Here’s the mouthwatering spinach soup recipe that Popeye would totally recommend, check benefits inside
As Kadha takes a backseat amid the winter of Covid-19 pandemic, one snack remains constant – the soup and we have the recipe of one which even Popeye would recommend in a jiffy. As it is officially the season of soups, what better than binging on one that is loaded with tons of nutrients in a low-calorie package and boosts skin, hair and bone health?
The several months of coronavirus lockdown made us grab our chef hats and those who could not even prepare simple eggs were seen baking their own bread. Move over Dalgona coffee, banana bread and other menu challenges of yesterday as here’s the recipe of mouthwatering spinach or palak soup which even aids in weight loss by reducing your overall calorie intake.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp butter
1 medium sized onion (finely chopped)
1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
1 bunch spinach leaves
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp corn flour
1 tsp fresh cream
salt as per taste
Method:
Take a pan and add butter, onions and garlic. Sauté until it turns golden brown. After making sure to cut the stem, clean the spinach leaves before use. Add them to the pan and sauté on medium flame for a minute till they shrink in size and allow it to cool completely.
Transfer the mixture to a blender and make a smooth puree out of it by adding water as required. Pour out the blended puree to the same pan and add milk, salt and give them all a good mix. Bring the puree to boil.
Next, add black pepper, sugar and corn flour paste and stir them in quick motions. (Note: To prepare corn flour paste, stir 1 tbsp of corn starch with 1/4 cup water and make a paste out of it. Add it to the soup, stir again and check the consistency)
Pour the soup in a serving bowl and garnish with fresh cream.
(Recipe courtesy: Instagram/whiskaway2020)
Benefits:
Apart from being cheap and easy to prepare if not served raw, spinach is known to contain 28.1 milligrams of vitamin C in a 100-gram serving as per the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Since it is high in fiber and water, it promotes a healthy digestive tract by preventing constipation.
The leaves of spinach are also rich in protein, iron, vitamins and minerals. The vitamin A in it moisturises the skin and hair while the vitamin C in it provides structure to skin and hair and the iron content keeps hair loss at bay.
Managing diabetes, preventing cancer and asthma and lowering blood pressure are added benefits of spinach. Spinach soup can be prepared in less than 30 minutes.
It makes for an ideal light lunch with a simple salad and even as a great dinner starter. Happy binging!