowls.

Beat the egg yolks with a whisk. Then add the nettle broth with onion and mix with the yolks.

Add the nettles and cheese and whisk again.

Beat the egg whites with a hand mixer until they are stiff.

Gently mix (fold) the egg whites into the yolk mix.

Bake undisturbed for 40 minute and serve immediately after you remove it from the oven.

It’s so fun to be able to make a beautiful soufflé. I enjoyed eating them so much when I visited Paris in college. I was thrilled to discover that they are not difficult to prepare. Now, adding nettle to the mix makes them even more nourishing and delicious.

Enjoy!

Kimberly