Green Soup

Vibrant, fortifying and endlessly adaptable

Our CSA is in full “green” swing. Last week my fridge contained three huge bags of juicy, deep green spinach along with Japanese turnips greens, tender chard, green garlic, scapes and cilantro. I knew there was no way we could get through the week’s bounty without a plan. I cannot depend on the children to help with eating the greens unless its kale (for kale chips) or arugula and pea shoots for salad—everything else is on me. So an alternate plan to use some of the bounty was essential.

Before the kids came along, I thought nothing of eating a bowl of lightly steamed greens daily. Now, it’s an added item on the dinner menu and adds even more dishes to the already bursting load waiting for washing in the sink. However, with the arrival of truly stunning local vegetables I am enthusiastically re-committing to daily greens with or without the support of the whole family.

You may wonder: Why am I sharing a soup recipe just as summer begins? Well, it’s a great way to cook these generous bunches of greens that are in abundance at the farmers market or in your garden. You could use this method for tender kale and chard too (I’ll explain the slight difference in the livestream). If you’re reading from the southern hemisphere you’ll be well into soup season and may appreciate a new recipe around about now. We have had a cool June so soup hasn’t felt stifling for me to eat soup. On hotter days I have sipped the emerald soup room temperature from a jar on the go and really enjoyed the rejuvenating boost it provides.

Within days of picking spinach loses up to 50 % of its vitamin C content so it’s good to