Description
A bright, silky one-pot spinach soup with mellow garlic, sweet onion, and a lemony finish. Light but cozy, ready in about 20 minutes, and easy to make dairy-free.
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3–4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
12–14 oz fresh spinach (or 16 oz frozen, thawed and drained)
1 small potato, peeled and diced (optional)
1 bay leaf (optional)
1–2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
Fine sea salt and black pepper
Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
2–3 tbsp plain yogurt or thick coconut yogurt, for swirling (optional)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing
Instructions
Sauté aromatics: Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium. Add onion + pinch of salt and cook 3–4 min until translucent. Add garlic and cook 30–60 sec until fragrant (don’t brown).
Simmer: Add stock, potato (if using), and bay leaf (if using). Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 8–10 min until potato is fork-tender.
Wilt spinach: Add spinach in batches, stirring to wilt. Simmer 2–3 min until fully collapsed and vibrant.
Blend: Remove bay leaf. Blend (immersion blender or carefully in batches) until silky.
Finish: Stir in 1 tbsp lemon juice. Taste and adjust with more lemon, salt, and pepper.
Serve: Rest 2 minutes, then ladle into bowls. Top with a yogurt swirl (optional), olive oil drizzle, and red pepper flakes if desired.
Notes
Frozen spinach: Thaw and drain well to avoid watering down the soup.
Too thick: Add a splash of stock/water when reheating.
Too flat: A little more salt + lemon usually fixes it.
Make it creamy: Keep the potato or add yogurt/coconut yogurt off-heat.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: soup recipes
- Method: One-pot, stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean-inspired