Nettle soup

Nettle soup is a traditional soup prepared from stinging nettles. Nettle soup is eaten mainly during spring and early summer, when young nettle buds are collected. Today, nettle soup is mostly eaten in Scandinavia, Finland, Iran, Ireland, and Eastern Europe, with regional differences in recipe; however historically consumption of nettles was more widespread. Nettle stew was eaten by inhabitants of Britain and Ireland in the Bronze Age, 3000 years ago. The consumption of young stinging nettle in medieval Europe was used medicinally, primarily as a diuretic and to treat joint pain and arthritis, diabetes, acne, anemia, hay fever, and as a blood purifier. Various Native American tribes have used stinging nettles for centuries, including the Lakota using the root for stomach pain, the Ojibwa using the stewed leaves for skin issues and used it to fight dysentery, the Potawatomi using the roots for fever reduction, and the Winnebago used nettles for allergy symptoms. Stinging nettles are known to have a high nutritional value, including calcium, magnesium, iron, and vitamins A and B. Historically, one of the easy ways of consuming nettles is either through a soup or a tea because the boiling water deactivates the nettle from stinging.

Source: Wikipedia