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Enlivening Green Soup

Source of Recipe

From "Good Enough: A Cookbook" by Leanne Brown


Recipe Introduction

"Strange to say, because I wouldn't usually associate this quality with soup, but this soup is refreshing and exciting and makes me feel more alive. On days when I feel happy and lively, I reach for flavors like bright lemon and refreshing mint and cilantro, and I want to eat lots of vegetables and rejuvenate my body. This soup brings those qualities together and feels like it's singing a healing song in my mouth. I love it. So on days when I do *not* feel happy and bright, if I can manage to find the energy to make this simple, quick soup, often by the end of the bowl I am remembering that bright, happy person who is still inside me and will be back soon."

List of Ingredients

â—¦  2 tablespoons butter
â—¦  2 medium red onions, chopped
â—¦  Fine sea salt
â—¦  4 cloves garlic, chopped
â—¦  2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
â—¦  1 pound frozen chopped spinach
â—¦  Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
â—¦  2 ounces (¼ package) cream cheese
â—¦  ½ bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
â—¦  ½ bunch fresh mint, roughly chopped


Recipe

Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Tumble the chopped onions into the pan, stir briefly to coat with the butter, sprinkle with a bit of salt, then leave it. Once the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes, add the garlic and stir until you can smell it, another minute or so. Finally, sprinkle the flour all over the vegetables and stir until the flour toasts a bit and everything looks starchy and thick.

Add the frozen chopped spinach to the pan, along with the lemon zest, and stir. Leave it, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is no longer frozen and has become soft enough to mix around easily, about 5 minutes. Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the water and stir.

Place the cream cheese and 1 tablespoon or so of water in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 15-second intervals, whisking every so often, until the cream cheese melts just a bit, so that it can incorporate into the soup without clumping. Whisk it into the soup. (You can also melt the cream cheese in a small pot over low heat.)

Add the chopped cilantro and mint to the soup and cook until the herbs wilt just a little, about 1 minute.

Take the soup off the heat and carefully use an immersion blender to purée it directly in the pot. Taste and add more salt if you think it needs it. Drizzle a bit of the lemon juice over the soup to serve.

Serves 4