Equip yourself with tongs and scissors to harvest stinging nettles and snip the leaves off the stems. If you are sensitive to nightshades, use 1 sweet potato in place of the potato and carrot. The bigger the potato, the thicker the soup.

Peel/trim and dice:

• 1 potato
• 1 carrot
• 1 onion
• 1 rib celery
• 2 cloves garlic

Brown vegetables in:

• 1/4 cup oil or butter

Cover with:

• 6 cups broth

Tie the following herbs in a bundle with kitchen twine and add them to the soup:

• 3 bay leaves
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 sprig parsley

Bring to a boil and simmer until vegetables are fork-tender. Remove herbs and discard. If your broth is unsalted, add:

• 2 teaspoons salt

Stir in salt, then add:

• 2 ounces stinging nettle leaves

Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, then purée the soup with a blender. Put it through a food mill or chinois to remove any tough fibers that may remain from the nettles and celery. Swirl in a dollop of sour cream if desired and grind some pepper on top. Serves 4.

Conversions: 2 ounces stinging nettle leaves = 60 grams = 2 cups packed.

Convert U.S./imperial measurements to metric equivalents here.