Beethoven once said, “Only the pure in heart can make a good soup,” and we strongly agree with him. He must have liked soup so much but, really, who doesn’t? It’s filling and packed with nutrients.
Spinach is in season, and it is packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and more. Spinach is low in fat and even lower in cholesterol, high in niacin and zinc, as well as protein, fiber, vitamins A, C, E and K, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and manganese. What more can your body need?
The origin of spinach is thought to be Ancient Persia (currently Iran), then it was anonymously passed on to India and finally landed in China with the name, “The Persian Vegetable.” If you ever see a dish with the word “Florentine” in it, it means that something is served on a bed of spinach. It was Queen Catherine Medici of France’s favorite dish, and she was born in Florence, hence the term Florentine.
A widely spread misconception about spinach is that it is high in iron, that idea came from the famous cartoon Popeye the Sailor Man.
Ingredients
25g butter
1 bunch spring onions, chopped
1 leek (about 120g), sliced
2 small celery sticks (about 85g), sliced
1 small potato (about 200g), peeled and diced
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 litre of stock (made with two chickens or vegetable stock cubes)
400 g spinach
150g half-fat crème fraîche
Method
In a large saucepan, heat the butter.
Add the spring onions, leek, celery and potato to the butter.
Stir and cover with lid.
Sweat for 10 minutes, stirring a couple of times.
Pour in the stock and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until the potato becomes soft.
Add the spinach; cook it for a couple of minutes until it is wilted.
Use a hand blender to blitz to a smooth soup.
Stir in the crème fraîche.
Reheat and serve.
Tip: Drizzle with double cream for a lively contrast that will make your dinner table look lovely.
