Healthy Spinach and Potato Soup

Green soup!

That’s right, with some spinach, potatoes and onions, I made a pureed soup that is both delicious and healthy!

With the aim of incorporating more leafy green veggies into my diet, I started buying more spinach these days. So far, I’ve made quite a few interesting dishes featuring spinach but this soup recipe is by far the most tasty one yet.

I found this recipe on the Kristi’s blog, Mother Rimmy’s Cooking Light Done Right. I have to admit that I was quite skeptical that the spinach would taste good in a soup but surprisingly, it turned out fabulous, thanks to the addition of fresh basil and Parmesan cheese, as Kristi suggested in her post. I modified her recipe slightly by adding more spinach (hence, a deeper green colour), using more onion (simply because I love them) and proportionally reducing the amount of potato chunks.

This soup is light in calories, yet very rich in flavours. The spinach’s sharp grassy taste blends well with the sweetness of the onions. And, the overall flavour is then further enhanced by the addition of garlic cloves and fresh basil. Without needing cream to add decadence (and extra calories), the potato chunks add substance to the soup and create a rich, smooth mouthfeel. Yum!

Give this green soup a try! Serve this soup cold with a simple salad for a light and simple lunch, or enjoy it hot as a dinner starter.

Healthy Spinach and Potato Soup

Adapted from Mother Rimmy’s Cooking Light Done Right

Serves 3.

Ingredients:

1 bunch spinach, rinsed and drained
1 medium potato, skin scrubbed and cut into medium-sized chunks
1 medium onion, cut into medium-sized chunks
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons of fresh basil, minced
2 cups of vegetable broth
1/4 cup of low-fat milk (I used 1%)
A pinch of salt, to taste
Parmesan cheese, for garnish (optional)
Cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

In a large pot, pour in vegetable broth along with potato chunks and onion chunks. Bring to a boil, then let it gently simmer until the vegetables are soft, about 10 – 15 minutes.
Add in garlic and spinach and continue to simmer until spinach is tender, about 5 – 10 minutes.
Turn heat off and stir in milk and basil. Add in a pinch of salt, to taste. Let the soup sit for about 5 – 10 minutes.
Once soup has cooled off slightly, puree in blender in batches.
Return the soup to the pot, reheat before serving. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and/or cilantro, if desired.