Fresh Spinach Soup with Minted Peas & Cilantro: A Versatile & Healthy Recipe
Embrace the vibrant flavors of spring and summer with this exquisite Fresh Spinach Soup with Minted Peas and Cilantro. This beautiful green soup, enriched with hearty potatoes and aromatic onions, gets an incredible flavor boost from the addition of fresh peas, refreshing mint, and zesty cilantro. What makes this recipe truly special is its versatility: it can be served wonderfully hot on a cooler evening or refreshingly chilled on a warm day, making it a perfect addition to your meal rotation all year round.
This week, we’re all about celebrating green, healthy, and delicious food! After indulging in some fried zucchini (because balance, right?), I’m thrilled to introduce you to a soup that will quickly become a household favorite. It’s light, nutritious, and packed with fresh flavors that sing of the season. Whether you’re looking for a quick weeknight dinner or a sophisticated starter for a gathering, this spinach soup delivers on all fronts.
Why This Fresh Spinach Soup Will Become Your New Favorite
Even as the weather warms, soup remains a staple in my kitchen. There’s a comforting ritual in preparing a homemade pot, and I find myself crafting a new batch at least every other week. My soup recipes generally fall into three categories: hearty and warming for winter, light and refreshing for spring, and delightfully chilled for summer. This particular fresh spinach soup brilliantly bridges these categories, offering flexibility that’s hard to beat.
This recipe is incredibly adaptable, tasting equally delicious served piping hot or wonderfully cold. While I typically prefer my soups warm, I confess a surprising partiality to this one when chilled – a testament to its perfectly balanced flavors! Its delicate profile might initially make one wary, as spinach-based soups can sometimes fall flat. However, this recipe is anything but dull. The subtle sweetness of potatoes and the aromatic depth of sautéed onions lay a fantastic foundation, but it’s truly the vibrant combination of fresh peas, bright mint, and herbaceous cilantro that elevates it to another level of culinary delight. Fresh herbs are an absolute must for this recipe! They are the key to its dynamic and fresh taste, transforming a simple spinach soup into something truly special.
The Secret to its Vibrant Flavor: Fresh Herbs and Quality Ingredients
The beauty of this healthy green soup lies in its simplicity and the power of its fresh ingredients. Each component plays a crucial role in creating a harmonious and invigorating flavor profile:
- Fresh Spinach: The star of the show, spinach not only gives the soup its striking green color but also provides a wealth of vitamins and minerals. It wilts quickly, integrating seamlessly into the creamy base.
- Peas: These little green gems add a touch of sweetness and a vibrant pop of color. Using fresh or frozen peas ensures a sweet, tender texture that complements the spinach perfectly.
- Mint: A game-changer! Fresh mint introduces an unexpected, cool, and incredibly refreshing note that brightens the entire soup, preventing any potential earthy dullness.
- Cilantro: With its distinctive, citrusy, and slightly peppery flavor, cilantro adds another layer of aromatic complexity, making the soup feel even fresher and more exotic.
- Potatoes and Onions: These foundational ingredients provide body, natural sweetness, and a comforting base, ensuring the soup is satisfying without being heavy.
- Vegetable Stock: Choosing a good quality low-sodium vegetable stock is essential, allowing the natural flavors of the vegetables and herbs to shine without being overshadowed.
The Art of the Oven-Dried Tomato Garnish (Optional but Highly Recommended!)
While the soup itself is a masterpiece, a truly remarkable finishing touch can elevate it even further: oven-dried grape or cherry tomatoes. This garnish is entirely optional – seriously, don’t feel like you’re missing out if you skip it – but it adds a wonderful textural contrast, a concentrated burst of sweet-tart flavor, and undeniable visual drama to your bowl. The vibrant red against the deep green soup is simply unbeatable.
The process of making these oven-dried tomatoes is incredibly simple, though it does require a bit of patience (about 3 hours of inactive time). Simply halve some grape or cherry tomatoes, arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and place them in an oven preheated to a low 200°F (93°C). Then, you simply walk away for a few hours, stirring occasionally. This slow drying process intensifies their flavor and gives them a beautifully shriveled, chewy texture. They can even be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for several days, ready to crown your soup or elevate other dishes. Think of it as a little act of culinary self-care – the ultimate test of patience, resulting in a truly rewarding payoff!
