Description
This Calming Green Soup is a soothing, nutrient-packed blend of courgettes, potatoes, peas, and spinach, infused with cumin and fresh mint. It’s a comforting, low-fat, and vegetarian-friendly recipe perfect for a healthy lunch or dinner, served with a dollop of creamy low-fat yogurt.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Herbs
- 2 red onions, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 courgettes, roughly chopped
- 1 large potato (around 300g), peeled and roughly chopped
- 250g frozen peas
- 400g baby spinach
- 20g mint, roughly chopped, a few leaves left whole (to serve)
Liquids and Oils
- 1½ tbsp vegetable oil
- 1.3 litres vegetable stock, made with a low-salt stock cube
- 150ml pot low-fat natural yogurt, to serve
Instructions
- Heat and sauté onions: Heat the vegetable oil in a large, deep pan. Add the chopped onions along with a large pinch of salt and cook for 10-12 minutes until they are softened but not browned or golden.
- Add spices and vegetables: Stir in the finely grated garlic, cumin seeds, roughly chopped courgettes, and peeled, chopped potatoes. Cook the mixture for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently until the vegetables have softened somewhat.
- Add stock and simmer: Pour in the prepared vegetable stock and season the soup well with salt and pepper. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow the soup to bubble gently for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are very soft and tender.
- Add peas, spinach, and mint: Stir in the frozen peas along with the baby spinach in handfuls. Sprinkle in the roughly chopped mint and cook the soup for another 3 minutes until the peas are heated through and the spinach has wilted.
- Blend the soup: Use a high-powered blender or an immersion hand blender to blend the soup until smooth and creamy. Adjust seasoning to taste with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve: Divide the blended soup evenly between four bowls. Top each serving with a spoonful of low-fat natural yogurt, some remaining whole mint leaves, and finish with a fresh grinding of black pepper for an aromatic touch.
Notes
- Use a low-salt vegetable stock to keep the sodium content low.
- For a vegan version, substitute the low-fat yogurt with a plant-based alternative or omit altogether.
- You can substitute courgettes with zucchini if preferred.
- To save time, frozen spinach can be used, but fresh baby spinach provides better texture and flavor.
- This soup can be reheated gently on the stovetop or in a microwave.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: green soup, courgette soup, spinach soup, low-fat soup, vegetarian soup, healthy soup, comfort food
