There's a reason we crave comfort food on a cold, winter night, but if you're in need of a dose of green veggies, then you need to try this vibrant spinach soup recipe. It's perfect for a light lunch or dinner party starter. Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche, flaked almonds, and – if you fancy upping the indulgence – a handful of crunchy croutons.
cm (2in) piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1
garlic clove, finely chopped
1
celery stick, finely chopped
300g
(11oz) potatoes, peeled and diced
1l
(1¾ pints) light vegetable or chicken stock, hot
500g
(1lb 2oz) baby leaf spinach
Nutmeg for grating
2Tbsp.
crème fraîche, plus extra to serve
15g
(½oz) flaked almonds, toasted
Directions
Step 1
Heat the butter in a large pan and fry the onion over a low to medium heat for 10-15min until soft. Add the ginger, garlic, celery and potatoes and cook for 3-4min.
Step 2
Pour in the hot stock, season to taste and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10-15min until the potatoes and celery are soft.
Step 3
Add the spinach and grate over some nutmeg. Season and continue to cook for 2min until the spinach has wilted. Purée, in batches, in a food processor.
Step 4
Return the soup to the pan, stir in the crème fraîche and reheat gently. Serve with an extra spoonful of crème fraîche, flaked almonds and freshly ground black pepper.
Get Ahead
Make the soup up to the end of step 3 and chill, covered, for up to three days in advance. To serve, complete the recipe.
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).