Green Soup

I guess I am on a green kick this week with all of the greens I found on sale the last time I went grocery shopping. I have had the following recipe/idea for about a year, and this is the first time I have tried it. It seems like I got the original idea from a magazine in a doctor's office, so it may have been in some type of health magazine. The version I am sharing is not the exact recipe I initially read, although it is close!


Ingredients - 4 - servings
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium size onion, chopped
½ t. salt, divided
1 garlic clove, smashed and chopped
2 T. whole-grain Arborio rice
1 bunch kale
about 7 c. baby spinach
2 c. vegetable broth
⅛ t. cayenne pepper
1½ t. lemon juice, optional

Directions 
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring until onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add 2 T. water, and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are reduced and caramel colored, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine 1½ c. water, remaining salt, garlic, and rice in a soup pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Trim ribs and tough stems from the kale and spinach; discard, or puree and freeze for later use. Coarsely chop kale. After the rice has cooked for 15 minutes, stir in the kale. Cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

After the kale and onions have cooked, stir a little vegetable broth into the caramelized onions to get all of the flavor from the pan. Add the mixture to the rice with the spinach, remaining broth, and cayenne. Simmer, covered, until spinach is tender, about 5 minutes. 

Puree soup in batches in blender until smooth. Stir in lemon juice.

I forgot to add the lemon juice, so I had my first bowl without that ingredient, and it was good. After I had a bowl, I re-blended the remaining soup for about 5 minutes, because it was not as smooth as I thought it should be. I did not take another photo, because the soup did not look any different after I blended it again. The consistency was smoother, although this was not noticeable without tasting it.

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