Healthy Indian Spinach Soup Recipe – Cozy, creamy, comforting, spicy yet light !!! Made with fresh spinach, cashews and warm spices, this dairy free soup is made without cream – Perfect for the fall ( and flu ) season!
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Fall season calls for comforting soups like Egg drop Tomato Soup, Instant pot tomato soup, Shrimp soup or Thai coconut curry soup. Today it is a delicious Indian Inspired cream of spinach soup that is light, spicy and tasty.
Spinach is the first thing you think of when you hear iron-rich leafy green. Spinach is also rich in Vitamin A, C, K, calcium, magnesium, folic acid, and iron. Also low in calories but high in fiber, it can be used in various recipes for dinner, lunch or even appetizers.
Cashews make the soup very creamy instead of any potato or cream. It also makes it delicious like this Sriracha Cauliflower, Cashew Chicken, Mint Chutney, Butter Shrimp or Butter Chickpeas.
Indian Spinach Soup
- Creamy without the cream
- Comforting
- Spicy
- Healthy
- Light
- Dairy free / Gluten Free
- Amazingly delicious
Main ingredients
Just your basic pantry ingredients ( plus spinach) for a palak soup recipe without potatoes is so perfect to warm cold fall nights!
Spinach – We used fresh baby spinach which is mildly flavored and cooks fast.
Cashews – Raw whole cashews
Chicken stock – Use vegetarian stock to make it vegetarian
Spices – Coriander, cayenne and turmeric powders.
Basics – onion and garlic
How to make spinach soup?
Step-1: Toast cumin seeds in some vegetable oil. Add raw cashews, chopped onion and garlic. Saute until translucent.
Step-2: Add spinach leaves, coriander powder, cayenne pepper powder and turmeric powder. Saute until spinach is wilted and spices are toasted.
Step-3: Stir in chicken stock and salt. Bring to a boil and let boil for 1 minute ( not any longer).
Step-4: Cool and blend until smooth
More recipes with healthy leafy greens –
- Chickpea Curry with Spinach
- Thai Chickpea Curry
- Kale Dal
- Chicken and Kale Curry
- Italian Shrimp Spinach Soup
Expert tips:
Use baby spinach – It’s sweet and mild in flavor. Regular spinach can be tough and takes longer to cook. Most grocery stores carry baby spinach in both bags and cartons.
Boil only for one minute – Bring the soup to a boil and let boil for exactly one minute. Boiling it longer will change the green color.
Toasting Cumin Seeds – This adds a key flavor. Add cumin seeds only when the vegetable oil is hot (not smoking hot). The cumin seeds will toast and get larger in size.
Raw Cashews – If you have only roasted cashews, then add then along with the chicken stock.
Take time in wilting the spinach and toasting spices ( but do not cook way too long). This develops flavor!
Chicken stock – I used 33 % less sodium chicken stock. If using regular sodium or no sodium, then adjust salt accordingly.
Salt – I used 33% less sodium chicken stock and 1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon salt. If you are using regular sodium or no sodium chicken stock then adjust salt accordingly.
How to store leftovers?
Leftover palak soup can be refrigerated in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Warm in microwave to re heat.
Freezing instructions
Freeze soup in sealed containers for up to a month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm in microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Soup is a great way to incorporate this healthy leafy green into your diet. It is loaded with Vitamin A, C, K, calcium, magnesium, folic acid, and iron, fiber and also low in calories.
Baby spinach is widely available in all grocery stores packed in cartons or bags. They taste mild and cooks in minutes when compared the regular leaf spinach.
Baby spinach is mild tasting, cooks in minutes and instantly elevates the nutrition in any soup recipe. It can be added chopped or pureed and does not have a strong flavor which makes it a great option for picky eaters.
More Soups
Instant Pot Thai Curry Soup with Shrimp and Sweet Potato
Healthy Indian Spinach Soup (Palak Soup)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
Group-1
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 30 raw cashews
Group-2
- 2 medium handfuls baby spinach
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder use less if desired
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder
Additional ingredients
- 1 x 14.5oz can chicken stock
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt refer notes
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
- When hot, add cumin seeds and let toast. Add group-1 ingredients, saute for about 2 minutes until onions are translucent.
- Add group-2 ingredients, saute for 1-2 minutes, until spinach is wilted and spices are toasted.
- Add stock and salt (I added 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon salt ), let it come to a boil and continue to cook for 1 minute (NOT LONGER). Take off heat and let cool. Pour mixture into a blender, add salt , blend until creamy and smooth.
- Pour into bowls and serve.
Notes
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cat
Sunday 24th of October 2021
I was bored at home, craving hot soup as feeling low energy and flu-ey. Used veggie bouillon for my stock, and did not have coriander or garlic in my pantry...but it turned out GREAT!! I did have fresh cayenne and turmeric I brought back from Morocco and used these. I LOVE veggies and eat 10 cups a day so threw in a huge bunch of spinach. It was delicious, light, healthy and nutritious. I like to get my proteins from nuts so the cashews were great to avoid needing meat or tofu (YAWN). Thank you for saving me with this Saturday Soup Surprise..!!!
Maria Doss
Monday 25th of October 2021
Hi Cat, Happy to hear that, Maria
deborah
Tuesday 27th of February 2018
I got to make this delicious soup this weekend. I just love it! It was so quick to make and had so much flavor. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Maria Doss
Tuesday 27th of February 2018
You are so welcome, glad you loved it :)
Deepika|TheLoveOfCakes
Wednesday 21st of February 2018
What a pretty color! And I love that you have used cashews instead of cream! And its such a quick recipe! Lovely!!
Maria Doss
Thursday 1st of March 2018
Thank you Deepika:)
Katherine | Love In My Oven
Wednesday 21st of February 2018
That delightful green is enough to make me want to make this, Maria!! But it also sounds DELICIOUS!
Maria Doss
Thursday 1st of March 2018
Thank you Kathy:)
heather (delicious not gorgeous)
Tuesday 20th of February 2018
ooo yes love that you used cashews!!! it makes things so creamy and dreamy. i once added them to a smoothie that was marketed to taste like apple pie, and it definitely gave the smoothie a buttery, pie crust like element (:
Maria Doss
Wednesday 21st of February 2018
Thank you Heather:)