Latvian Spinach Soup Recipes

LATVIAN SPINACH SOUP

Steps:

• Boil the smoked ribs in 7 cups of water, covered, for an hour to an hour and a half.
• Meanwhile, wash the spinach, and chop finely.
• After the meat has cooked, add the rice and potatoes to the pot.
• After approximately 15 minutes (when the potatoes are cooked), remove the meat. When cool enough to handle, strip the meat from the bones and reserve.
• Add the spinach to the pot, along with the lemon juice and salt to taste.
• Place a serving of meat in individual bowls, add the soup and then half a hard-cooked egg and a teaspoon of sour cream.
• The diner chops the egg and mixes the cream into the soup.

SORREL SOUP

Steps:

• Place the pork ribs in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for an hour. Skim all foam that may surface.
• Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them in 1cm cubes. If using fresh sorrel, finely slice the sorrel leaves. Finely chop the eggs.
• Remove the pork ribs from the saucepan. Add the potatoes to the saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until potatoes are nearly ready (8-10 minutes). While potatoes are boiling, remove the meat from the ribs and chop finely.
• Add the meat and sorrel to the saucepan and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Season well.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat, stir through chopped egg. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream.

EASY SPINACH SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a stockpot over medium heat. Add carrots, scallion, and garlic; cook and stir until scallion is soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in chicken broth; bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in spinach; cook until tender, 2 to 3 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.

LABANEYA (SPINACH AND YOGURT SOUP)

Steps:

• Prep spinach ( de-stem and wash fresh, or thaw frozen). Squeeze out excess water from frozen or cut fresh in 1/2 inch ribbons.
• Fry onion in oil until soft. Add 1 clove of crushed garlic and cook 1-2 minutes.
• Add spinach, liquid, scallions, rice, salt and pepper. Simmer 20 minutes (test to see rice is finished cooking).
• Mix yogurt with second garlic (optional) and add mint. Beat the mixture into the soup- do not let it boil or it'll curdle. Heat through very gently and cautiously.
• Persian Jews use dill instead of the mint.
• For Turkish touch garnish with dribble of 1 Tbsp mixed with 2 Tbsp sizzling hot butter.