The Best Fresh Spinach Soup Recipe: Vibrant Mint, Pea & Cilantro Bliss (Hot or Cold)
Indulge in this revitalizing fresh spinach soup, crafted with hearty potatoes and aromatic onions, then elevated to new culinary heights with the bright flavors of fresh peas, invigorating mint, and fragrant cilantro. This stunningly vibrant green soup is incredibly versatile, perfect for serving either delightfully hot or refreshingly cold, making it an ideal dish for any season!
Spring is in full swing, and with it comes a craving for fresh, vibrant, and healthy meals that celebrate the season’s bounty. This week, our culinary journey is all about embracing the color green, and what better way to do that than with a bowl of incredibly delicious and nutritious soup? After enjoying some crispy fried zucchini earlier, it’s now time to balance things out with this super green, utterly wholesome spring soup, designed to become a staple in your meal rotation. It’s all about finding that perfect harmony between indulgence and nourishment, isn’t it?
Why a Fresh Green Soup? Embracing Seasonal Flavors and Health
Even as the weather transitions and temperatures begin to climb, soup remains a constant and cherished presence in my kitchen. There’s something undeniably comforting and deeply satisfying about a homemade bowl of soup, regardless of the season. For as long as I can recall – or at least, for the past several months – I’ve found myself whipping up a fresh batch of soup at least once every two weeks. It’s a culinary ritual that brings warmth, flavor, and nourishment to our home.
My repertoire of favorite soup recipes typically falls into distinct categories. Some are robust and hearty, designed to combat the chill of winter months, providing warmth and sustenance. Others are exquisitely light and refreshing, perfectly suited for the gentle warmth of spring. And then there are those that truly shine when served chilled, offering a cool and invigorating escape during the peak of summer. This particular Fresh Spinach Soup, however, truly stands out as a unique and remarkably versatile creation, defying seasonal limitations.
The Ultimate Versatility: Enjoying Your Spinach Soup Hot or Cold
One of the most remarkable aspects of this fresh spinach soup is its incredible adaptability: it can be enjoyed equally well, whether served piping hot or delightfully chilled. This dual nature makes it an absolute winner, allowing it to seamlessly fit into any dining occasion, regardless of the temperature outside. The flavor profile remains equally captivating and delicious in both iterations, leaving the choice entirely up to your personal preference. After having sampled it both ways, I confess to a slight leaning towards enjoying it cold – a preference that is quite unusual for me, but speaks volumes about its refreshing qualities!
Do not be fooled by its vibrant green hue; this soup possesses a delicate yet profoundly impactful flavor. Often, spinach-based soups can fall short, sometimes tasting a bit dull or flat. This recipe, however, is the complete antithesis of that. While the foundational elements of potatoes and onions certainly provide a wonderful depth and body, it is truly the inspired combination of fresh peas, bright mint, and aromatic cilantro that elevates this soup to an entirely different level of deliciousness. The fresh herbs are not merely optional; they are absolutely essential for achieving that vibrant, unforgettable taste.
Unlocking the Layers of Flavor: More Than Just Spinach
This isn’t just a simple spinach soup; it’s a carefully orchestrated symphony of fresh, clean flavors. Each ingredient plays a crucial role in creating a balanced and deeply satisfying experience:
- The Verdant Heart: Fresh Spinach. Spinach forms the nutritional backbone of this soup. It cooks down quickly, imparting its earthy goodness and vibrant color without overpowering the other delicate flavors. It’s packed with vitamins and minerals, making this soup a truly healthy indulgence.
- The Bright & Aromatic Duo: Mint and Cilantro. These fresh herbs are the secret to this soup’s extraordinary character. Mint provides a refreshing, almost cooling burst, while cilantro adds a pungent, citrusy note that brings everything into perfect harmony. They transform a simple vegetable soup into something truly special.
- Creaminess and Substance: Potatoes and Onions. Diced white potatoes contribute a natural creaminess and body to the soup, eliminating the need for excessive heavy cream. They also provide a comforting, satisfying base. Sautéed onions lay down an aromatic foundation, adding a subtle sweetness and depth that rounds out the overall flavor.
- Sweetness and Pop: Fresh Peas. The addition of fresh or frozen peas introduces a delightful sweetness and a pleasant textural contrast. Their vivid green color also enhances the soup’s visual appeal, reinforcing its fresh, spring-like essence.
Effortless Preparation and the Optional Oven-Dried Tomato Garnish
Beyond its incredible flavor, another fantastic aspect of this soup is how incredibly easy and quick it is to prepare. From start to finish, you’re looking at less than thirty minutes of active cooking time. Of course, if you choose to serve it chilled, you’ll need to factor in some additional time for cooling, but the active preparation remains minimal, making this a perfect weeknight meal or a fast, healthy option for meal prep.
