How to Saute Stinging Nettle with Garlic

Learn how to saute stinging nettle. When sauteed with garlic, stinging nettle makes a great side dish or a nutritious ingredient for other recipes.

Also Read: How to Harvest Stinging Nettle, Nettle Pesto, Creamy Chicken & Stinging Nettle Pasta

Sauteed stinging nettle with garlic can be served as a side dish with any meal, or it can be used in other recipes like pizza, bread or pasta. Below is a homemade pizza with stinging nettle, Genoa salami, banana hot peppers and Parmesan cheese. The stinging nettle tastes very similar to spinach on pizza, it’s just a bit more exotic.

Here’s how to saute stinging nettle.

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

How to Saute Stinging Nettle with Garlic

Saute stinging nettle as a tasty side dish or to use as an ingredient in other recipes. By sauteeing you neutralize the sting and make it perfectly safe to eat.

Prep : 5 minutes mins

Cook : 5 minutes mins

Total Time: 10 minutes mins

Servings: 2 people

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp canola oil
• 2 cloves garlic sliced thinly
• 4 cups loosely packed stinging nettle

Instructions

• Wearing gloves, wash nettle by dipping and swishing in a bowl of cold water, repeat in a fresh bowl of water, then drain.
• Separate the leaves from the stems. Keep small stem pieces, compost large, thick stems or dry for use in tea.
• In a large saucepan, heat canola oil.
• Add garlic and saute for about 1 minute, do not brown.
• Add stinging nettle stems to pan. Cook for 1 minute. Add leaves and cook another 2 minutes until nettle has completely wilted.
• Remove from heat.
• Serve as is by seasoning with salt, pepper and a pat of butter or fresh squeezed lemon juice.
• Or use in other recipes such as pasta, breads, pizza, casseroles, egg dishes, etc.

Notes

2 cups of loosely packed nettle leaves will reduce to about 1/2 cup sauteed nettle.

Yield 1 cup

Tried this recipe?Mention @GetGettyS or tag #GetGettyS

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Sodium: 89mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Iron: 4mg

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken, alfredo, stinging nettle, nettle, Parmesan, bacon, pasta, cream sauce, cream, creamy pasta, cream pasta, nettle, nettle, plant proteins, prairie edibles, wild edibles, wild greens

How to Pick Stinging Nettle

Concerned about the whole STINGING thing? Don’t be, with a little care, you can safely and easily harvest the nettle so that it is perfectly harmless.

Here’s an article I wrote about how, when and where to pick stinging nettle safely.

Additional Recipes

If you have a great patch of stinging nettle, take advantage and try some of these recipes as well:

Stinging Nettle and Cheese Biscuits

Stinging Nettle and Potato Soup

Sauteed Stinging Nettle with Garlic

Creamy Chicken and Stinging Nettle Pasta

Stinging Nettle Pesto

Have you cooked with stinging nettle before? Think you’d be willing to try it?

If you do, I’d love to hear what you think and what you make. Tag your photos on Instagram with @getgettys so I can see them and like ’em!

Sign up to get articles by Getty delivered to your inbox. You’ll get recipes, practical tips and great food information like this. Getty is a Professional Home Economist,  speaker and writer putting good food on tables and agendas.  She is the author of Manitoba’s best-selling Prairie Fruit Cookbook, Founder of Fruit Share, a mom and veggie gardener.