For about 4-6 people
Ok, go out there with gardening gloves and gather a good carrier bag full (if you like your soup thick) and about a colander full if you like it runnier. Don't take the woody stems or dark green leaves, only the brighter green soft stemmed tips
Run a sinkful of water and tip the whole lot in. Submerge the lot with Marigolded hands or a wooden spoon or whatever you have to hand. Leave.
In teh meantime, peel and chop a large onion or (two small), a couple or three cloves of garlic, and two or three small potatoes (potatoes stop the soup from separating out and give it a bit of body).
Fry the onions and garlic in a big saucepan with little oil or butter (I always use olive oil but use whatever you like) until see-through.
Add potato and fry gently until see-through as well.
Add nettles (using gloves!) and put lid on saucepan. Leave for couple or three minutes until they've sunk down a little.
Add stock cube to taste (I'd recommend vegetable or chicken- beef is too strong) or use chicken bone stock if you make it (excellent use for chicken carcasses if you don't). Top up with water to cover the nettles.
Replace lid and bring to simmer. Simmer for around 20 mn.
Blend with hand blender.
Taste. Add seasoning (eg pepper/salt) to your taste. It will be a beautiful dark green colour.
Serve.
You can stir/swirl some cream in if you like just before serving.
Sorry for vapid directions- I just cook by touch and smell so am not good with quantities etc.