A vivid emerald green soup jam-packed with healthy greens that is as good hot as it is cold. It’s the perfect solution to ward off cold and flu germs in winter as well as a great way to use loads of fresh greens if you went a little crazy and overbought at the farmers’ market or your garden is being overly generous. Sipped from a mug or served cold with a swirl of cashew cream, it’s sure to become a favorite in your recipe file.
Looking for more delicious soup recipes? Try these:
Healthy Greens Soup
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 4-6 servings
Ingredients
- 2-3 large bunches mixed greens: any combination of kale, chard, spinach
- 1 medium zucchini (chopped, about 4-5 cups)
- 1 shallot
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 large onions
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1/3 cup Arborio rice
- 1 teaspoon smoked hot paprika (or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne and 1 teaspoon paprika)
- 1-2 teaspoons fine sea salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- Optional: 1/3 cup raw unsalted cashews soaked in 1/3 cup water for 2 hours, fresh chopped dill
Instructions
Chop the onion and cook it over medium-low heat in a large soup pot, stirring occasionally and adding water by the tablespoon to prevent sticking. Cook until the onion is reduced by half and very soft.
Chop the shallot and the garlic and add to onion; cook until the onion has begun to turn brown and caramelize. You can put a lid on the pot for a few minutes to hasten this process. When the mixture is very soft and golden colored, add the broth and the rice and stir well. Keep the mixture simmering and stir occasionally for about 15 minutes.
While the rice-onion mixture is cooking, clean and chop the greens and zucchini. Strip the tough ribs from the kale and chard, remove any thick stems from the spinach, and wash the greens very well. (A quick soak in cold water and drying in a salad spinner does the trick.)
Add the greens to the soup pot and mix well to combine. The greens will quickly wilt as they cook. Put the lid on the pot as the greens wilt and cook the soup for 5 minutes more. Take the lid off and check that the rice is very soft. If it is not, put the lid back on the pot and cook for 5 more minutes. The rice should be cooked enough to release its creaminess. Make sure the rice is very soft before proceeding to the next step. Don't be afraid to add a bit more water or broth if the soup looks too thick.
Puree the soup until it completely smooth. Add the hot smoked paprika, the lemon juice, the pepper and the salt to taste. If you did not use low sodium broth, you may not need to add salt at all.
Optional: Puree the soaked cashews in a blender until very smooth and creamy. Spoon 2 teaspoon over the surface of the soup just before serving and garnish with a few sprinkles of the dill.
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