Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Soup
From: Ian Seddon's Cookbook
🥘 Ingredients
- bay leaves 2
- of fresh sage or fresh rosemary 1 sprig
- sprigs of fresh thyme 5-8
- white jasmine rice or other long-grain white rice 0.33 cup
- artichoke hearts 1
- extra virgin olive oil 2-3 tsp
- vegetable broth 4 cup
- cannellini beans 1
- medium lemon 1
- creamy plain-flavored plant-based milk ½ cup
- extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp
- nutritional yeast ¼ cup
- white miso 1 tbsp
- Kosher
- baby spinach 3-5 oz
- big handful flat-leaf parsley leaves & tender stems or fresh basil 14 g
- Crusty bread to serve 4
Bouquet Garni (With Sage or Rosemary)
If you don’t have kitchen twine: replace the twine with (a) a long stem of parsley with leaves removed or (b) plain, unwaxed dental floss. Or, place the herbs in a piece of cheesecloth and use the corners to tie it into a knot. Don’t have any of those? Skip this prep step and see recipe notes for the main dinner recipes for alternative instructions.
If using frozen artichoke hearts instead of canned, thaw ~9 oz of frozen artichoke hearts in the fridge overnight, or cook per the package instructions, then cool before using. Didn’t make a bouquet garni? Finely chop the leaves from 1 large sprig of sage/rosemary and strip the leaves from 5-8 thyme sprigs. In step 2, sauté the herbs for 1 to 2 minutes before adding the Saucy White Beans & Fennel. When you add the broth in step 4, add 2 bay leaves; discard the bay leaves before serving the soup. Storage: Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. This soup will thicken as it rests, so when reheating, add a splash of water or broth as needed. Add on freshly chopped parsley/basil or fennel fronds (if you have any) along with a drizzle of olive oil right before serving. Storage: Got more leftovers? This soup is freezer-friendly! Store it in single-serve portions and defrost it in the fridge. For quicker defrosting, I recommend these Souper Cubes. Nutrition boost: Use the larger amount of spinach called for in the recipe. Serve with seeded whole grain bread. Shortcut: Skip the White Bean Puree. Instead, add the 1 can of cannellini beans to the soup along with the artichoke hearts in step 4; after simmering, stir in the nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt/pepper to taste, followed by the spinach.
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1Prepare: bay leaves , of fresh sage or fresh rosemary , sprigs of fresh thyme .
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2Gather the bay leaves and herb sprigs in a single pile. Use kitchen twine (see Note) to tightly tie them together. Label and store in a ziploc bag or small airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
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3Gather: white jasmine rice or other long-grain white rice , artichoke hearts , extra virgin olive oil . For the timer cup saucy white beans & fennel (from saucy white beans): vegetable broth , Bouquet Garni (from sage, thyme, and bay leaves) (from meal prep) (see Note 2). For the white bean puree: cannellini beans , medium lemon , creamy plain-flavored plant-based milk , extra virgin olive oil , nutritional yeast , white miso , Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, baby spinach . For the for serving:: big handful flat-leaf parsley leaves & tender stems or fresh basil , Crusty bread to serve .
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4Add the rice to a fine-mesh sieve and rinse a few times. Set aside. Drain and rinse the artichokes, then finely chop them.
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5In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat a touch of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the Saucy White Beans & Fennel and cook for 3-4 minutes until warmed through, stirring frequently (if it sticks, add more oil).
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6Add the rinsed rice and cook for 1 minutes , stirring frequently.
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7Pour in some of the vegetable broth and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add the remaining broth and chopped artichoke hearts. Stir to combine and nestle in the Bouquet Garni.
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8Bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pan and reduce the heat to low or medium-low to maintain a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes , stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, or until the rice is soft and tender.
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9While the soup simmers, prepare the other ingredients. White Bean Puree: Drain and rinse the cannellini beans. Zest and juice the lemon. Add the beans to a food processor (or small-capacity blender) along with the lemon zest plus 1 1/2 tbsp of lemon juice, the milk, olive oil, nutritional yeast, miso, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and pepper to taste. Blend until completely pureed and smooth. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt or lemon juice as needed. Spinach: Roughly chop. Herbs: Chop the parsley or basil and fennel fronds, if using. Bread: Toast if desired.
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10Once the rice is tender, remove the Bouquet Garni and stir the White Bean Puree into the soup. Simmer for 1-2 minutes , stirring frequently until thickened. Add in chopped spinach and cook until wilted. Off the heat, taste, adding more lemon juice, salt, or pepper as desired.
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11To serve: Divide the soup into bowls and top each with chopped herbs. Drizzle some olive oil on top of each bowl. Serve crusty bread on the side.