I recently got a beautiful new cookbook in the mail from fellow food blogger Jenny McGruther with Nourished Kitchen, and I am excited to share one of the recipes with you today! Jenny’s new book is so nicely done and totally in line with my ideals of avoiding all highly processed food. But I must admit she does take things a step further than me by sharing how to make many amazing staples from scratch like yogurt, sour cream, kombucha, sauerkraut, and so many different kinds of breads. Plus the book has tons of other enticing recipes (over 160 in total) including soups, salads, main dishes, desserts, and more. Talk about inspiration!
The first recipe I decided to make from this book was Potato and Spinach Soup with Jalapeño. This dish sounded awesome to me because the potatoes would make the dish fairly filling, all the veggies you would need for your meal are blended in, and uh, it calls for bacon. :) I did top it off with the recommended sour cream, but the following day I had the last bit of leftover soup topped with a little mild cheddar cheese and it was pretty much just as delicious. So here is a copy of that recipe just for you. (Thanks Jenny for letting me share it!)
Potato and Spinach Soup with Jalapeño
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons butter, unsalted
- 4 ounces bacon, finely chopped
- 1 red onion, small, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
- 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 8 ounces spinach, tough stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped
- sea salt, unrefined, finely ground, enough to taste
- sour cream, to serve (or freshly grated cheese!)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a heavy stockpot over medium heat. Toss in the chopped bacon and allow it to render its fat and become crisp, about 6 minutes. Stir in the onion and fry it until it softens and releases its fragrance, about 3 minutes. Stir in the jalapeño and continue frying for 1 to 2 minutes, until the jalapeño is fragrant.
- Toss the potatoes into the pot and pour in the broth. Cover the pot and allow the mixture to simmer for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes fall apart when pressed with the tines of a fork. Stir in the spinach, cover the pot once more, and turn off the heat. Let stand until the spinach wilts in the heat of the soup, about 8 minutes.
- Puree the soup with an immersion blender until perfectly smooth, with no lumps remaining. Season with salt and serve the soup, topping each bowl with a spoonful of sour cream (or cheese).
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
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We are trying to go Nitrate free and have not found local bacon that is nitrate free.
So, the question is what I can replace the bacon with?
Hi Angi. This will help: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-add-the-smokey-flavor-of-bacon-to-vegetarian-and-vegan-dishes-171151. :)
Oh oh…forgot to add spinach at the end ….Still yummy!
I have g6pd so I’m changing my diet I can’t wait to try these recipes