Kopřivová polévka

The story

In Czech folk tradition the Thursday before Easter is Zelený čtvrtek, Green Thursday, and something green was expected on the table. After the winter, the first fresh green in the countryside was usually the young nettle, and Czech food writers name green soup and nettle stuffing as the dishes of the day. Green food on that Thursday was said to bring health for the rest of the year. The next day, Velký pátek or Good Friday, was the strictest fast of the year: no meat, no eggs, no milk or dairy, and no alcohol. For many people a slice of dry bread and coffee was enough. Those who cooked made barley or cabbage soup, or a spring soup of nettle, sorrel and other herbs. A pot of nettle soup therefore belongs to both days, Green Thursday on March 25, 2027, and Good Friday on March 26. The version here follows the common Czech pattern of onion, potatoes and stock, with the nettles blanched first and stirred in at the end. For Good Friday, make it with vegetable stock and oil and serve it plain with rye bread; on Thursday, add the cream and a halved egg.