The Art of Oven-Dried Tomatoes: A Perfect Finishing Touch
For those moments when you have a little extra time on your hands – specifically, around 3 hours of mostly inactive time – the oven-dried tomato garnish is an absolutely perfect finishing touch that truly elevates the dish. These delightful little bursts of concentrated tomato flavor can be prepared well in advance and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for several days, making them a convenient addition when you’re ready to serve. Making these is a testament to patience, but the reward is immense!
To create these intensely flavorful oven-dried tomatoes, the process is wonderfully straightforward: simply halve some grape or cherry tomatoes, arrange them cut-side up on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and set your oven to a low 200 degrees Fahrenheit (93°C). Then, quite literally, close the oven door and step away. Don’t rush back. The magic happens slowly. This gentle, low-heat drying process coaxes out their moisture, concentrating their natural sugars and creating a wonderfully chewy texture and an explosion of sweet-tart flavor. Making oven-dried anything often feels like the ultimate test of patience in the kitchen, which perhaps explains why you don’t frequently see a plethora of oven-dried ingredients appearing in recipes. But for this soup, it’s a small investment of time that pays off handsomely.
While the oven-dried tomatoes are entirely optional – seriously, they are not an integral component, so please don’t feel like you’ll be missing out on the core deliciousness if you skip them – they absolutely add a touch of drama and sophistication to your bowl. The striking contrast in color, with their deep red hues against the vibrant green soup, is simply unbeatable and instantly makes the dish feel more gourmet. They offer a textural chew and a concentrated flavor pop that complements the smooth, fresh soup beautifully.
A Family Favorite: Even for the Skeptics
I cannot emphasize enough how truly delightful this soup is. My own father, who typically approaches anything “too green” with a healthy dose of skepticism, happened to try a spoonful of this fresh spinach soup and was utterly smitten. And if earning his enthusiastic stamp of approval isn’t the ultimate endorsement, then I honestly don’t know what is! This soup has a way of converting even the most discerning palates with its fresh, clean, and surprisingly complex flavor profile. Give it a try; you might just find your new favorite green meal, whether you prefer it hot or cold.
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 your oven to a low 200°F (93°C), ensuring a rack is placed in the center position. Carefully arrange the halved grape or cherry tomatoes on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
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Dry the tomatoes in the preheated oven for approximately 3 hours. During this time, stir them gently every hour or so to ensure even drying, until they appear shriveled and have lost the majority of their moisture, concentrating their flavors. Once done, allow the oven-dried tomatoes to cool completely on a rack. If you’re preparing these in advance, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
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Prepare Soup: In a large, sturdy soup pot, heat the unsalted butter over medium heat until it is fully melted and begins to gently bubble. Add the chopped onion and diced potato to the pot. Sauté the vegetables, stirring frequently, for roughly 3 to 4 minutes, allowing them to soften slightly and become fragrant. Pour in the low-sodium vegetable broth and bring the mixture to a simmer. Continue to simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the diced potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
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Introduce the fresh or frozen peas to the simmering broth and continue to cook until they are just tender, which should take approximately 2 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the peas, as this can cause them to lose their beautiful vibrant green color. Immediately add the baby spinach to the pot and remove the soup from the heat. Stir the spinach into the hot broth and soup base until it has completely wilted and its volume has significantly decreased.
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Carefully transfer the entire soup mixture to a high-powered blender, such as a Vitamix. Puree the soup until it achieves a very smooth and creamy consistency. Next, add the fresh mint leaves and chopped cilantro to the blender. Puree again until these fresh herbs are thoroughly incorporated and the soup is uniformly green. Return the pureed soup to the pot and gently return it to low heat. Stir in the fresh juice of half a lemon and season generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Just before serving, stir in the heavy cream. Serve the soup hot or cold, with a delicate drizzle of extra cream, a touch of olive oil, and a garnish of your homemade oven-dried cherry tomatoes for an extra burst of flavor and color.
Tips for Success:
- This incredibly versatile soup can be served either hot or refreshingly cold. If you opt to serve it cold, you might find it beneficial to thin the soup down slightly with an additional dash or two of vegetable stock. Always taste and re-season with extra salt and pepper as needed after chilling, as cold temperatures can sometimes mellow flavors.
- For a vegetarian soup, ensure your vegetable stock is genuinely plant-based. To make this recipe completely vegan, simply substitute the unsalted butter with a plant-based oil (like olive oil or coconut oil) and replace the heavy cream with a rich plant-based alternative such as full-fat coconut milk or a cashew cream.
- Don’t skimp on the fresh herbs! The mint and cilantro are crucial for the soup’s bright and distinctive flavor. Adjust the quantities to your liking, but a generous hand will yield the best results.
- When blending, take your time to ensure the soup is perfectly smooth. This creates a luxurious mouthfeel that is incredibly satisfying. A high-powered blender is ideal, but a standard blender will work, possibly requiring a bit more patience.
Adapted heavily from The Times Magazine.