There is something so comforting in a bowl of soup; not only in enjoying, but in preparation, as well. Seeing an abundance of vegetables ready to go into a large cooking pot truly warms my heart.
One other thing that I really love about soups, and even vegetable stews, is how versatile and forgiving they are. The base of the soup is like a blank canvas, allowing the cook to adjust it completely to their wants and needs.
This is a very humble creamy soup, but full of spring onions, spinach, and spices. I find that spring onions, especially sautéed, pair perfectly with spinach, so I always add one extra; if you like a milder flavour, you can even add only four of them.
Some additional cream is nice on top of each serving, but it can be omitted, of course, as well as the red pepper flakes. Although I do love spicy food, I find they can be a tad too strong for this soup.
On a final note, if you like carrots along with your spinach, like I do, feel free to add a medium carrot along with the potatoes, but keep in mind that it will change the colour of the soup.
Ingredients
500 grams fresh spinach, chopped
5-6 spring onions, finely chopped
150 grams potatoes (1 medium), peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
50 millilitres light olive oil
450 millilitres vegetable stock
500 millilitres soy milk
100 millilitres unsweetened plant double cream, for serving
Preparation
Take a large saucepan, pour in the olive oil, and let it gently heat up. Add in the chopped spring onions and sauté them for about 5-6 minutes, until they become soft and fragrant. Add in the diced potato, minced garlic, and the spices, and sauté for only a mere minute.
Pour in all of the vegetable stock, cover the pot, and let the vegetables cook for about 10 minutes, until the potato pieces start to become soft. This will largely depend on how big or small the pieces are. Once they become somewhat soft, add in the milk and the spinach, cover the pot again, and let it cook for about 15-20 minutes, until all of the vegetables are cooked through.
Remove the soup from the stove and, using an immersion blender, blend it to your preferred consistency. If using a regular blender, allow the soup to cool down slightly, and then blend in batches, little by little, because it will still be very hot. As soon as the soup is blended, taste and adjust the seasoning, divide it into serving bowls, top with plant cream, and serve. Yields 4 generous servings.
