Emerald Spinach Soup with Tomato

A vivid and colorful soup that is full of flavor and truly satisfying.

Source: Fruits & Veggies—More Matters™ recipes. It meets the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s strict nutrition guidelines as a healthy recipe.

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Serves: 6

Cups of Fruits and Vegetables per Serving: 1

Ingredients:

In deep, heavy soup pot over MEDIUM heat, place onion, garlic, celery, and cumin with olive oil. Stir and sauté for about 5 minutes. If using fresh spinach, remove any large stems. Wash thoroughly. Add leaf spinach to pan; stir well. Lower heat and cover. Allow all vegetables to steep until spinach is wilted and partially cooked. If using frozen leaf spinach, cooking will take a bit longer. Add chicken broth with oregano and bring to a low boil.

Gently cook, covered, 20 to 25 minutes. Using 1 ˝ cups at a time, blend soup mixture in blender or food processor** until smooth. Return entire soup mixture to pan and reheat. Soup will be a rich green color.

Just before serving, add 1 3/4 cups diced tomato and heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired. Tomato should be hot but not truly cooked. To serve, ladle hot soup into warm bowls and garnish with an optional dollop of sour cream and reserved diced tomatoes. Serve hot.


**Chef's Notes:
1. Blenders and/or food processors may be used to puree and chop foods. If an ultra-smooth consistency, is desired, please use a blender. For a less-smooth consistency use the food processor. Be cautious when pureeing hot liquids. Allow for large amounts of expansion space in the container, for steam will form as the machine starts.

2. Soups, stews, and most sauces are blends of foods and flavors. These foods are far superior in flavor if made the day prior to serving. The extra time allows the mellowing and exchange of flavors to increase. Don’t worry; it’s easy. Just make the soup or selected dish the night before while cleaning the kitchen from dinner. Presto! With a few extra minutes, an extra meal is waiting in the refrigerator, ready to heat and serve.

*Optional ingredients are not included in dietary analysis.
 

Each serving provides:  An excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C and folate, and a good source of calcium, magnesium, potassium and fiber.

Credit: Recipe was developed for Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) by Chef Carmen I. Jones, CCP. This recipe meets PBH and Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) nutrition standards that maintain fruits and vegetables as healthy foods.

Nutritional Information per Serving
Calories: 98	Carbohydrates: 12g
Total Fat: 4.1g	Cholesterol: 3mg
Saturated Fat: 0.7g	Dietary Fiber: 5g
% of Calories from Fat: 33%	Sodium: 508mg
Protein: 6g