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One of my favorite herbs to see appear in the spring are stinging nettles. Not only are they a plant superfood, they're also a super medicine! The young leaves are protein-and mineral-rich and can be great additions to both soups and stews. Contains vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, sodium, and rich fatty acid profile (Rutto et al. 2013).
Stinging nettle tastes like mild spinach without the strong iron flavor. It's green and grassy-tasting, not unlike other dark leafy plants, with a bit of a peppery bite, like arugula.
Nettles need to be thoroughly cleaned and de-stung before eating. To do this, the easiest method is blanching them in boiling water and rinsing them afterward, squeezing out the water before sauteeing them or adding them into soups or stews. By blanching the nettles, they get cleaned and broken down in one fell swoop.