Squash and Spinach Soup
Now, this soup uses real ingenuity. A vibrant green, the soup is beautiful to look at as well as eat. I call this a kitchen-sink soup because it uses vegetables, milk, and pasta, and was created just by having the ingredients on hand.
Serves6 to 8
CostInexpensive
Total Timeunder 1 hour
Make Ahead RecipeYes
Kid FriendlyYes
One Pot MealYes
Recipe Courseappetizer, main course
Dietary Considerationegg-free, halal, kosher, peanut free, soy free, tree nut free, vegetarian
Mealdinner, lunch
Type of Dishhot soup, soup
Ingredients
- 1 10-ounce bag fresh spinach, washed, drained, and stemmed
- 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter
- 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
- 1 pound yellow summer squash (about 3 small), cubed
- 1 pound potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup milk
- 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt, or more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup ditalini or other soup pasta
- Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving
Instructions
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Place the spinach in a 3-quart soup pot, cover, and cook without any additional water until limp, about 3 minutes. Drain the spinach in a colander and let cool. Press out the excess water with a wooden spoon, then coarsely chop the spinach. Set aside.
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Wipe out the soup pot, return it to the heat, and melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until soft. Add the squash and potatoes, and cook the vegetables together, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Add the water, milk, salt, and pepper. Stir, combining ingredients well, cover the pot, and boil gently for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Turn off the heat.
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In a skillet, heat the remaining butter. Add the spinach and cook for 3 or 4 minutes. Add the spinach to the soup and stir well to blend.
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In a food processor, puree the soup in batches until smooth. Return the soup to the soup pot and set aside.
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In a medium saucepan, boil the pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and add to the soup.
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To serve, reheat the soup and serve in individual bowls. Pass the cheese for sprinkling on top.
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Variation: Use thin slices of uncooked yellow squash as a garnish.
1993 Mary Ann Esposito
