You'll feel very virtuous after a bowl of this super green soup. It's packed with goodness, and tastes delicious too. You can use different leafy greens depending on what is in season, and what you have available. So what are you waiting for??
This vibrant green soup is a fabulous way of upping your intake of leafy greens. It's a great alternative to a green smoothie. It's packed with nutrients, plus it's warming, comforting and filling.
What's so good about leafy greens?
When people talk about the benefits of eating more greens, it's generally leafy greens that they are referring to. These are usually dark green in colour, and as the name suggests, it's the leaves of the plant that you eat. But there are some notable exceptions - for example broccoli is also classified as a leafy green.
Leafy greens are a powerhouse of nutrition. They are packed with vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. The dark green colour of these plants comes from chlorophyll, and this has been shown to have very powerful health benefits. Leafy greens are also high in fibre. Read more about the health benefits of leafy greens.
If you can, it's good to have a helping of leafy greens every day. This super green soup recipe is a great way of getting you one step closer to that goal. Or ring the changes with this watercress and leek soup, or try this healthy carrot top greens soup.
The recipe gives you a few options about which green veg to use, so feel free to experiment. Of course you could also use a mix of greens if you prefer.
Ingredients
Of course, the hero of super green soup is the greens! You can use different leaves depending on what is in season, and what suits your taste. Here are my favourites.
Nettles
In the Spring, I love using fresh nettle leaves in this recipe. Nettles are bursting with vitamins and minerals and nettle soup has a lovely earthy, iron-y taste. There's also something very satisfying about turning an annoying weed into a delicious bowl of soup, and they are free. I've certainly got plenty of nettles growing around the garden that I can use!
If you pick nettles from the wild, just remember to make sure they aren't by the side of a busy road. Or a popular route for dog walkers!
Use gloves when you pick nettles and when you remove the leaves from the thick central stems so that you don't get stung. However, once the nettles touch the boiling water, the sting will be gone. You'll need a large bag of nettles for this recipe, as they'll reduce in volume a lot when they cook.
If you pick some extra, you could also try these nettle crisps which are super nutritious.
Leaf beet
In the summer and autumn, I use fresh leaf beet to make this soup. Leaf beet is quite similar to spinach, but it is easier to grow, and the leaves are slightly tougher. It's often available in supermarkets, but it's also very easy to grow at home. You can use the leaf beet stalks as well as the leaves in this recipe. Add the stalks at the same time as the onions so that they have time to cook down properly. (For other ways to cook leaf beet, see how to cook perpetual spinach.)
Frozen spinach soup
In the winter, frozen spinach works well in this super green soup. It's easily available, and I tend to have it as a staple in the freezer at home. You can use fresh spinach if you prefer, but frozen spinach is also packed with goodness. Frozen vegetables can often contain more nutrients than their fresh counterparts as they are frozen very quickly after picking. (Read more about fresh vs frozen spinach here)
You can also make wild garlic and potato soup with similar ingredients.
Other ingredients
Potato, onion and stock make up the base of this simple recipe. Potato helps to thicken the soup, and adds a lovely creamy texture. If you'd prefer not to use potato, half a can of white beans also thicken up the soup nicely.
I usually make this with vegetable stock, but you can also use chicken stock if you prefer. Stock cubes are fine. Or if you have it, fresh stock will taste delicious and provide even more health benefits.
Depending on your stock, you may need extra seasoning. Make sure you taste the soup before adding too much extra salt, and some stocks can be quite salty.
Nutmeg is a perfect complement to spinach and other greens. It has a sweet nutty flavour. It's best to buy whole nutmeg and grate it in into your dishes. It will keep its flavour much better, and it takes just seconds to do.
Optional ingredients
You could also add a clove of garlic or some leafy herbs such as basil to the recipe.
How to make super green soup
This is a really easy soup recipe, using everyday ingredients.
For a smooth textured soup, you'll need a blender or a food processor. I always recommend blitzing soups in the pan with a hand (immersion) blender if you have one. That way, there's less washing up. If you are planning to blitz the soup in the pan, make sure you choose a large pan with plenty of space so that it doesn't splatter over you.
Heat the pan, and add the oil. Add the chopped onion and fry gently for a few minutes. Browning the onion slightly will add a richer flavour to the soup.
Then add the potato, stock, nutmeg and seasoning. Simmer gently for 15 minutes. After this time, the potatoes should be soft.
Finally, add the prepared greens and simmer for a further 5 minutes. If you are using frozen spinach, you may need to wait slightly longer for the spinach to defrost.
Blitz the soup until smooth. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Serving suggestions
A garnish of seeds, nuts or crunchy roasted chickpeas will add a little protein to your super green soup. You might also like to serve it alongside these quick flat breads, or oat and wholemeal crackers.
Storage
You can store the soup in the fridge for up to 3 days.
This super green soup recipe freezes brilliantly, so stock up while you're in the mood!
FAQs
In this recipe, we've suggested leaf beet, frozen spinach or nettles. You could also use chard, watercress or even dandelion leaves. And whilst not technically a leaf, you could also use a head of broccoli which is highly nutritious. You could also throw in leafy herbs such basil or mint.
Yes, absolutely. Leafy greens are highly nutritious, and this super green soup is a great way to pack in an extra portion of green veg.
This recipe has 175 calories per serving, and is packed with healthy goodness. It'll help to fill you up, so you'll be less tempted to fill up on other less healthy, more calorific foods. So as part of a calorie controlled diet, green soup is a good choice.
Other healthy soup recipes:
You might like to browse the healthy soup category for other ideas.
You must use the category name, not a URL, in the category field.Spinach and applesauce smoothie is another great way of easily adding more leafy greens to your diet.
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Recipe
Super Green Soup
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil
- 1 onion peeled and chopped
- 1 medium potato scrubbed and cut into small cubes
- 1 veg or chicken stock cube
- 500 ml water or use fresh stock and omit stock cube
- 200 g frozen spinach or chopped stinging nettle or leaf beet
- grated nutmeg or ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- salt and ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry gently for a few minutes until slightly browned.
- Add the potato, stock, nutmeg, salt and pepper if needed. Simmer gently for 15 mins.
- Add the spinach or other prepared greens and simmer for a further 5 mins. (If using frozen spinach you might need to wait slightly longer for it to defrost)
- Blitz in the pan with a hand blender.
Notes
- If using fresh greens, wash and discard any thick stalks. Make sure you use gloves if using stinging nettles.
- Adjust the seasoning to taste. You may not need additional salt if you are using a stock cube.
- You can also add a clove of chopped garlic and/or leafy herbs such as basil.
- If you'd prefer to not use potato, add half a can of white beans to thicken the soup.
Nutrition
Please note nutritional information is per serving and is provided for guidance only.
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