It’s a green soup for a green summer! It’s also savory and filling, full of good veggies, and is only about 150 calories for a 1.5 cup serving. You don’t really taste the spinach all that much, the basil and dill improves and brightens the flavor. The soup is good hot or cold, freezes well, and keeps well in the fridge for at least a week.
Ingredients
1 pound of frozen spinach
1 12 oz package of frozen broccoli and cauliflower
1 package fresh basil (about 6 oz)
1 15 oz can chickpeas
Few ounces mushrooms (to taste, roughly 4 or 5 oz)
4 or 5 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 TB dried dill weed
4 large chicken bouillon cubes (I used Caldo de Pollo but you could use any, including vegetarian bouillon or even homemade stock)
Water as needed
Directions
Cook spinach, broccoli, cauliflower and garlic gently until just tender. Turn off heat. Blend 1 can chickpeas, with liquid, until smooth. Add part of the bunch of dill, plus any water needed for processing, and blend till smooth.
Blend all vegetables until smooth and well mixed, including garlic. Return vegetables to pot and heat gently, adding bouillon cubes, dill, salt, and pepper to taste. Freshly cracked pepper is the best. Add sliced mushrooms and stop simmering when they are tender. Do not over-cook, color should still be a vibrant jade green.
Serve hot or cold with whole wheat or sourdough bread, naan, pita, or any other bread/flatbread. This can also make a good sauce or dip.
Tips: Remove stems from basil before blending, if you want to avoid a funky fibrous texture.
Work in smaller batches and use extra liquid if your blender isn’t very strong. Can also use a food processor.
Variations: Experiment with other vegetables, such as carrots, potatoes, etc to initial simmer. Can also use pure broccoli or pure cauliflower. If you use fresh spinach, remove stems first unless you have a really powerful blender. Puree and add more canned chickpeas, white beans or butter beans for additional protein and fiber. Adjust spices as desired.
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