Friends, cooking is hard when you have a 7-month-old* baby at home. Did I mention I went off and had a baby, which may have played a small part in this blog’s dormancy for the last few months? My apologies! I return to you a happy mama with even more simple, healthy living advice, borne even more from necessity than before.
On the menu tonight: Creamy Spinach & Broccoli Soup
A testament to this soup’s deliciousness is the fact that I made it for my mother, who is an excellent cook with a discerning palate. The creaminess comes from potato–no tofu or cashews to mess with here–and it is so ridiculously (and deceptively) low-calorie that you may just accidentally lose weight if you eat it a few times a week.
Bonus: this soup takes all of 10 minutes to prep and just a bit longer to simmer. I made it on a Monday night before putting my son to bed, which means it is just plain easy.
Here’s the scoop:
Creamy Spinach & Broccoli Soup
Serves: 4 adults with a bit left over
Calories: Less than 150 per serving
1 small yellow onion or 2 leeks (depending on how fancy you feel)
3 cloves garlic
1 big head of broccoli or small bag of florets
1 large or 2 small russet potatoes (though golds or reds are just fine if that’s what you have on hand)
6 cups veggie broth, plus a cup or two of water if you want to stretch this to feed many
8 oz. or so of spinach
Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, paprika to taste
1. Start by chopping the onion and garlic. Saute it for a few minutes in a big pot (with either little water or a touch of oil) until softened.
2. Add the broth, broccoli, and potatoes and bring to a boil. I like to chop my potatoes to 1” cubes or so, which minimizes the cooking time.
3. Turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or so–just until the potatoes are quite tender.
4. Add the spinach a couple of handfuls at a time and stir into the soup. Simmer until all the spinach is wilted.
5. Using an immersion blender, puree it all. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can definitely puree this in batches in a regular blender–just don’t fill your blender all the way, and cover the top with a towel to protect your pretty eyes from hot splashes.
6. Once you’ve got it all pureed and in the pot, start tasting and seasoning. I think I added a bit more than a teaspoon of salt–it will depend on the saltiness of your broth. I also really like adding red pepper flakes, which make the whole thing just a bit spicy.
Terrible lighting, delicious soup.
Pro tip: This is sooo good with crusty bread, which I (embarrassingly) like to use instead of a spoon. If you, like me, are cutting down on the stuff, trust that this soup is hearty enough to stand on its own. If you like a thicker soup or need more calories, add another potato or two.
* When I first drafted this post, this read “5-month-old,” and he’s now 7 months old. Time flies when you’re not blogging!
Caitlin Eats 