Spinach and Ginger Soup Perfumed with Cloves

Name: Spinach and Ginger Soup Perfumed with Cloves
Yield: serves 4¿6
Ingredients: 4 cups chicken stock; 10 ounces spinach, well washed and coarsely chopped; 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut crossways into thick slices; 1 medium (4 ounces) onion, coarsely chopped; 1 large potato (8–9 ounces), peeled and coarsely chopped; 1/2–1 fresh hot green chili, chopped (if using a jalapeño, use 1/4); One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and very finely chopped; 2 whole cloves; 10 black peppercorns; Salt; 1/2 cup heavy cream, plus a little more for dribbling; 2 teaspoons lemon juice

December 9, 2011

Here is a soup that is perfect for cold winter days, the ginger in it providing lasting warmth. The ginger also helps if you have a cold and acts as a stabilizer for those who suffer from travel sickness. Apart from all its health-giving properties (which Indians always have in the back of their heads), this is a delicious soup that can be served at any meal.

Recipe information

Yield
serves 4¿6

Ingredients

4 cups chicken stock

10 ounces spinach, well washed and coarsely chopped

1 medium carrot, peeled and cut crossways into thick slices

1 medium (4 ounces) onion, coarsely chopped

1 large potato (8–9 ounces), peeled and coarsely chopped

1/2–1 fresh hot green chili, chopped (if using a jalapeño, use 1/4)

One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and very finely chopped

2 whole cloves

10 black peppercorns

Salt

1/2 cup heavy cream, plus a little more for dribbling

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Preparation

Step 1
Pour the stock into a good-sized pan, and stir in the spinach, carrots, onions, potatoes, green chili, ginger, cloves, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Step 2
Blend the soup in batches until smooth. Pour back into the pan through a coarse strainer, adding 3/4 teaspoon salt (more if the stock was unsalted), the 1/2 cup cream, and the lemon juice. Mix and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring and tasting for balance of seasonings. Dribble a little bit of cream on top of every serving, if desired.

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Excerpted from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey. Copyright © 2010 by Random House. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Buy the full book from Amazon.

Recipe information

Ingredients

Preparation

Step 1

Step 2

Recipe notes