cream of spinach soup

I love the Joy of Cooking. My dad gave me a copy for Christmas and I’ve used it so much in the last five or so weeks, the book is already beginning to show wear and tear. While my boyfriend Cory was getting his four wisdom teeth extracted, I was in the waiting room happily flipping through The Joy of Cooking for an hour and a half reading how to clean squid, eat a lobster, and cheese making. I spend more time reading about how to prepare and serve different foods than I do actual recipes, but in such a short time the book has already to proved to be indispensable.

When looking for ideas what to make Cory post-surgery, The Joy of Cooking was the first source I turned to. Normally, I avoid puréed soups. What can I say? I like chewing. But this soup was for Cory, who now has four less teeth and can’t chew for the next few days. If you can chew, then by all means – serve this with a side of crusty bread for a light lunch.

Cream of Spinach Soup
(adapted from The Joy of Cooking)
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Ingredients:
- 2 T plus 1 T butter
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 T flour
- 1 c milk
- 1 c stock, chicken or vegetable
- 1 lb fresh spinach*, chopped
- 1/2 c heavy cream or half and half
- salt & pepper to taste
- dash cayenne pepper
- 1/8 t freshly grated nutmeg

- Heat 2 T butter in a large stockpot. When melted, add onion and cook until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds.
- Add flour, stir constantly for two minutes and then slowly whisk in the broth and milk.
- Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until slightly thickened.
- In a large skillet, add 1 T butter. When melted, add spinach and stir until wilted, about 2-3 minutes.
- Drain spinach in a colander, rinse with cold water, then press out excess water.
- Add spinach to soup and remove from heat. Process in a blender, in batches if necessary.
- Return the soup to the pot and stir in heavy cream or half and half. Heat the soup until hot, but do not boil. Add salt and pepper to taste, cayenne pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg.

Serves 4

*Umm… How do I wash spinach?

Not sure how to wash spinach or find it too tedious? Check out How to Wash Spinach from Kitchen Dojo.

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2. broccoli, potato, and leek soup
3. turnip potato soup
4. cheesy cauliflower and potato soup
5. restorative chicken noodle soup with greens

Tags: soup, vegetarian