Spinach Feta Pine Nut Soup, light & extra light...

Yes, the weather is still cold here in Minnesota, so I'm still making soups… besides, they pair well with my latest bread recipe :)

This is another recipe that started it's life in the following book… I really do recommend this book for anyone who loves soup!!  I make changes to the original, some minor & some significant, in order to lighten things up based on my weight loss/maintenance goals.  But the original is where I start…

Light Version - Recommended

Ingredients:
  Olive Oil Spray
  4 cloves Garlic, minced
  1 large Yellow Onion, chopped roughly
  3 ribs Celery, chopped roughly
  1 1/2 pounds Yellow/Gold Potatoes, cut into chunks
  6 cups Vegetable Broth
    (I use 6 tsp Better Than Bouillon Vegetable + 6 cups water)
  1 cup white wine
  1/2 tsp ground Nutmeg (I like to grind mine fresh, but not necessary)
  2 pounds fresh Spinach (leaves & stems)
  2 cups Fat Free Half & Half
  12 oz Crumbled Feta
  1/4 cup Pine Nuts
  4 dashes Worcestershire
  Salt & Pepper to taste (I like to grind mine fresh)

( Directions below Picture )

Extra Light Version - still quite good, but I like the one above better, an option for those who feel they must lighten as much as possible.    Differences from the Light Version: This one removes the wine & a cup of the half & half, replacing them with vegetable broth.  Also, the feta used is fat-free & only half the quantity of feta is used.

Ingredients:

  Olive Oil Spray
  4 cloves Garlic, minced
  1 large Yellow Onion, chopped roughly
  3 ribs Celery, chopped roughly
  1 1/2 pounds Yellow/Gold Potatoes, cut into chunks
  8 cups Vegetable Broth
    (I use 8 tsp Better Than Bouillon Vegetable + 8 cups water)
  1/2 tsp ground Nutmeg (I like to grind mine fresh, but not necessary)
  2 pounds fresh Spinach (leaves & stems)
  1 cups Fat Free Half & Half
  6 oz Crumbled Fat Free Feta
  1/4 cup Pine Nuts
  4 dashes Worcestershire
  Salt & Pepper to taste (I like to grind mine fresh)



( Directions below Picture )

This is a picture of the extra light soup

Directions:

Spray a stockpot with Olive Oil, place the following in the pot: Garlic, Onion, Celery.  Sauté about 5 minutes, add Potatoes & sauté another 5 minutes.

Add the Vegetable Broth (and Wine if doing the Light version), bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium & cover.  Cook for about a half hour - long enough for the potatoes to cook tender.

Remove from heat, stir in Nutmeg and Spinach, stir until Spinach has wilted.

Blend the soup using an Immersion Blender - or in batches using a regular blender.

Stir in the Half & Half, Feta, Pine Nuts, Worcestershire, Salt, and Pepper.

Return to the stove and simmer for at least another 5 minutes.  At this point the soup can be set on a very low flame to keep warm until everyone is ready for the meal, if you don't have a tiny-flame burner you can transfer to a crock pot set on Low.