Friuli-Venezia Giulia — Udine province countryside, spring seasonal
Nettle and ricotta soup from Friuli — a spring preparation using young nettles collected before they flower, cooked in a light vegetable broth with onion and potato, then enriched off heat with fresh sheep's milk ricotta stirred in to create a creamy, slightly grainy texture. The ricotta melts partially into the broth, thickening it without blending, and creating pockets of creamy dairy against the iron-green nettle broth. A traditional Friday soup in the Udine countryside.
Iron-green, slightly bitter nettle broth with the milky clouds of ricotta that soften the soup's herbal sharpness; potato provides starchy body; the dairy smooths the edges while the nettle's spring character remains dominant
{"Use only the top 10cm of young nettles — older nettle leaves are tough and more bitter; young spring growth is tender and mild","Wear gloves when handling raw nettles — the stinging hairs are active until blanched; even brief contact causes irritation","Blanch nettles in salted boiling water for 60 seconds before adding to the soup — this removes the sting and sets the green colour","Add ricotta off heat or in the last 2 minutes of very gentle heat — high heat causes the ricotta to curdle into hard, grainy lumps rather than creaming into the broth","Do not blend — the texture of the soup should be brothy with soft nettle leaves and ricotta clouds; blending produces a uniform green paste"}
{"A few turns of black pepper and a drizzle of raw Friulian olive oil over each bowl brightens the iron-green flavour","Croutons (stale bread cubed and toasted in butter) float on the surface and provide textural contrast","Grated smoked ricotta (ricotta affumicata) as an additional garnish adds a smoky note that counterpoints the fresh ricotta in the soup","The soup can be made a day ahead up to the ricotta addition — reheat gently and add fresh ricotta at service"}
{"Using older, larger nettles — they are too fibrous and too aggressively bitter for a soup meant to showcase their delicate spring character","Not blanching before adding to soup — the sting is not neutralised in a normal soup cooking time","High heat when adding ricotta — it curdles and creates an unpleasant texture; residual heat is sufficient","Blending — loses the textural distinction between broth, nettle, potato, and ricotta cloud"}
La Cucina Friulana (Savioprint Editore)