Curried spinach pea soup

(another green soup!)

There are only four main ingredients in this vivid chartreuse soup: spinach, peas, potatoes and onions- and then a long list of curry spices. The enticing fragrance loosed in the kitchen as the soup cooks is part of its appeal. So is the color. Feel free to play with the amounts of ginger, cayenne, and lemon juice to shift the emphasis

Serves 6-8

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

5 cups water

2 teaspoons salt

4 cups diced potatoes

8 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 cups chopped onions

1 1/2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger root

(I used minced ginger from a jar)

1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/8 teaspoon cayenne, (this determines the heat)

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 cups frozen green peas

4 cups packed fresh spinach, rinsed and large stems removed

14 oz can coconut milk

Bring the water and salt to a boil in a large soup pot. Ease in the potatoes and garlic, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, warm the oil. Add the onions and saute on medium heat, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 10 minutes. (while waiting for the onions I measured all the spices into one small bowl) Stir the ginger, turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, cayenne, and black pepper into the sauteed onions. Add the lemon juice and 1 cup of the potato cooking liquid, cover, and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Transfer the onion mixture to the pot of undrained cooked potatoes. Add the peas and spinach, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes, until the spinach is wilted. Stir in the coconut milk. In a blender, puree the soup in batches until smooth and creamy. Reheat gently. Serve with Cilantro, if desired. (If you own a hand blender you can put the wand straight into your soup pot and blend it all at once)