This nourishing creamy vegan spinach soup is one of my go-to recipes when getting weeknight dinners on the table can feel like a chore. It takes just 20 minutes to make, I always have these basic ingredients on hand and there’s barely any clean up!
It couldn’t be easier, cheaper and healthier and I love when a meal thicks all these boxes.
Frozen spinach is fantastic to keep on hand, it saves you a massive amount of time and it works great in a soup. This vegan spinach soup is creamy, light and nutrient especially with the addition of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
No half and half, no butter, no sour cream, only a large potato and plenty of spinach.
WHAT YOU NEED FOR THIS RECIPE:
- Frozen spinach
- Large potato
- Vegetable broth
- Onion
- Garlic
- Olive oil or extra virgin olive oil
- Lemon
- Basil (optional)
- Salt & pepper
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:
- Saute’ onion and garlic in olive oil for about 3 minutes
- Add potato chunks, broth, salt, pepper and cook for about 10 minutes or until soft
- Add thawed spinach and cook for a further 5 minutes
- Turn off the heat and stir in some fresh basil leaves (optional)
- Blend to a smooth and creamy soup
- Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a wedge of lemon on the side
EASY, HEALTHY & BUDGET FRIENDLY
This creamy vegan spinach soup is ready in 20 minutes and costs less than $1 per serving!
IS SPINACH GOOD FOR YOU?
YES, I did some research and I found that Spinach is a terrific superfood: it’s low on calories and packed with protein, iron, vitamins, minerals and fiber.
It’s great for skin, hair, and bone health, eyesight, muscles and cancer prevention.
Spinach loses some water-soluble nutrients when you cook it, especially Vitamin C and folate. However, cooking spinach breaks down the plant’s cellular walls and increases the bioavailability of nutrients such as beta-carotene and iron, which is an essential mineral that bolsters your immune system and facilitates oxygen transfer between cell.
Plus, research shows that you can improve iron absorption by pairing cooked spinach with a source of vitamin C like freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Thumbs up for the combo lemon + spinach then!
NOTES
Frozen spinach is frozen quickly after harvesting, locking in nutrients and allowing it to keep for months. It’s inexpensive and it cut down on the amount of time and effort without compromising on taste and nutrients.
I usually keep fresh spinach for salad or wilted spinach, but I go for frozen spinach when it comes to recipes that call for volume.
However, if you rely on convenient bags from the freezer aisle all year round, you might have a look at these easy, delicious and healthy recipes: baked spinach frittata and pea and feta soup.
Lemon: squeezing over some lemon juice will enhance the absorption of iron and will add a refreshing and delightful touch to this simple and humble soup. Please, don’t skip the lemon!
Texture: I love when soups get that thick and creamy texture, but I’m not a big fan of using cream and unnecessary fat in my everyday recipes. A large and starchy potato will do the trick.
Leftovers: it keeps well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
This last-minute creamy vegan spinach soup won’t disappoint!
If you make this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it or tag a photo #theclevermeal on Instagram. I would love to hear from you!
Creamy vegan spinach soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 grams) (16-oz) bag of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
- 1/2 lb (220 grams) potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 3 cups (720 ml) vegetable broth
- 1 garlic clove, sliced
- 1 medium white onion, sliced
- 1 Tbsp olive oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, juice
- 1 a handful of basil leaves (optional)
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil for 3 minutes or until soft.
- Add potatoes, vegetable broth, a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
- Add spinach and cook for a further 5 minutes until spinach is tender.
- Turn off the heat and add a handful of basil leaves (optional).
- Using an immersion blender, puree the soup to a smooth consistency. Taste it, you might want to adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Serve with a good drizzle of olive oil, black pepper, and a wedge of lemon juice on the side (1 tsp of lemon juice per serving is perfect). You can enjoy this soup hot or chilled.
Notes
- I usually make my own vegetable broth cooking for about 5-10 minutes vegetable scraps and herbs. However, when I'm short on time I go for hot water and vegan low salt vegetable broth cubes.
- Seasoning: If you use a vegetable or chicken broth that tastes quite salty on its own, it's important to adjust the seasoning at the end and not at the beginning as you never really know how strong the salt from the broth is. In this case, I would start only with a good pinch of salt, no more than that.
- Lemon: dd a little lemon juice at a time and see which level of acidity fits your taste.
- Leftover: it keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
