The eating of the green… :) And just in time for St. Patrick's Day!

I needed to make a light lunch the other day, and just happened to have the ingredients on hand for a soup which I had marked to try from an old issue of Vegetarian Times.

I made the recipe as directed except that I subbed a little dried chipotle (for some zing) and shredded lowfat Jarlesberg (for Jack). I decided to incorporate the yogurt-and-milk mixture into the soup and found that, when the last step says to whisk the yogurt and milk until smooth, you need to absolutely whisk the yogurt and milk until smooth. Completely smooth. Lest you have little bits of yogurt floating through your potage. This is why I will use the photo from the VT website… my try at this recipe (this time) was not pretty, but tasted very, very good. And the next time, I will dollop that yogurt mixture on top, as per their directions.

I wish I had a photo of the expression on Jack's face when I told him that we were having spinach soup, but that quickly reversed when he tasted it. Served with slices of multigrain sourdough bread, this was perfect for lunch.

Creamy Spinach Potage

Vegetarian Times Issue: January 1, 2006

Sweeter, creamier and more flavorful than white potatoes, parsnips form the ideal vegetable base for a French potage, or thick, creamy soup. Choose small to medium parsnips that are heavy for their size, and slice them in uniform pieces for even cooking.

Ingredient List

Serves 8

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 stalk celery, sliced (about 1/3 cup)
• 2 low-sodium vegetable bouillon cubes
• 1 1/2 lb. parsnips, peeled and sliced (about 4 cups)
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 1/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt
• 2 Tbs. low-fat milk or plain soymilk
• 
  

Directions

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and celery, and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until vegetables are softened. Add 6 cups water, vegetable bouillon cubes and parsnips. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes, or until parsnips are tender.
2. Increase heat to medium-high, and stir in spinach. Cook 1 minute, or until spinach wilts but is still bright green.
3. Transfer soup in batches to blender or food processor, and purée until soup is smooth. (Or purée soup in pot using an immersion blender.) Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Return soup to pot, and keep warm. If making soup ahead of time, refrigerate it until an hour before you plan to serve it, then warm soup over medium heat, but do not boil.
4. Just before serving, whisk yogurt and milk in small bowl until smooth. Serve bowls of soup topped with dollops of yogurt mixture.

Nutritional Information

Per SERVING: Calories: 82, Protein: 2g, Total fat: 1g; Carbs: 16g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 280mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugars: 1g