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Healthy, delicious and vibrantly green, this creamy, Ballymaloe Fresh Spinach Soup (with no cream) comes together in less than an hour and has been bringing rave reviews for over 50 years!
With summer waning and a few nights that dipped into the 50's, I'm ready to put soups back on the menu, how about you? This delicious fresh spinach soup is a great transition as it's light, super healthy and has the prettiest vibrant green color imaginable. It's wonderful with a toasted cheese sandwich and will bring lots of oohs and ahhs when served as an appetizer soup.
As the name implies, this fresh spinach soup is a recipe from Ballymaloe in Ireland where I recently spent a fabulous week taking one of their cookery classes. I adapted the recipe a bit to suit our taste and used spinach rather than watercress, as it's more readily available here in the U.S. This soup has been a favorite at the internationally renowned Ballymaloe House Restaurant ever since it opened in 1964.
Creamy with no cream
I love that this fresh spinach soup is super creamy with no cream necessary. The ingredient list is simple; butter, onion, potatoes, chicken broth, milk and loads of fresh spinach. Eight ounces might not sound like a lot, but spinach is light and eight ounces is a HUGE bowlful!
The onion and potato are gently sautéd (aka sweating) for 10 minutes then simmered together with chicken broth and milk until the veggies are super tender. The mountain of fresh spinach is then added and everything is blended to create this delicious, silky smooth soup.
Spinach, a superfood
Spinach is well known as a superfood. What does that mean? Superfoods are nutrient-dense ingredients considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being. Spinach has high levels of vitamins A, C and K, magnesium, iron and manganese and has an almost endless list of health benefits. In addition, it's super low-calorie, definitely a win, win, win ingredient!
Easy way to mix up this creamy fresh spinach soup
I like to use an immersion blender to make things easy when making creamy soups like this. If you don't have an immersion blender, you may want to pick one up or put it on your wish list. They're reasonably priced and are little kitchen workhorses. It's so nice to be able to puree soups like this fresh spinach soup, right in the pot, with no transfer to a separate appliance.
I've tried several immersion blenders, some super fancy and some pretty basic. My favorite is this simple but versatile Cuisinart Smart Stick. It can be used to blend things in pots, bowls, pitchers and measuring cups and comes with a whisk attachment.
Add a pretty and delicious garnish!
This fresh spinach soup is great on its own, but I like to add a dollop of Greek yogurt that's been thinned with a bit of milk or cream. I'm including an easy recipe for Rosemary Croutons which can be made in minutes in a pan on the stovetop. They add a nice pop of flavor and make a delicious crunchy garnish for the soup.
Café Tips for making this Ballymaloe Fresh Spinach Soup
- I like to use baby spinach for this soup. It's sweet and mild in flavor. Regular spinach can be tough and get bitter as the leaves get large. Most grocery stores carry baby spinach in both bags and cartons.
- My favorite potatoes for creamy soups are Yukon gold or other yellow flesh potatoes. They have a nice buttery flavor and pretty pale yellow color.
- I love the chicken broth from Trader Joes. It's reasonably priced, has great flavor and a nice golden color.
- If you wanted to make this vegetarian, just swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
- There are lots of ways to garnish this fresh spinach soup. As mentioned above, I used a dollop of thinned Greek yogurt, but you could also swirl a few drops of heavy cream or herb oil through the soup. In lieu of the rosemary croutons, crumpled, cooked bacon, toasted nuts, pepitas or a scatter of fresh herbs would be wonderful.
- Herb flowers or other small edible flowers make a pretty garnish for this soup.
- I used whole grain bread with the crusts removed for my croutons but sourdough bread, brioche bread or any rustic type of bread is also delicious! Feel free to leave the crust on if you like.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear other’s results and ideas for variations.
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 medium potatoes (about 1 pound) peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 large onion peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt more, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup milk (I prefer whole milk)
- 8 ounces fresh spinach
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons salted butter
- ½ teaspoon fresh finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 ½ cups diced whole grain bread sourdough or other crusty bread, 3-4 slices
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In a medium-large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter. When it foams, add the potatoes and onions and stir until well coated. Sprinkle with salt and a couple grinds of freshly ground black pepper. Reduce heat to low and cover the pot. Cook for 10 minutes until veggies are softened.
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Add the broth and the milk and return to a boil. Reduce heat to a steady simmer and cook, uncovered for 2-25 minutes or until the veggies are very tender.
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Add the fresh spinach and cover the pot for 5 minutes to allow the spinach to wilt.
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Blend the soup with an immersion blender or in a regular blender or food processor. If you use a regular blender or food processor, allow the soup to cool slightly before blending to prevent a pressure build-up (and a big mess). Taste and add more salt and freshly ground black pepper, if needed.
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Melt the 2 teaspoons butter over medium-low heat in a medium sauté pan. Add the rosemary and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
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Add the diced bread and stir gently but thoroughly to coat the bread. Cook 10 for minutes, stirring frequently, until croutons are a light golden and crisp. Remove from heat and allow to cool before storing in an airtight container.
See Café tips for further instructions and tips.
Adapted from Simply Delicious by Darina Allen
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Kim says
Love this recipe - thank you. I was looking for a new recipe with spinach, and this is wonderful. I skipped the immersion blender step for time (and made sure to chop the vegetables into small pieces), and it was amazing even without the blending. We will definitely be making this again and again. Your recipes are such a blessing.
Chris Scheuer says
Wonderful! Thank you for letting us know, Kim!
Barbara says
Could this soup be served cold?
Chris Scheuer says
It would be delicious served cold!
Alayna says
This soup is delectable! I just served it for lunch and my whole family enjoyed it.
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! Thanks for taking the time to let us know, Alayna!
