Spinach Soup with Potato & Fried Garlic



spinach-soup-with-fried-garlic-1
Another of my Mom’s recipe, which I have  always loved & will always hold close to my heart. It is my comfort food – a simple spinach soup, with all in a bowl & one dominant flavor of fried garlic, & this had always been all of our favorite.

The best part being that my kids enjoy this as much as I do. There are always some heartwarming recipes from back home, which are passed on & savored equally by all generations.  There is nothing fancy about this soup, the regular vegetables put together with the special touch of the fried garlic which makes all the difference here… the magic of the secret ingredient enticing us time after time. The only difference is that the tomatoes & the spinach would be much awaited back home at the onset of winter… not during the summer like we have it here.

Unlike the popular pureed & creamy spinach soup, this one has the leaves just wilted. The color of the soup will depend on the amount of tomato you use & also the turmeric. More tomato also adds a slight tang, so if you want yours slightly sharp, feel free to use more tomato in it.


Spinach Soup with Potato & Fried Garlic


Ingredients:

  1. 2 Teaspoons Oil or melted butter
  2. 8-10 Big garlic cloves, Cloves separated, peeled & halved
  3. 2 Small Potatoes, Peeled & cut into small cubes
  4. 1/2 Onion chopped
  5. 1/2 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds/Jeera
  6. A pinch of turmeric (optional)
  7. 1 Medium Tomato chopped Fine
  8. 1 Cup Cooked Beans (I have used cannellini beans here, use any bean you would want to add)
  9. 4 Cups of packed baby Spinach leaves, chop them small if you want
  10. Salt
  11. Freshly ground Black Pepper
  12. Crushed Red Pepper (Optional)



Preparation:

Add oil/butter to a sauce pan. Add the halved garlic cloves & fry them till brown & fragrant. Remove with a slotted spoon & set aside.

Add the cubed potatoes to the same pan. Fry them till they start to brown. Once the potatoes are light brown on all sides, add the onions, turmeric & the cumin seeds; cook till onions are soft.

Add the tomatoes & the fried garlic & stir fry while tossing everything together at medium heat till the tomatoes are soft & mushed up. Add the cooked beans & about 2.5 cups of water (more or less as you want the consistency of the soup) + salt + Black Pepper. Cover & cook till the potatoes are soft but not mushy.

Uncover & add the baby Spinach leaves. Cover it back & cook for about 5 minutes or till the spinach just wilts, but still kind of bright green. When done, mush up some of the potatoes with the back of the spoon for a thicker consistency of the soup.

Garnish with Crushed Red Pepper.

Serve with Croutons. I used to have mine with a few spoons of cooked rice, & my daughters do the same thing with this soup:)

spinach-soup-with-fried-garlic-3

Sending this over to Holler (Jacqueline) for No Croutons Required. “We are going all leafy”, she says, so be it:-)


Related Posts:

Roasted Vegetable Stew with Coconut Milk

Harira – a Taste of Morocco

Minestrone Soup







36 thoughts on “Spinach Soup with Potato & Fried Garlic”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *