Spinach soup is a velvety, deep green bowl made from a full pound of fresh baby spinach, thickened with potato and finished with cream cheese and half and half. It’s creamy without being heavy, and it’s on the table in 40 minutes, so it works for a weeknight dinner with bread or a light lunch.
How to make spinach soup: soften onion and garlic in olive oil, simmer a cubed russet potato in chicken broth for about 15 minutes, wilt the spinach in two batches, stir in cream cheese, blend until completely smooth, then warm through with half and half.
Why You’ll Love It
- 40 minutes, one pot. Everything cooks and blends right in the pot.
- A whole pound of spinach disappears into four bowls.
- Silky and creamy from potato and cream cheese, with no flour.
- Easy to dress up with croutons and shredded Parmesan.
Ingredient Notes
Baby spinach. Sixteen ounces of fresh baby spinach. It looks like a mountain, but it wilts down to almost nothing. If you use mature spinach, pull off and discard the stalks first.
Russet potato. One large potato, 12 to 16 ounces, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. It’s the thickener: once it’s fully tender, it blends into the soup and gives it body.
Cream cheese. Four ounces, cut into 4 pieces and softened well. It doesn’t have to melt in the pot, because the blender finishes the job.
Half and half. Two-thirds of a cup to start, plus more to taste at the end if you want it creamier.
Broth. Four cups of low-sodium chicken broth; season with salt at the end.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion, chopped, 1 small
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced, about 2 cloves
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 large russet potato, 12 to 16 ounces, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 16 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into 4 pieces and softened well
- 2/3 cup half and half, or more to taste
- Homemade croutons, for serving, optional
- Finely shredded Parmesan cheese, for serving, optional
How to Make Spinach Soup
1. Cook the onion and garlic. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.
2. Simmer the potato. Pour in the chicken broth, add the potato and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes, until the potato is fully tender.
3. Wilt the spinach. Add half of the spinach, cover with the lid and cook 1 minute to nearly wilt. Stir, then add the remaining spinach, cover and cook 1 to 2 minutes to wilt.
4. Add the cream cheese. Stir in the cream cheese. It does not need to melt fully at this point.
5. Blend. Remove the soup from the heat and blend with an immersion blender until completely smooth.
6. Finish with half and half. Return the pot to medium-low heat, stir in the half and half and warm the soup through. Add more half and half to taste.
7. Serve. Serve warm with croutons and Parmesan cheese if you like.
How to Get a Silky Spinach Soup
A good spinach soup is completely smooth, thick enough to coat a spoon, and seasoned to taste at the very end. Each step in the recipe does one part of that job.
The potato thickens it. Simmer the cubes until they’re fully tender, about 15 minutes. If a cube still resists a fork, keep simmering.
The spinach goes in two batches. Add half, cover for 1 minute, stir, then add the rest and cover for 1 to 2 minutes more. Stop as soon as it has all wilted.
The cream cheese goes in soft. Cut it into 4 pieces and let it soften well before it hits the pot. Lumps are fine at this stage; the blender takes care of them.
The blender makes it velvety. Blend until there isn’t a fleck of leaf left. An immersion blender is easiest, right in the pot. With a regular blender, work in batches and pour each one back into the pot.
The half and half goes in last. Stir it in over medium-low heat and just warm the soup through. Then taste: add more half and half if you’d like it creamier, and more salt and pepper if it needs it.
| Thickener | How it goes in |
|---|---|
| Russet potato (this recipe) | Cubed, simmered in the broth until tender, then blended |
| Flour | 1/4 cup whisked in before the broth is added |
| Breadcrumbs or oats | Simmered in the soup, then blended |
Tips for Success
Why is my soup thin?
The potato wasn’t fully tender when you blended, or it was on the small side. Use a large russet of 12 to 16 ounces and simmer it the full 15 minutes before the spinach goes in.
Why are there white specks in my soup?
That’s cream cheese that went in cold and didn’t blend in. Soften it well first, and blend until the soup is completely smooth before you add the half and half.
Variations
- Vegetable broth: swap it in for the chicken broth, cup for cup.
- Dairy-free: use full-fat coconut milk in place of the half and half.
- Different garnish: top with fresh chives or a pinch of smoked paprika instead of Parmesan.
Storage & Reheating
Divide leftovers into shallow, covered containers so they cool quickly, and refrigerate within 2 hours. The soup keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge or 3 to 4 months in the freezer, though USDA FSIS notes that cream can separate and look curdled after freezing. Thaw it in the fridge, in cold water or in the microwave. Reheat covered on the stove or in the microwave until it comes to a rolling boil.
What to Serve With It
Make it a soup-and-salad night with spinach salad with warm bacon dressing. If you like creamy soups, baked potato soup, 5-ingredient slow cooker loaded potato soup and creamy chicken noodle soup are next in line. Still have spinach in the fridge? Use it in creamy spinach and mushroom gnocchi or a chicken, spinach and mushroom skillet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make simple spinach soup?
Simmer a potato in broth with onion and garlic, wilt in fresh spinach, then blend it smooth with a little cream cheese and finish with half and half. That’s the whole recipe, in 40 minutes.
What are common mistakes when adding spinach to soup?
Dumping it all in at once, and leaving tough stalks on. Add it in two batches and cook it just until it wilts, and remove the stalks if you’re using mature spinach instead of baby leaves.
How do you make spinach soup taste better?
Season it at the end, after the half and half: salt, pepper and a little more cream to taste. A squeeze of lemon, about 1 tablespoon from half a lemon, brightens it, and Parmesan on top adds a salty finish.
Can I use frozen spinach?
Yes. About 10 ounces of frozen spinach stands in for each pound of fresh.
Final Notes
Cube the potato while the onion cooks, and the spinach is in the pot before you know it. Tell me in the comments what you topped your bowl with.
Spinach Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion chopped, 1 small
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced, about 2 cloves
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 large russet potato 12 to 16 ounces, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 16 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 4 ounces cream cheese cut into 4 pieces and softened well
- 2/3 cup half and half or more to taste
- homemade croutons for serving, optional
- finely shredded Parmesan cheese for serving, optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Pour in the chicken broth, add the potato and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes, until the potato is fully tender.
- Add half of the spinach, cover with the lid and cook 1 minute to nearly wilt. Stir, then add the remaining spinach, cover and cook 1 to 2 minutes to wilt.
- Stir in the cream cheese. It does not need to melt fully at this point.
- Remove the soup from the heat and blend with an immersion blender until completely smooth.
- Return the pot to medium-low heat, stir in the half and half and warm the soup through. Add more half and half to taste.
- Serve warm with croutons and Parmesan cheese if you like.
Notes
Nutrition
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