This spinach soup is easy, healthy, absolutely delicious and has been a family favorite for years. The texture is smooth and the addition of ghee sauteed garlic on top makes it so rich and flavorful.
This Indian palak soup has surprisingly simple ingredients but tastes gourmet.
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❤️About This Recipe
Quick to make: This spinach soup gets ready in 30 minutes with just a few healthy, simple ingredients.
Simple: It is made with only 10 ingredients, they are easily available.
Taste: It’s bright green with subtle spinach flavor and that is enhanced with the right amount of garlic. (of course, you can increase or decrease the amount of garlic as per liking garlicky flavor)
Texture: Palak soup is smooth, slightly creamy and rich without being too heavy. This creaminess comes from the addition of a tiny amount of heavy cream.
Make-ahead (Meal prep friendly): It stores well in the fridge and freezer so can be made in advance and works well as meal prep.
Weeknight friendly: This spinach soup makes a comforting, cozy dinner during chilly winter nights. It is best when served with crusty bread or croutons or grilled cheese.
🧾Ingredient Notes
Spinach: I always prefer to use fresh spinach for the best flavor. But you can use frozen as well. Try to use spinach, not baby spinach. Baby spinach is so mild in flavor.
Onion, Tomato, Ginger: These are to enhance the soup flavor.
Green chili: (OPTIONAL) I have added just to add some heat.
Water vs Vegetable broth: For this spinach soup, I prefer to use water. In my opinion, the vegetable broth will overpower the mild, subtle flavor of spinach. Otherwise, I use veggie broth in all my soup recipes.
Heavy cream: I have added a tiny amount of cream to make it slightly creamy. Instead, you can add milk or half-n-half.
Ghee: It is used to saute garlic and this tempering is added to the soup. It makes the soup rich and aromatic, plus adds so much flavor to the palak soup. You can use oil or butter instead.
🎥Watch The Recipe Video
👩🍳Step By Step Photo Instructions
1) In a saucepan, take chopped onion, tomato, green chili, ginger, salt and pepper. Add water and bring this mixture to a boil.
2) Let it simmer for 10-12 minutes or until onions are softened.
3) Add spinach leaves and push them down in the liquid.
4) Let it cook for 2-3 minutes and turn off the stove. Leaves are just wilted but do not overcook otherwise it loses their green color.
5) Now use the immersion blender and make a smooth puree. You can use a blender instead.
6) Skim away most of the froth. This is optional.
7) Add heavy cream.
8) Mix well. At this point, if needed you can give it a boil to make piping hot soup. But don’t let it simmer for longer.
9) Heat the ghee in a small pan on medium heat.
10) Once hot add garlic and saute for 40-50 seconds or until the raw smell of garlic goes away. Don’t let it burn or brown otherwise it will taste bitter.
11) Add this tempering to the soup.
12) Mix well and palak soup is ready to serve.
💭Expert Tips
- Don’t overcook the spinach leaves, otherwise, spinach loses its vibrant green color. So the final product, spinach soup won’t have a bright green color.
- After pureeing, reheat the soup by bringing it to just a single boil. Don’t let it simmer otherwise again it loses its color.
- Don’t burn or brown the garlic while sauteing in the ghee. Otherwise, it will taste bad and bitter.
- Adjust the garlicky flavor, by increasing or decreasing the amount of garlic used in the spinach soup.
🥣 Storage Instructions
- In the refrigerator, it stays good for up to 4-5 days in an airtight container.
- In the freezer, spinach soup stays good for up to 3 months. Let the soup cool down completely before freezing.
- To thaw, transfer the soup container from the freezer to the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight. Gently reheat and serve.
🍽 Serving Ideas
- Light meal: It can be paired with toasted crusty bread or lots of croutons. Keep in mind that this palak soup is light on the stomach. If you are starving then this is not a good choice.
- Filling meal: To make it filling to your tummy, serve this spinach soup with a grilled cheese sandwich.
- Starter or Appetizer: It can be served in a smaller portion with a couple of croutons as a starter soup.
Check Out Other Soup Recipes
- Roasted red pepper soup
- Instant pot broccoli cheddar soup
- Roasted tomato soup
- Quinoa vegetable soup (Instant pot)
- Broccoli potato soup (Instant pot)
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Click here to leave a review.
📋 Recipe Card
Spinach Soup (Palak Soup)
Ingredients
- 1 small or ¾ cup Onion chopped
- 1 medium or 1 cup Tomato chopped
- ¼ of Green chili chopped, (OPTIONAL)
- ½ inch Ginger chopped
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 3 cups Water
- 4 cups Spinach (Palak)
- ¼ cup Heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Ghee (clarified butter)
- 1-2 teaspoons Garlic minced
Instructions
- In a saucepan, take chopped onion, tomato, green chili, ginger, salt and pepper. Add water and bring this mixture to a boil. Let it simmer for 10-12 minutes or until onions are softened.
- Add spinach leaves and push them down in the liquid. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes and turn off the stove. Leaves are just wilted but do not overcook.
- Now use the immersion blender and make a smooth puree. You can use a blender instead.
- Skim away most of the froth. This is optional.
- Add heavy cream. Mix well. At this point, if needed you can give it a boil to make piping hot soup. But don’t let it simmer for longer.
- Heat the ghee in a small pan on medium heat. Once hot add garlic and saute for 40-50 seconds or until the raw smell of garlic goes away. Don’t let it burn or brown otherwise it will taste bitter.
- Add this tempering to the soup.
- Mix well and palak soup is ready to serve.
Notes
- Don’t overcook the spinach leaves, otherwise, spinach loses its vibrant green color. So the final product, spinach soup won’t have a bright green color.
- After pureeing, reheat the soup by bringing it to just a single boil. Don’t let it simmer otherwise again it loses its color.
- Don’t burn or brown the garlic while sauteing in the ghee. Otherwise, it will taste bad and bitter.
- Adjust the garlicky flavor, by increasing or decreasing the amount of garlic used in the spinach soup.
Spice fiend
I was skeptical of this recipe bc of the lack of seasoning/spices, but it’s so yummy as is!
Kanan Patel
Glad that you liked. And yes sometimes less is more.