Maybe you pluck it in the garden without thinking and throw it in the compost. At the same time, this inconspicuous plant is one of the best things you can enjoy in spring. Just taste it once and you will find out that ordinary nettles can be used to make a surprisingly luxurious pesto that will delight you.
It only takes a few steps and you have a raw material at hand that you could easily pay for in gold. Fortunately, in the spring, nettles appear everywhere, but most of us still treat them as weeds. At the same time, right now they are the softest, full of flavor and ideal for the kitchen. When you edit them right, they turn into something that tastes good.
Watch a video on the power of nettle seeds here:
Nettle pesto is exactly the type of recipe that will give you results.
When the nettle stops burning
You might be put off by stinging nettles, but that will go away in seconds. It is enough to scald the leaves briefly with hot water or blend them straight away, and suddenly only their fresh, slightly nutty taste remains.
It is important to collect young tops. These are soft, not stringy and taste the best.
Customize it to your liking
The base is simple and you can adapt it according to what you have at home. Some add nuts, others seeds or cheese.
“Other herbs, such as mint or lemon balm, also work well. They add lightness and an interesting spring touch to the pesto, which turns it into a completely different dish,” advises chef David Šlapák.
Recipe for nettle pesto
Raw materials:
- a handful of young nettles
- a handful of nuts or seeds
- 1-2 cloves of garlic
- olive oil
- salt, pepper
- lemon juice
- possibly hard cheese
Procedure:
Boil the nettles briefly and squeeze out the water. Place them in a blender along with the nuts, garlic and some of the oil. Blend until smooth, adding more oil as needed to get the pesto to the right consistency. Finally, season with salt, pepper and a few drops of lemon. It’s ready in a few minutes.
Where with him in the kitchen
Nettle pesto goes well with almost everything. Just mix it into pasta, spread it on toasted bread or add it to a salad. It also works great with meat or as a quick dip. It has a fresh taste that is not heavy but still distinct.
A little spring reboot
The beauty of nettles is that they are affordable, yet exceptional. After winter, they can give the body energy and at the same time diversify the menu. And maybe that’s why people return to them every spring.
Next time you walk by nettles, try looking at them differently. Not as a weed, but as a raw material from which something really good can be created. It only takes a few minutes in the kitchen and you have a spring delicacy on your plate that doesn’t cost a penny.
