This easy spinach and mushroom soup makes me feel good that I’m eating my vegetables. It’s packed with lots of fresh spinach and the great umami flavor of mushrooms. I allow myself a little butter in this recipe; but you can use olive oil instead and make it a vegan soup.
When I make pureed spinach dishes like this soup or palak paneer (Indian spinach curry with cheese), I like my spinach to remain green. But cooking spinach will turn it a dark color. The solution is easy. Add a pinch of baking soda when cooking spinach in water – it will help retain its green color. And don’t overcook the spinach.
Spinach Mushroom Soup Recipe
Serves about 3
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup peeled, diced potatoes
3 cups tightly packed fresh, tender spinach leaves
½ teaspoon dried oregano
A pinch of baking soda, optional
10 large button mushroom caps
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Method
Heat a medium, heavy bottom sauce pan with the butter. Add onions, and sauté on medium heat till translucent. Add the garlic cloves and cook 30 seconds or till the garlic is fragrant.
Add the mushrooms and sauté on medium heat till they brown a little, about 5 minutes. Then add the potatoes, a pinch of salt and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer till the potato cubes are cooked.
Add washed spinach leaves, oregano and salt to the pot (keeping mind you’ve already added a little salt to the soup in the previous stage). Immediately add a pinch of baking soda to the spinach; this will keep the spinach green when cooking; but this step is optional.
Boil for about 1 minute or till the spinach is wilted.
Turn off the heat. Using a hand/immersion blender, puree the soup till smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, pour the soup into a regular blender and carefully puree. If the soup is too thick, add ½ cup water and blend again.
Serve warm, with a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper.
I like it that you used potatoes here, I dislike the taste of cornflour in many soup recipes. Lovely color and beautiful texture, looks like a ‘must cook’ recipe this weekend!
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Thank for the tip! It’s going to be so helpful
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I love your very apt props. If only I could find a travel sized salt shaker with ‘saltaholic’ on it.
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Sala @ Veggie Belly Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 7:39 am
and find me one that says ‘kadugaholic’!
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sandhya@vegetarianirvana Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 9:16 am
for both you and me!
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Both my favorites for a soup, oh, apart from corn, tomato & broccoli!
Sounds like potato will help it stay creamy too – no need of adding heavy cream & increasing calorie count!
Nice pics, and a great tip…
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A wonderful soup anf great tip!
Cheers,
Rosa
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This easy Spinach Mushroom Soup Recipe makes me feel good that I’m eating my vegetables. Thanks for sharing this easy recipe.
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Hey Sala, is that you in Femina? I could be wrong though…
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Sala @ Veggie Belly Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 12:27 pm
Yes
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I love your I’m a Soupaholic Mug! Where is it from? Thanks!
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Sala @ Veggie Belly Reply:
February 15th, 2012 at 2:25 pm
I think its from the UK
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Spinach mushroom soup sounds fabulous – sign me up please! Two of my favourite veg in one, and I bet the iron content of this dish is amazing!
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That is a fabulous tip!! Thank you!
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Lovely recipe…great tip for green colour..will try when cooking palak next time
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Really nice color… I have the same problem of retaining the color. Thanks for the tip.
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I thought for sure you were going to say add vinegar to keep the spinach green. Baking soda, eh? I’ll have to give that a try in your soup and in other recipes.
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Ooooh, I love the combination of spinach and mushrooms. This looks so delicious and bright! I can’t wait to try it.
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Ooh, I love spinach and soup just makes everything better. I had no clue about that little baking soda trick! That’s awesome!
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it is a good combination.. i have try it before.
Ryuki www dot ninja-script dot com
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Wish you made this SB Friendly..
I am very bad at making soups.
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Sala @ Veggie Belly Reply:
February 20th, 2012 at 11:53 pm
SB?
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I love the spinach. I didn’t know this one. Spinach and soup is just a great combination. Thnx for the recipe.
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This recipe looks amazing. I made a spinach soup recently and when I pureed it, I added some raw spinach and other raw veggies to the blender. It came out really green tasting and delicious and very very GREEN.
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I just happened upon your blog today and I am SO glad I did. This soup is gorgeous. I am loving your posts. Will definitely be back for more.
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Thanks for the great recipe. Were you inspired by something you had at a restaurants, or is this one an original creation? If you’re looking for reviews of the vegetarian options at some of the top restaurants (primarily in New York, but also elsewhere around the U.S. and world (Paris, Brussels)), check out my new blog, “Without Bacon”. http://withoutbacon.wordpress.com . Would love any comments/feedback. Thanks!
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Another kitchen trick learned here, especially when it comes to using some baking soda to keep the spinach green. Those cups brings out that nice color too. By the way, were the photos taken using natural lighting?
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Sala @ Veggie Belly Reply:
March 1st, 2012 at 4:43 am
Yes, its natural sunlight.
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I liked your idea about keep spinach green ,it is delicious recipe
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Great tip on how to keep the spinach green. I will try it. Thank you.
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Thanks for the tip on keeping spinach, green. Never knew
That’s one delicious looking soup!
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Got to know your blog through my wife. Photos are really good.
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Sounds like such a delicious soup!
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Glad that I foundyour blog ….Love whatever I have seen so far .. I blog at http://niwas-whereourheartresides.blogspot.com/ .. do stop by when you get a chance
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Wow this soup looks fresh and appetizing.. I can have spinach in any form.. Love it!
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I was out of potatoes and tried an apple instead… I also added fresh basil from my garden. So delicious! Thanks for the lovely recipe (and making it look good, too).
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You didn’t say you were suppose to purée the spinach. I didn’t purée it, I just tossed the leaves in whole and it didnt come out like the photo. It was also very bland.. No flavor at all. I had to add hot chicken stock.
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Sala @ Veggie Belly Reply:
December 19th, 2012 at 11:32 am
The recipe clearly says you have to purée the soup.
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Thanks for this great recipe- always loved this combo for soup!
Only thing is I found it a bit bland so this time I used a good vege stock with the water and added a sprinkle of garam Masala and a good twist of black pepper for a bit of bite. One other thing, once you’ve pureed it, add a sprinkle of nutmeg then stir or puree a little more – the nutmeg really gives it a gorgeous flavour!
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