Spinach Soup

Ingredients

• 14⅛ ozspinachfresh (washed, coarsely chopped, stems removed) or frozen (thawed)
• 2 tbspbutterfor the roux
• 3 tbspwheat flourfor thickening; cornstarch for gluten-free
• 1 tbspolive oilfor sautéing the onion, instead of butter
• 1onionfinely chopped; shallots or spring onions also work
• 3⅛ cupsvegetable stockor water with stock cubes; some use chicken stock
• 2⅛ cupsmilkas soup base, fully or partly replacing stock
• ½ cupcreamfor richness; crème fraîche or coconut milk also work
• 4egghard-boiled and halved or poached, for topping
• nutmegground, to season
• saltto taste
• pepperblack or white, to taste
• lemonjuice for seasoning before serving (optional)

Method

1. Boil the eggs for 8 to 10 minutes, cool them under cold water, then peel and halve them.
2. Wash fresh spinach, remove the stems and coarsely chop the leaves; if using frozen spinach, let it thaw first.
3. Finely chop the onion and soften it in the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat without letting it brown.
4. Add the butter to the onion in the pot, let it melt, stir in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Gradually pour in the vegetable stock and milk, stirring constantly so no lumps form, and bring to a boil.
6. Add the spinach and cook for 3 to 7 minutes, until it has wilted.
7. Blend the soup with a stick blender until smooth.
8. Stir in the cream, heat the soup through again and season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and, if you like, a little lemon juice.
9. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the halved eggs.

Tips and variations

Instead of a roux, you can thicken the soup by cooking the spinach in water, blending it, then stirring in milk and flour whisked together cold; for a flour-free version, use crème fraîche and add some leek. You can also use milk alone as the base, swap the cream for coconut milk, or thicken with potato and season with garlic, curry and cumin. Spinach blanched and plunged into ice water keeps a brighter colour. Poached eggs work just as well as hard-boiled ones, and a few edible flowers make the bowls look lovely in spring.