This is a super basic, easy soup that is brought to life through all the toppings, so don’t skimp on them! A lightly spiced broth with onion, potatoes, and spinach get blended up with tahini for a velvety soup texture. I don’t make blended soups often because I like my soups to have texture, which is why we’re loading up with toppings! It gets topped with plenty of briny feta cheese, fresh herbs, and salty crunchy spiced seeds for added texture and flavor.
Ingredient Highlight
Spinach! Like most leafy greens, spinach is a great source of iron, calcium, folate, vitamin C, and vitamin K among others. The combo of calcium and vitamin K make it great for bone health. Vitamin C helps us absorb iron better, so it’s a package deal!
Pro tip: frozen spinach is actually a lot higher in nutrients compared to fresh spinach since it’s frozen at it’s peak whereas grocery store fresh spinach loses a lot of it’s nutrients during transportation.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 lb russet potatoes, peeled, cut into small cubes
- 5 cups water
- 12 oz package frozen spinach (about 4-5 cups)
- ¼ cup tahini or almond butter
- 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- Chopped fresh parsley
- Black pepper
- Toast (optional)
For the spiced seeds:*
- 1 cup raw pumpkin and/or sunflower seeds
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- * Easily just use roasted (salted) pumpkin or sunflower seeds if you want to skip this. The goal is to add a salty crunch plus some extra protein and nutrients.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the seeds, paprika, garlic, oil, and salt and toss to coat evenly. Spread into an even layer, then bake for 8-10 minutes, stirring halfway through. Let cool.
- In a medium pot over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon oil, onion, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook until the onion has softened, about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cumin and coriander and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Add potatoes, water, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Cover, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low/medium-low and simmer (covered) for 15 minutes or until potatoes are totally soft and cooked through. Stir in the spinach.
- Transfer to a high-speed blender along with the tahini or almond butter and lemon. Blend until totally smooth, making sure to carefully let the steam escape as you blend. Taste and add more lemon, if needed.
- Serve topped with plenty of spiced seeds, feta, parsley, black pepper, and a drizzle of good olive oil. Serve with toast (if using).
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Chop 1 yellow onion
- Peel and cut 1 lb russet potatoes into small cubes
- Make the spiced seeds
- Make the soup
Substitutions:
- To make dairy-free, skip the feta and just top with more seeds.
- Easily substitute broccoli or roasted red pepper for the spinach. If using broccoli, make sure to simmer it in the broth until cooked through before blending.
- Substitute frozen spinach with 7-8 cups fresh.
- Use a leek in place of onion.
Storage:
-
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer:
- Soup: fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
- Seeds: at room temperature for up to 1 week or fridge/freezer for up to 3 months.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up leftover soup in the microwave or on the stove. Top with lots of toppings!
- Serve with toast.
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