H&H Saturday Soups and Stews: Three-Greens Soup with Spinach Gremolata

Well folks, it’s shaping up to be the perfect weekend for soup. Have you been following the forecast like we have? Snow is in the air and this hearty, warming, and meatless soup will be perfect tomorrow as the snow starts to fall throughout the afternoon. The last update I heard was 8-12 inches depending on which side of 95 you live on, but I will believe it when I see it.  Now, let’s talk soup!

I love greens — all greens — which is what drew me to this “soup of the week” over on Epicurious. Swiss chard has to be one of the more beautiful leafy greens and mixed with kale, spinach, and creamy potatoes, pairs well in the soup.

Ingredients:

• 2T olive oil
• 1 small onion thinly sliced
• Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
• 4 garlic cloves, 3 thinly sliced, 1 finely grated
• 4 cups of low salt chicken broth (use vegetable stock for the vegetarian version)
• 1 pound of Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2 bunch of collard greens, center ribs removed, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1 bunch of Swiss chard center ribs removed, coarsely chopped (about 8 cups)
• 1 5ounce package spinach (not baby), stems removed about 4 cups*
• 2t fresh lemon juice
• 2t finely grated lemon zest
• 1T toasted pine nuts
• Toilet paper, loaf of bread & milk**

* I did not remove the stems on the spinach.
** For the snow, not the soup silly.

Preparation:
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a soup pot and add onion salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add thinly sliced garlic and cook stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add broth, potatoes, collards, and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer soup until the potatoes are soft and tender about 10 minutes.

Add, Swiss chard to pot and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in 3 cups of spinach and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice until spinach is wilted. Meanwhile, chop the remaining 1 cup of spinach; place in a small bowl. Add lemon zest, finely grated garlic clove, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the chopped spinach; toss to coat. Season spinach gremolata to taste with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice if desired.

Season soup with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls. Mound spinach gremolata on top of soup in bowls and garnish with pine nuts.

This soup was a welcome change from the hearty soups and stews I have created in the past. The greens mixed with the lemon juice really added a different element of flavor. With the possible impending snow, tomorrow is always a great time to braise, roast, or make soups which fill the house with wonderful smells.

What is your go to dish on snow days? I have had a venison tenderloin in the freezer which I’ve since taken out to create this Belgian Venison Medallions.

Enjoy your weekend with family and friends.

H&H Saturday Soups and Stews is written by RVA resident, Tim Vidra. It’s a monthly series of soups and stews where Tim tries the recipes he finds first and then passes them on to you with his stamp of approval. Find more recipes on Tim’s food blog, E.A.T., advocating the use of simple local ingredients and sharing tips for how to incorporate them into dishes that will impress.