Electric Green Soup

Back in July, Daniel posted a recipe for vichyssoise , which I highly recommend you give a try when we get back to summer. His soup is a pearl green color, delicate, and delicious. A perfect cool complement to the warm weather.

Now, midway through November, the Seattle sky is drizzle-raining nearly constantly, and punctuating the cold with bouts of icy wind. I am thankful for buses that arrive on time. Back home, my space heater becomes a mobile fireplace, but it’s not enough. When the cold starts seeping in, it’s time for soup. The ingredients in a good ol’ vichyssoise sound perfect, but one needs a little something more to stick to the bones and yet be kind to the waistline.

Pick up your veggie cutting knife and trim the stems from 1 pound of spinach, rinse the leaves.

Clean and slice 1 pound of leeks and cook with butter and salt, stirring about 5 minutes, until soft.

Add four cups of broth and 1 large chopped potato.

Bring to a boil, covered, and then simmer for 10-15 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

Add spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.

Puree in a blender, reheat in pan, thinning with more broth, if desired. Salt and pepper to your liking.

Top with croutons or a drizzle of olive oil and some fresh ground pepper, and serve.

The green is startlingly bright. The flavor is mellow, the warmth is comforting, the feeling is nourishment.