In the kitchen with Elisa
Finnish Spinach Soup
Creamy spinach soup the Finnish way
What to do with all the spinach?​
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That was the exact question I asked myself last year just before I made this soup. I planted a lot, like really a lot of spinach in our garden and once it started growing I didn't really know what I should do with it. So I remembered a few Finnish recipes, but both of these were for something that is usually bought ready made from the store and I personally knew nobody who had made these things from scratch. Well, that wouldn't stop me right? :D ​
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The first recipe I decided to make ​was Savory Spinach Pancakes, as those were really my favourite food during my school years. I must also say that the homemade ones, they were so much better than the ready made ones that we finished them in no time. Then there was another recipe, Spinach Soup or Pinaattikeitto how it is called in Finnish, but that used to be something I absolutely hated as a kid and I never ate it at school. The days when we had this soup on the menu meant for me eating lots of eggs with crackers :D However, as I know from very many other things I used to hate as a kid, taste preferences can change. And making something from scratch also changes the game. So I made this soup last year with the leftover spinach from the pancakes and it was delicious!! :) Unfortunately I didn't film it as I was really sceptic to whether I will like it and the bugs ended eating the rest of our spinach..
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Luckily​ this summer I got some spinach again and so I decided to film and finally share this traditional Finnish recipe with you :) I know it is something very different, but that doesn't mean it is not delicious :)
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Enjoy!
Step by Step Video
RECIPE
Finnish Spinach Soup
Creamy spinach soup the Finnish way
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​INGREDIENTS
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1 medium white onion
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2 garlic cloves
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100-200g (½ – 1 cup) fresh spinach (or frozen)
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olive oil
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50g (1/3 cup) butter
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50g (½ cup) flour
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800ml (3 1/3 cup) milk
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salt & pepper to taste
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hard boiled eggs for serving
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DIRECTIONS
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Peel the onion and dice finely. Also peel the garlic cloves and dice finely.
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Wash the spinach well, remove the hard stalks and chop roughly.
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Heat a medium pan over medium heat, cover the bottom with olive oil and add the onion and the garlic. Keep the heat on medium and cook the onion with the garlic until translucent and soft. No need to brown.
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Once the onions are translucent add in the spinach, cover with a lid and cook until softened and cook through. Make sure to keep the heat medium to medium-low to ensure the spinach doesn't burn.
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After a couple of minutes the spinach should have cooked through. Once cooked through remove from heat and leave aside. If using frozen spinach, cook the onions the same way, then add the frozen spinach, allow to defrost and cook until cooked through.
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To make the base for the soup melt the butter in a medium pot (3 litre or 13 cup) over medium heat. Once melted whisk in the flour and cook off the flour for a couple of minutes while whisking continuously. Then pour in the milk slowly while whisking. Cook the base until it starts to thicken whisking continuously so it doesn't form lumps or burn to the bottom of the pot. (See video)
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When the base is thick and creamy you can add in the spinach, turn of the heat, season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat. Allow to proof for about 30 minutes before serving.
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Serve with hard boiled eggs and bread.
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Enjoy!
