Cream of Spinach Soup
By the Gracious Vegan
I find the green color of this soup mesmerizing. It shouts “fresh”! A whole pound of spinach is used here, but it quickly shrinks in bulk after it hits the hot broth. The potato and cashew cream give the soup some heft and creaminess. I love a few air-fried croutons on top for a textural contrast.
Makes 6 cups (4 servings) (about 125 calories per serving)
Cashew cream. Soak cashews in cold water at least 2 hours, or pour boiling water over them, cover, and let them soak 20 minutes. Drain the cashews and rinse under cold water.
1/4 cup raw cashews
Place them in a small blender (a “bullet” blender works well) with water.
1/2 cup water
Blend on high for 30 seconds or more until very smooth. Set aside.
Soup. In a Dutch oven or other large soup pan, water-sauté the onions and garlic until they are tender and, if possible, a bit browned, 5-10 minutes. (What is water-sauté?)
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1.5 cups of chopped onions)
2 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
Add the following ingredients, bring the soup to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer, partially covered, for about 10 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
4 cups (1 quart) vegetable broth
1 russet potato, peeled and chopped into chunks
1 bunch green onions, sliced
Add the following ingredients and cook a few minutes until the spinach is softer and still bright green.
The cashew cream
16 ounces fresh spinach (trim off thick stems if you are using regular, rather than baby, spinach)
Once the spinach is tender and bright green, add the final ingredients and use a hand (immersion) blender to blend the soup into a puree.
1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons white or yellow miso
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Optional spices: 1 teaspoon cumin or 1 teaspoon dill or 1 teaspoon curry powder
Salt and pepper to taste, if needed
Optional garnishes:
Timing: about 30 minutes
Gluten-free