19 Feb Spinach Soup
Spinach Soup
(adapted from NYTimes)
Makes 6.5 cups
There’s such an abundance of beautiful spinach leaves at the grocery store and very soon as Spring approaches, our local farmer’s market will have them in plenty! I love this recipe as it feels like I’m offering my body so much alkaline nutrition in an abundance of green. This hot soup is so versatile and you can play with substitutions for the oil and spices – one option is olive oil in lieu of coconut oil and mediterranean spices (allspice, nutmeg, clove, coriander…) to offer more punch. In fact, this basic recipe can be made different every time, try yogurt for a creamier base or even blend in whole grain brown rice? There’s no end to the combinations to be had. Please enjoy!
Ingredients (all organic if possible):
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
2 medium onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. sea salt
3 cups water
2 medium-large sweet potato, scrubbed and cut into 1” cubes
1 Tbsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
pinch – ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper (to your taste)
2 cups cilantro (leaves and tender stems)
2 cups firmly packed baby spinach
Optional: add in mixed mushrooms (such as cremini, oyster, chanterelles and shiitake), chopped. ¼ to ⅓ cup chopped walnuts for garnish.
Directions:
1. Heat coconut oil in a large stockpot. Add onions and salt, stir to coat and let cook until onions have softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic, stir, cook 1 minute. Add sweet potato and water. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 12-15 minutes.
2. Place soup contents in a blender. Blend on high until smooth, then add spinach, cilantro, lemon and cayenne. Season to taste. Serve and enjoy. Store cooled leftovers in the fridge.