spinach soup

spinach soup

Creamy and full of flavor, this brilliantly emerald green spinach soup has just a hint of Indian spices. Adding dairy cream or canned coconut milk is what gives it its silky texture. Avoid using milk, either dairy or plant-based, as they’ll curdle when you add the lemon juice. Along with the cream, basmati rice is what gives the soup it’s texture. Don’t substitute brown rice, because it won’t do the same trick.

Full disclosure, this recipe is based on the Palak Shorva from Greens restaurant in San Francisco.

Today, I’ll be introducing it to an unlikely companion…matzo balls! For this reason, I’m making it a bit thinner than the thick bisque that I usually serve it as. It just goes to show how versatile this recipe can be. If you can grind whole spices rather than using pre-ground in a jar, the flavors will be more vibrant. A coffee grinder works great for this. Just be sure to clean it well before and after using it for spices…unless you want coffee flavored spices…or spicy coffee…

Ingredients:

• 6 cups vegetable stock

• a small glug of good olive oil

• 1 medium sized yellow onion, sliced or chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 lb baby spinach, preferably organic

• ¼—½ cup basmati rice (the amount you should use depends upon how thick you’d like your soup to be)

• 1 cup canned coconut milk or heavy cream

• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the Spices:

2 teaspoons whole coriander seed, toasted in a dry pan with 2 teaspoons whole cumin seed, then ground with 1 ¼ teaspoons fenugreek.

Method:

• In a large pot, add a small glug of olive oil and set it over medium heat.

• When the oil warms add the onions to the pot and sauté them with a pinch of salt. When they start to take on color, add the spices, the garlic, and the rice. Sauté for another minute or two.

• Add half the stock to the pot, stirring as you pour it in. Cover the pot and allow the soup to simmer gently for about 20 minutes or so, until the rice is very soft.

• Uncover the pot and stir in the spinach. It will look like a lot, but it will quickly cook down. Cook for a few more minutes, uncovered (covering it at this point will affect the color in a not-so-great way), and then taste for salt. The amount you need will depend upon how salty your stock is.

• Once the spinach is completely wilted, purée the soup with an immersion blender, or transfer it to a food processor and purée it in batches, then returning it to the pot.

• Stir in the cream or the coconut cream and add the lemon juice.

• Slowly pour in the rest of the stock, stirring as you go. You can add all of the remaining stock, or use less if you want a thicker soup.

• Garnish with toasted unsweetened coconut (if using coconut milk) or crunchy croutons.

• If you’ve made the soup with dairy, you can swirl a little Greek yogurt or sour cream into each bowl before serving.

• If you’re making this for my pre-Yom Kippur fast menu, add the kreplach just before serving.