Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Spicy Spinach Soup


We had a baked potato bar at work last week, with all of the fixings. As you can probably imagine, there were plenty of leftovers. Enough that we had potato bar for two days, and then some ! One of the options we always have for the employees is salad for a side dish, and this time, for some reason, we had a lot of left over spinach, and a handful of potatoes, and of course, the requisite sour cream. I didn't want to waste anything, so I was trying to think of how I could use those up. 

This super easy soup came to mind. It was the perfect way to use up the leftovers, and I wouldn't have to spend all afternoon in the kitchen prepping dinner. Served with a sandwich , it is a great option for a meatless menu.

I was a little worried, as I stuffed more and more spinach into the pot, than I might "over-spinach" the soup, but I am not sure you can do that. The Indian inspired spices are a nice match to the earthy taste of the spinach. Enjoy !


Spicy Spinach Soup 
1 large onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium jalapenos, diced
3 tablespoons ginger, grated
4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup diced, baked potatoes
8 cups fresh spinach
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Sour cream for garnish
In a large stock pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic until soft, then add jalapenos and ginger. Saute 2-3 additional minutes. Add vegetable stock and potatoes, and bring to a boil. Start adding spinach a handful at a time. The pot will seam overly full, but the spinach will cook down. Once all of the spinach is added, reduce to a simmer and add spices. Simmer over low heat for 30-40 minutes until spinach is completely cooked. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. Garnish with sour cream.



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