You know, the one thing about Rachael Ray, she loves funky food mashups that turn into something delicious! And in the case of this next soup, this melding of the ingredients turned out to be downright special. Every Day with Rachael Ray Magazine Executive Editor Nina Elder told Tonia's Kitchen about their Spinnocoli Soup, which as you might guess is something of a mash-up of spinach and broccoli. But it doesn't end there. Nina told Tonia that she made this soup and added parsnips to the mix for a different kind of flavor. You can use your creativity too, and make this soup what you want it to be. Tonia says it's one of her most requested recipes. It's not hard to see why!
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 leeks, whites and light green tops chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small head broccoli, trimmed and chopped
2 tablespoons thyme, chopped
1 large russet potato, peeled and coarsely grated on large side of box grater
Salt and pepper
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
12 ounces spinach, stemmed and coarsely chopped
Heat olive oil in a medium soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add butter and melt; when it foams, add leeks and garlic, and stir 2 minutes. Add broccoli, thyme, potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Raise heat a bit and cover to sweat 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add stock and bring to boil. Wilt in the spinach and season with a little freshly grated nutmeg then blend with an immersion blender or purée in batches in a food processor. Add a cup of water if soup is too thick. Adjust seasoning and add lemon zest and juice.
Serve soup in shallow bowls with a fat dollop of crème fraiche and topped with nuts and cheese. -
A little freshly grated nutmeg, 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon, to taste
2 teaspoons lemon zest plus juice of 1/2 lemon
Crème fraîche, to serve
Coarsely chopped toasted walnuts or hazelnuts, to serve
Shaved or grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
