Roman Spinach Soup Recipes

SPINACH SOUP

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the spinach and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until the spinach is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mixture to a blender or food processor, pour in 1/4 cup hot water and pulse until pureed. Set aside.
• In a large soup pot, cook the onions in the butter over medium heat until the onions begin to soften. Sprinkle the flour over the top and stir to combine. Cook for about 2 minutes, then pour in the milk, stirring occasionally. Add the salt, cayenne and some black pepper and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour in the pureed spinach, then cook until thickened, another 3 to 5 minutes.
• Check the seasonings, adding more salt, black pepper or cayenne as needed. Serve warm.

EASY SPINACH SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a stockpot over medium heat. Add carrots, scallion, and garlic; cook and stir until scallion is soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in chicken broth; bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in spinach; cook until tender, 2 to 3 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.

LEMONY SPINACH SOUP WITH FARRO

Steps:

• Melt the butter or heat the olive oil in the bottom of a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the leeks and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, rosemary and bay leaves; cook 1 minute more. Stir in the potatoes, stock, 2 cups water, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer, partly covered, until vegetables are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add farro and cook according to the timing on the package until just tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Drain.
• Discard rosemary branches and bay leaves from the soup pot. Add spinach, cilantro and parsley, and simmer uncovered until very soft, 5 to 8 minutes. Using an immersion blender, purée soup until smooth. (Alternatively, you can purée the soup in batches in a blender or food processor.) If the soup is too thick, add a little water. If it's too thin, let it simmer uncovered for another few minutes to thicken. Stir in lemon juice and more salt to taste. Stir in farro.
• To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top with a drizzle of olive oil, a few drops of lemon juice, flaky salt, red-pepper flakes and a little grated cheese, if desired.

ROMAN SPINACH SOUP

Steps:

• In a 4-qt saucepan, over medium heat, bring broth to a boil.
• Beat together egg substitute, basil, cheese,lemon juice, parsley, white pepper and nutmeg.
• Set aside.
• Add spinach to broth and simmer 1 minute.
• Slowly pour egg mixture into broth while wisking constantly so that egg threads form.
• Simmer 2 to 3 minutes or until egg is cooked.
• Garnish with lemon slices and parsley.
• Note: Soup may look curdled.

SPINACH ROMAN STYLE

Steps:

• Put the raisins in a small bowl with enough warm water to cover. Soak for about 15 minutes and set aside.
• Put the wet spinach in a frying pan large enough to hold it all and cook over a high flame until it collapses and turns dark green, stirring constantly. Transfer the spinach to a colander and set aside. If the frying pan is wet, dry it with a paper towel.
• Pour olive oil into the frying pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and brown it, being careful it doesn't burn. Remove and discard. Take the raisins from the water, squeeze as dry as possible and add them to the oil with the pine nuts. Turn the heat down to medium and cook until the nuts turn a golden color. Be careful because the nuts can burn easily.
• Return spinach to the pan, stir with a fork and add salt and pepper, to taste. Mix all ingredients and continue cooking for about a minute. You may add additional olive oil if desired.

LATVIAN SPINACH SOUP

Steps:

• Boil the smoked ribs in 7 cups of water, covered, for an hour to an hour and a half.
• Meanwhile, wash the spinach, and chop finely.
• After the meat has cooked, add the rice and potatoes to the pot.
• After approximately 15 minutes (when the potatoes are cooked), remove the meat. When cool enough to handle, strip the meat from the bones and reserve.
• Add the spinach to the pot, along with the lemon juice and salt to taste.
• Place a serving of meat in individual bowls, add the soup and then half a hard-cooked egg and a teaspoon of sour cream.
• The diner chops the egg and mixes the cream into the soup.

ROMAN "EGG DROP" SOUP

Steps:

• Bring the chicken stock to a boil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Meanwhile, beat the eggs with a good grinding of black pepper until thoroughly blended. Beat in the grated cheese. Pour the egg mixture into the soup while stirring constantly to break it into "little rags." Check the seasoning and serve immediately.
• Chicken Stock: (Brodo di Pollo)
• Rinse the poultry pieces in a colander under cold running water and drain them well. Place them in an 8- to 10-quart stockpot. Pour in the cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for a minute or two and you will see foam rising to the surface. Skim off and discard the foam, lower the heat to a strong simmer, and cook 1 hour, occasionally skimming the foam and fat from the surface.
• Add the remaining ingredients except the salt to the pot. Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat to simmering. Cook, partially covered, 2 to 3 hours, skimming the foam and fat from the surface occasionally.
• Strain the broth through a very fine sieve, or a colander lined with a double thickness of cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel. Season lightly with salt. To use the stock right away, wait a minute or two and spoon off the fat that rises to the surface. The last little traces of fat can be "swept" off the surface with a folded piece of paper towel. It is much easier, however, to remove the fat from chilled stock-the fat will rise to the top and solidify, where it can be easily removed.
• Variation: Mixed Meat Stock
• For a rich meat stock, simply substitute 3 pounds meaty veal and beef bones-like beef shin, veal shank bones, and/or short ribs-for 2 pounds of the chicken/capon bones and all the turkey bones. Continue as described above.

HERBY SPINACH-AND-RICE SOUP WITH TURMERIC

Steps:

• Cook 2 tablespoons oil and cumin seeds in a small skillet over medium, swirling pan, until seeds are fragrant, darkened slightly in color, and sizzling, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl; let cool completely. (Oil can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.)
• Heat a medium saucepan over medium; swirl in remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Add shallots and garlic, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Stir in rice, potato, and turmeric; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add broth and 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Season with salt, reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until flavors meld and potato and rice are cooked and very tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in spinach, herbs, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
• Ladle into bowls. Whisk yogurt and spoon into the soup, along with cumin-seed oil and more herbs and lemon juice; serve.