Spinach and Orange Soup..nice tangy soup to enjoy this winter!!!

What else can one think of other than having hot hot soup with a bread toast during these winters??

These days most of my dinners consists of only soups and salad's with some toasted bread slices,I feel this combo meal is a quiet satisfying and comforting meal and is also very light on stomach to digest.Including greens is also very essential in our daily diet because of its advantageous medicinal properties. such as spinach which has a high nutritional value and is extremely rich in Iron,antioxidants,vitamin A,C,E,K and folic acid.

I have adapted this recipe from her 'Vegetarian soups n drinks' book.This soup is a very interesting combination of spinach and orange where actually the orange gives tangyness and nice twist to the usual spinach soup.I really fell in love with this combination of this soup and now I can't think of making anything else other than this soup if I get a fresh bunch of spinach at home.Try it out by yourselves to believe it,I am sure this soup will definitely tickle your taste buds and enjoy this soup as it did magic with me.

Ingredients:
1 medium bunch Spinach(approx 1 1/2 cups when chopped)
1 medium Onion,sliced
1 medium sour Orange
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp fresh cream
1 tbsp grated cheese
1/2 tsp Sugar
1/4 tsp pepper powder(freshly ground)
salt to taste

For Spice bag:
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
2 cloves
2 garlic pods
1/4 tsp black pepper corns

Method:

• Wash the spinach properly and soak it in salted water for 8-10 mins.Drain and chop them.
• Peel the outer skin from orange.Remove seeds,pith,skin and separate it into segments.
• Crush the spices(mentioned under spice bag) lightly in a mortar and pestle and tie it in a muslin cloth to form a potli.
• Heat butter and fry onions and then add chopped spinach leaves.I replaced the butter by adding a tsp of oil to avoid the extra calories.
• Still till the leaves shrink and moisture is absorbed in reduced flame.
• Pour just enough water to cover,add orange segments,spice bag and cook for 7-8 mins(do not cover it).You can even pressure cook the above mixture,but you will loose the lovely green color of spinach in that process.
• Cool down and then discard the spice bag after squeezing well.Blend the spinach mixture into a smooth puree and then strain through a sieve if necessary.I prefer mine without sieving the mixture.
• Dilute it with required amount of water,I like soups of medium thickness consistency so I added little more water,So add water according to your desired consistency.
• Add salt,sugar and pepper powder and reheat till the boiling point in reduced flame stirring in between.
• Pour hot in individual soup bowls and dot with whipped cream and sprinkle grated cheese over it.I completely avoided whipped cream and cheese and I just sprinkled some freshly crushed pepper and a fried crouton over it.It is your choice completely to make the soup rich and yummy.
  

Serve it hot with any accompaniments.


I served the soup with Fattoush,garlic bread with cheese and cut fresh fruits.It was a refreshing wholesome dinner.


Soups are incomplete without a toast of bread and they taste best with cheese layered garlic bread.So I am sending this combo of soup and garlic bread to the 'The COMBO' event by Pari of Foodelicious,I wish her All the best for her very first event.

This soup is even participating in Usha's 'Healthy Inspiration Event-Soups'.