Creamy Broccoli and Spinach Soup

Recipe by Dawn Perry via http://www.realsimple.com

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This is a perfect example of a delicious soup for lunch, dinner or even a dinner party first course that is very quick and easy to make plus it’s full of good-for-you vegetables.  It will take about ½ hour to make…start to finish and most of that is cooking time. So during the cooking time, you can toss a salad and set the table for a fantastic meal your family will love.  Use vegetable broth to make this a Meatless Monday lunch or dinner.

Ingredients

2 leeks, chopped or 2 small sweet onions, sliced

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Kosher salt and black pepper

6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or chicken broth

1 bunch broccoli, chopped

1 small russet potato or 3 small red or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped

5 ounces spinach (about ½ bag or a very big handful)

Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

Directions

Cook the leeks or onions in the butter with ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a large pot over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes.

Add the vegetable broth, broccoli, and potato. Bring to a boil.  Lower to heat and simmer until tender, 18 to 22 minutes.

Stir in the spinach until wilted. Transfer the mixture to a blender (or use an immersion blender or food processor) and puree until smooth. Top with the sour cream or Greek yogurt and black pepper to taste before serving.

Nutritional Information per Serving:

Calories 250; Fat 12g; Sat Fat 7g; Cholesterol 30mg; Sodium 692mg; Protein 7g; Carbohydrate 32g; Sugar 8g; Fiber 9g; Iron 4mg; Calcium 163mg