Spinach & Feta Soup
This was a favorite soup of so many cafe' customers! The original recipe comes from one of my favorite soup cookbooks, The New England Soup Factory Cookbook-this is my version. The bright green color and complex flavors cause even spinach-haters to become fans. You can use fresh spinach, but I find using the frozen stuff causes the soup to retain its bright green color much better!
3 Tablespoons Butter
4 Whole Cloves Garlic, peeled
1 Large Spanish Onion, peeled and dice
3 Ribs Celery, diced
4 Large Yukon Gold Potato, peeled and cubed
6 Cups Chicken Stock
1 Cup White Wine
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
2 Pounds Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed, not drained
2 Cups Half and Half
1 Cup Crumbled Feta Cheese
1/4 Cup Pine Nuts, toasted, (reserved some for garnish, if desired
1 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce, or to taste
Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper, to taste
In a stock pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and sauté for an additional 5 minutes. Add the stock and wine. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are very soft and tender, 30-35 minutes. Add the nutmeg and spinach. Stir in well. Remove from the heat and puree with a hand-held blender until very smooth. (Use a regular blender if you haven't an immersion blender. Do it in batches, being careful not to overfill and holding a kitchen towel over the top while processing.)
Stir in the cream, cheese, pine nuts, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Return the pot to the stove and simmer an additional 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings.
Garnish each serving with additional crumbled Feta cheese and a few pine nuts, if desired.