Sylvia says
I'm planning to try this recipe; it sounds wonderful!
In checking out the nutrient value (I'm assuming per serving, or 1/6 of the recipe), the value for vitamin A looks to be way off the charts of possible. It's hard to think that 1 1/2 oz of spinach (per serving) could provide that amount of vitamin A benefit.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Sylvia, I don't calculate the nutritional information in my recipes but rather put it through an API app. I re-did it to see if it would change and it did come down. Not sure why it was so high at first. The average recommended daily intake of Vitamin A is 900mcg for men and 700 for women. This seems more accurate now with a value of 1125%. Spinach does have a lot of Vitamin A!
Hope you enjoy the soup!
Jennifer says
After cooking the soup is it okay to keep it warm in a crockpot until ready to serve? I want to serve it for a small dinner party for a starter dish. This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it.
Chris Scheuer says
If you’re going to make it in advance, it would be better to chill it and then warm it up right before serving on the stovetop. If it sits too long in a crockpot, it will still taste good but will lose its beautiful, vibrant color.
Lisa says
Hello! I made this soup for our family Christmas Eve dinner, and everyone loved it! Just made my second batch -- it's snowing here in Virginia, and soup seemed to be in order. We're trying to up our veggie intake and cut back on dairy, so I substituted plain, unsweetened soy milk for the whole dairy milk. I was afraid that it might ruin the whole pot, but it turned out just as delicious as the first batch and, to my taste buds, the soy milk was undetectable.
This is my fourth recipe from CSF, and I must say, you are quickly becoming one of my primary sources for recipe searches, along with NYT Cooking. So far, I've loved everything I have made from your site.
Thanks so much, and I look forward to trying more of your wonderful recipes!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thank you for letting us know, Lisa!
Abbi says
Tried this because I had some fresh spinach that needed to be used up. I was so impressed with the flavor and simplicity of the recipe! Shared it with my Auntie who still raves about it. Then shared some with a friend and her hubby who also raved about how delicious it was after begging for the recipe. Can’t wait to try some of the other delicious recipes here now! Thanks for the awesome recipe and sneaky way to get more spinach in my hubby! 😉
Chris Scheuer says
Haha! I love delicious ways of sneaking veggies in! Thanks so much, for sharing your results, Abbi!
Danielle says
I made this soup as part of our Easter meal. Everyone loved it. My husband said I should start making it weekly!
Chris Scheuer says
I bet it was so pretty as part of an Easter meal. Thanks for sharing your results, Danielle!
Melanie Connery says
Thanks for a great recipe! I love this soup and have made it several times including just last night.
Thanks Chris!
Note:
I wasn't sure it went through with the 5 stars because I failed to check the Privacy Policy first. So, this is my re -review. 😉
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Melanie! I appreciate you taking the time to leave your review. We love this soup too!
Melanie says
Love this soup! It's one of my favorites. Just made it again last night for the sixth or so time!
Thanks Chris!
Patricia Ann Holden says
We just made this soup. It was beautiful and delicious! Needed a lot more butter for the croutons but they added a lot. I served it with a dollop of sour cream and the croutons. Gorgeous green. Need to make for St. Patrick's Day! Thanks for another winner, Chris.
polly tonsetic says
Ive made this soup twice and just love the delicious (and healthy) taste. The color is so vibrant! Your soup recipes are wonderful and I've purchased lots of small glass bowls with lids so I can keep my freezer stocked. Thanks so much.
Karen says
Delicious! I substituted coconut milk and added some parsley. Do you think it would work to make this in the crock pot?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Karen, I think you could make this soup in the crockpot but I think with the long, slow cooking, you would lose the beautiful color.
Your adaptation sounds delicious!
diana says
omg ! i love those soup cups where did you buy them ? thanks for this great recipieso vibrant diana from toronto
Pat Probst says
I felt a bit uncertain about # 2 and #3 steps in the directions. Recipe said to add potatoes, onions and milk and broth and cook from 2 to 25 minutes until vegies are tender... then in next step it says add spinach and cook until vegies are tender....is the 2 to 25 min a typo of some sort? Should it be 20-25 minutes....
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Pat, thanks for noticing that. There was a repeat of the instruction. I have corrected it. Hope you enjoy the soup!
Andrea says
Chris, I made this last night, thanks so much for a really awesome recipe, comes together quickly and yummy as all get out !!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Andrea for sharing your results. So happy you enjoyed it!
Stephanie says
Made this last night. My husband and I thought it was delicious! Very easy. I used regular spinach instead of baby spinach and did not notice any bitterness. I will definitely be making this again. Thanks for sharing.
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it, Stephanie. And it's good to know that regular spinach works fine, thanks!
Pepi Brown says
Looks amazing, I make a similar spinach with a hint of curry.
Chris Scheuer says
Yum!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says
Fall is definitely in the air here, so I'm ready for soup! Love that beautiful colour and delicious and healthy is always a great combination 🙂
Liz says
We've been having a hot holiday with the family, but it sounds like things are a bit cooler in the Midwest. Looking forward to soup weather as this recipe looks yummy!
Ruth says
This soup is so pretty.....a must try, for sure. Thank you for the recipe. Also, I really appreciate the fact that you mention products that you use and really like, such as the chicken broth from a Trader Joe’s. I always find this information so helpful!
Tricia | Saving Room for Dessert says
I'm rolling right from the grill to the soup pot this year! LOVE this gorgeous soup and would love to try it soon. So healthy, vibrant and no doubt delicious! Pinned and wishing for a bowl now 🙂
Sue Hartzell says
Will this soup freeze? It sounds wonderful!
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, it will definitely freeze. When you re-warm it, just stir it well.
Linda says
Would this soup freeze well?
Chris Scheuer says
Yes!