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Spinach Cabbage Soup

Charlie spotted an article by Mark Bittman about making soup, Creamy, Brothy, Earthy, Hearty, in the New York Times.
We started with the Creamy Spinach Soup, made a few adjustments of our own, and this is what we've settled on after making it several times. Very good and fast and easy to make.
Quantities are approximate. There is lots of room for adjustment.
Nothing needs to be finely chopped because in the end it all goes into the blender.
Course Main Course, Soup/Stew
Keyword Mile-High, WW
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1 medium or large onion, coarsely chopped
  • 3 large cloves garlic, chopped (or more)
  • 7 oz fresh spinach
  • 12 oz chopped or shredded fresh cabbage
  • 1 tbsp Better Than Bouillion Roasted Chicken Base (or just use 3 or more cups chicken or vegetable stock instead of the BTB and water)
  • 3 cups water (you can add more if it seems too thick)
  • 1/4 tsp. salt (don't use much if broth is salty)
  • 1 cup plain nonfat yoghurt (or it's fine to use full fat yoghurt if you prefer)
  • 1 to 5 tbsp frozen green chile (optional)
  • fresh herbs such as tarragon or basil (optional)
  • balsamic vinegar (optional)

Instructions

  • Put oil in large heavy soup pot and turn heat to medium.
  • Add onions and garlic to the hot oil and cook till golden, stirring frequently.
  • Add cabbage to the pot and cook till tender. Won't take long.
  • Add spinach to the pot and cook till wilted. Will be fast.
  • Add chile.
  • While onions, etc. are cooking, if you are using BTB, stir it into a small amount of hot water to dissolve. Stir this into the rest of the water to make 3 cups of stock.
  • Add stock to pot and bring to a boil. Boil for a few minutes.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Puree everything right in the pot with a hand-held blender. (Can also use regular blender, of course.)
  • Stir in yoghurt (or see variations below).
  • If not serving right away, reheat before serving, but do not bring to a full boil.
  • Optional: If you didn't include green chile, add a little balsamic vinegar. A little adds a nice depth to the soup. Be careful not to overdo.
  • Optional: Chop fresh herbs and put on top of soup. Or, you can put whole leaves of herbs on the table and scissors and let people add their own. (Basil and/or tarragon are highly recommended.)
  • Serve with a dollup of yoghurt or sour cream on top.

Variations:

  • Use zucchini instead of cabbage. Slice about 1/8 inch thick, coat with olive oil, and roast in 425 oven till slightly browned (stir every 5 minutes till done).
  • Use a large head of broccoli instead of cabbage. Coarsely chop the broccoli. Sautee the broccoli till tender but not over-cooked.
  • Instead of stirring in yoghurt, let people stir in as much as they like at the table.

Variations haven't yet tried, so try at your own risk:

  • Use roasted carrots instead of broccoli.
  • Instead of spinach, use all cabbage or broccoli or roasted zucchini or ...