Spinach Soup
A bright green spinach soup with a silky pureed texture and a depth that belies its simple ingredients. The color stays vivid green (not army green) because of one trick: blanching the spinach quickly and shocking it in ice water before blending.
Prep Time
16 min
Cook Time
28 min
Servings
2
Calories
398 cal
🛠 Interactive Recipe Tools — Use them right here on this page
Smart Servings Scaler
- Spinach1 cups
- Garlic1 ½ cloves
- Cream¼ cup
- Onion½ medium
- Black Pepper¼ tsp
- Bay Leaves½
- Olive Oil1 tbsp
- Salt½ tsp
All quantities scaled automatically from 2 servings.
Ingredients
Makes 2 servings · Use the Servings Scaler above to adjust
- Spinach1 cups
- Garlic1.5 cloves
- Cream0.25 cup
- Onion0.5 medium
- Black Pepper0.25 tsp
- Bay Leaves0.5
- Olive Oil1 tbsp
- Salt0.5 tsp
Instructions
- 1
Bring 4 cups of salted water to a rolling boil. Have a bowl of ice water ready beside the stove. Drop in 1 lb of fresh baby spinach. Stir for 30 seconds — that's all the cooking it needs.
- 2
Drain immediately and plunge into the ice water for 2 minutes. This stops the cooking instantly and locks in the green color. Squeeze the spinach in your hands to remove excess water. Set aside.
- 3
In a pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add 1 chopped onion and 1 chopped potato (Yukon gold). Cook 8 minutes until onion is soft and translucent.
- 4
Add 3 minced garlic cloves, cook 1 minute. Pour in 3 cups of chicken or vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer and cook 15 minutes until the potato is fork-tender.
- 5
Add the blanched, squeezed spinach to the pot. Cook just 60 seconds — heating it through, not cooking it more. Add salt to taste (about 1.5 teaspoons), ½ teaspoon black pepper, a pinch of nutmeg.
- 6
Blend the soup with an immersion blender (or carefully in a regular blender, in batches). Stir in ½ cup of heavy cream or coconut cream. Taste and adjust salt. Serve with a swirl of cream, a crouton, or a poached egg on top.
Watch how to make Spinach Soup
Plays the exact recipe video right here — no need to leave the page.
💡 Expert Tips
- 1.Blanch and shock the spinach. This is the single trick that separates bright green soup from dull olive soup. Boiling water for 30 seconds, ice water for 2 minutes — that's it.
- 2.Squeeze the spinach hard. Spinach holds a lot of water that will thin out your soup. Squeeze in handfuls until almost no liquid drips.
- 3.Use a starchy potato for body. The potato thickens the soup naturally without flour. Yukon gold gives a velvety texture; russet gives a more rustic, slightly grainy one.
- 4.Don't cook the spinach in the pot. Adding raw spinach to the simmering pot turns it army green. Pre-blanched spinach added at the end keeps it vivid.
🔬 Why It Works
Spinach's bright green color comes from chlorophyll, which breaks down quickly when heated for more than a minute. The blanch-and-shock method locks in the color by halting the heating process before chlorophyll degradation kicks in. The potato base, blended smooth, gives the soup body without flour or cream. Cream at the end smooths the texture and balances the slightly bitter green notes. The result is a soup that's vibrant, both visually and in flavor — most spinach soups taste muddy because they've been cooked too long.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use frozen spinach?▾
Why is my soup gritty?▾
Vegan version?▾
Best toppings?▾
4.7
866 home cooks rated this
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 2 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 2 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
Related Recipes
Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Veggie Wrap
Chicken Caesar Salad
Beef Burger
Margherita Pizza
