Soups/Starters, Salads, Soups

3-Step Easy Spinach Coconut Soup

Name: 3-Step Easy Spinach Coconut Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 packs of spinach (250 grams each); 2 tablespoon clear sesame oil; 1 teaspoon fenugreek powder; 1 teaspoon cumin powder; 1 teaspoon ginger powder; 1 teaspoon turmeric powder; Dash of coarse pepper powder (original: Dash of coarse pepper powder); Salt to taste (original: Salt to taste); 1 cup of coconut milk

Por Dada Shivananda

On a nippy evening after a hard day of work, this Spinach Coconut Soup serves as a quick-fix and a nourishing, delicious recipe. It’s perfect for those living alone or as a couple who don’t want to spend hours over the stovetop. It’s ideal when you’re busy or in a hurry and want something quick and healthy, or when it’s late and you crave a light, wholesome dinner. All you need is a bunch of spinach, a can of coconut milk, and basic spices such as cumin, turmeric powder, pepper, and other herbs from your pantry.

As promised, this spinach soup is a simple three-step, one-pot recipe that is both easy and quick to make. Begin by heating water. In a pan, sauté all the spices. Next, add washed spinach leaves and continue sautéing until the leaves wilt and release their natural juices, then add the coconut milk and blend. Finally, season with salt and pepper – presto! Your Spinach Coconut Soup is ready to serve.

The Popeye Spinach Story:

In the latter half of the 20th century and even today, there has been an obsession with spinach for its iron content. Do you remember your parents urging you to “eat your greens” when you were a kid? Or watching ‘Popeye, the Sailor’ flex his muscles after eating a can of spinach, gaining superhuman strength, and then triumphing over his foes? The original cartoon aimed to teach kids about the benefits of spinach—even though a decimal error once turned 0.8 mg of iron into 8.0 mg, sparking widespread enthusiasm from the 1950s to the 1970s.

Yes, spinach is high in iron even without that error, but most of it isn’t easily absorbed by the body. However, spinach is rich in carotenoids, which the body converts into Vitamin A. It’s time we appreciate spinach for its overall wholesome goodness rather than just its iron content.

This Spinach Coconut Soup is not only easy and quick to make but also delicious. The coconut milk and spices offer a mellow spiciness that pairs wonderfully with a side of papadam or sautéed asparagus for a warm, comforting meal.