Nettle Risotto – A Tasty Stinging Nettle Recipe
Spring on Whidbey Island is a glorious explosion of green. Everything is so fresh and vibrant! With spring, comes the infamous Stinging Nettles. These plants are such a dichotomy. On one hand, they are incredibly nutritious and medicinal. On the other hand, they are the most pesky, invasive weed. Every year, they encroach on my yard, creeping in from the surrounding woods. Every year, I beat them back. It’s an endless cycle!
With the plethora of nettles, every spring I try to have a positive attitude about them. I will carefully harvest some and try to come up with something to do with them that I actually will enjoy. I have done tinctures (wonderful for allergies, but I don’t have allergies), I have done soup (meh), and I have done tea (okay…). This year I tried a Nettle Risotto, and finally hit on something that I actually enjoy, and would make again.
Why Stinging Nettles?
Stinging nettles are quite nutrient-dense, and are often considered a “super green”. They offer vitamins A, C, K, and several B vitamins, along with minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus. They also provide fiber, some protein, and antioxidant compounds such as quercetin and beta-carotene. Stinging Nettles possess many medicinal values as well, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties along with help for allergies and arthritis. With all of these benefits, you end up with a valuable wild green.
Harvesting Stinging Nettles
Harvesting stinging nettles requires a bit of care, but the reward is a highly nutritious wild green with a rich, earthy flavor. The best time to gather nettles is in early spring when the leaves are young and tender, as older plants can become tough. Always wear gloves and long sleeves to protect your skin from the plant’s tiny, stinging hairs. Use tongs to grasp the top few inches of the plant while you use scissors to snip the top off. Once harvested, nettles lose their sting when cooked, dried, or blended, making them perfect for soups, teas, and sautés. While foraging, be mindful to harvest from clean, pesticide-free areas.
Nettle Risotto is definitely the perfect spring side dish. The vibrant color and the nutritional value makes for the perfect spring plate. Enjoy!
Nettle Risotto
Ingredients
- 5 Oz. Spring Stinging Nettles Harvest with tongs and scissors, taking care not to touch them.
- 3 Tbsp Butter
- 1 Medium Shallot, finely chopped
- 1 Clove Garlic, Pressed
- 1/2 Cup Arborio Rice
- 2 Cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock
- 1/2 Cup Dry White Wine
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2½ Tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
Harvesting and Preparing Nettles
- In springtime, grab your kitchen tongs, scissors and a garden hod or basket. Head out to your "nettle patch" and clip off the tops of enough plants to fill your hod. I clip the top 2-3 leaf pairs, depending on how new and tender they are. Simply use your tongs to pinch the top of the nettle and then clip it off with the scissors. Place in your garden hod.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Fill a large bowl with ice cold water. Set aside
- Using your tongs, transfer the nettles into the boiling water. Stir and blanch for 3 minutes.
- Remove them to the bowl of cold water and stir to completely cool the nettles.
- Dump the nettles into a colander to drain. At this point, you can touch the nettles without being stung, and they are easy to work with.
- Trim the nettles by holding the stem above a 1/2 cup and clipping off the leaves with scissors, allowing them to fall into the measuring cup. Continue clipping until filled with leaves. Occasionally turn upside down and press water out. You will want to get the leaves as dry as possible.
- Once you have about a half cup of pressed and "dry" leaves in the measuring cup, turn it out onto a cutting board and separate the leaves.
- Finely chop the nettles.
- Measure out a heaping 1/2 cup of chopped nettles. Set aside.
Risotto
- Add stock, salt, and wine to a large measuring cup or bowl.
- Add Butter to a large skillet placed on medium burner. Melt.
- Once melted, add finely chopped shallots. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until shallots are tender and opaque.
- Press garlic into shallot mixture. Heat for about a minute, until it becomes fragrant.
- Add Arborio Rice to the skillet. Stir and heat for about a minute.
- Add 1/2 cup of broth mixture to the rice. Stir until combined, and continue stirring occasionally until the liquid has been absorbed.
- Once liquid has been absorbed, continue adding 1/2 cup liquid at a time, stirring after each addition until it has absorbed. Stir often, as the more you stir, the creamier your final product will be.
- With the last 1/2 cup addition, add your reserved, chopped nettles.
- Once liquid has been mostly absorbed, but the mixture is still a bit "soupy", add the Parmesan. Stir to combine, and until liquid is mostly absorbed. Check for seasoning and adjust salt as needed.
- Remove to plates. Grate a bit more Parmesan over top. Enjoy!
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