This easy homemade soup is surprisingly quick to prepare, taking less than thirty minutes from start to finish (excluding the cooling time if you opt to serve it cold). The process is straightforward, involving minimal chopping and mostly simmering, making it accessible even for novice cooks. Seriously, this soup is genuinely delicious. Even my dad, who often approaches anything “too green” with a healthy dose of skepticism, tried this and absolutely loved it. And if that isn’t the ultimate seal of approval, I don’t know what is!
Fresh Spinach Soup with Minted Pea and Cilantro
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Ingredients
Oven-Dried Grape Tomatoes (optional):
- ½ cup grape or cherry tomatoes halved
Fresh Spinach Soup:
- 1½ tablespoons (22 g) unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 small white potatoes peeled and diced
- 3½ cups (780 mL) low-sodium vegetable stock
- 10 ounces fresh or frozen peas
- 1 lb (16 oz) baby spinach
- 10 fresh mint leaves
- 3 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro
- juice ½ lemon
- ⅓ cup (80 mL) heavy cream plus more for garnishing
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
- oven-dried grape or cherry tomatoes for garnishing
Instructions
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Prepare Oven-Dried Tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C) with a rack in the center position. Place the halved grape or cherry tomatoes on half sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
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Dry the tomatoes in the oven for 3 hours, stirring every hour or so, until they are shriveled and have lost most of their moisture. Allow tomatoes to cool on a rack. If preparing in advance, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
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Prepare Soup: Heat the butter over medium heat in a large soup pot until melted and bubbling. Add the onion and potato, and sauté, stirring frequently, for roughly 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and simmer for roughly 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
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Add the fresh peas and simmer until just tender, or roughly 2 minutes. Avoid overcooking the peas, as they will lose their vibrant green color. Add the spinach and immediately remove the soup from the heat. Stir the spinach into the broth and soup base until it has wilted and the volume has decreased significantly.
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Transfer the soup to a high-powered blender, such as a Vitamix, and puree until very smooth. Add the mint and cilantro to the blender, and puree again until incorporated and pureed. Return the pureed soup to the pot and return to heat. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Before serving, stir in the heavy cream. Serve soup hot or cold with a drizzle of cream, olive oil, and garnish with oven-dried cherry tomatoes.
Tips for Success:
- Soup can be served hot or cold. If serving cold, you may need to thin the soup down with another dash or two of vegetable stock and re-season with additional salt and pepper to achieve your desired consistency and flavor.
- Make it Vegan: Easily adapt this recipe by swapping unsalted butter for olive oil and replacing heavy cream with a plant-based alternative like full-fat coconut milk or cashew cream for a rich, creamy texture without dairy.
- Storage: This soup stores beautifully! Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. It’s also freezer-friendly; store in freezer-safe containers for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating or serving cold.
- Garnish Variations: Beyond the oven-dried tomatoes, consider a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds for crunch, a dollop of plain Greek yogurt (if not vegan), or a few fresh basil leaves for an alternative herb note.
Adapted heavily from The Times Magazine.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Q: Can I use frozen spinach instead of fresh?
- A: Yes, you can! If using frozen spinach, ensure it’s thoroughly thawed and squeezed dry to remove excess moisture. Add it to the soup at the same step as fresh spinach, but you might need to adjust cooking time slightly, as frozen spinach will wilt much faster.
- Q: How long does this spinach soup last in the refrigerator?
- A: When stored in an airtight container, this soup will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It’s a fantastic make-ahead option for healthy meals throughout the week!
- Q: Can I freeze this soup?
- A: Absolutely! This soup freezes beautifully. Allow it to cool completely, then transfer it to freezer-safe containers or bags. It can be frozen for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before gently reheating on the stove or serving cold.
- Q: What if I don’t have a high-powered blender?
- A: While a high-powered blender creates the smoothest texture, you can still achieve a great result with a regular blender or an immersion blender. If using a standard blender, work in batches, ensuring not to overfill the blender, and be careful with hot liquids. An immersion blender can be used directly in the pot, blending until your desired smoothness is reached.
In conclusion, this Fresh Spinach Soup with Minted Peas and Cilantro is more than just a meal; it’s a celebration of fresh ingredients, vibrant flavors, and culinary versatility. Whether you prefer it as a comforting hot bowl on a chilly evening or a refreshing cold starter on a sunny afternoon, its unique combination of earthy spinach, sweet peas, invigorating mint, and aromatic cilantro will surely delight your senses. It’s easy enough for a beginner, quick enough for a busy weeknight, and delicious enough to impress even the most discerning palate. Give this recipe a try and discover your new favorite way to enjoy a healthy, flavorful soup!