Green Machine Soup with Polenta Croutons

Can I get a “woot, woot” for green soup?
Anyone?
No, okay, okay, I get it.
Maybe green soup isn’t the sexiest food around or will get your stomach’s rumbling. But if there’s one thing I know is that this Green Machine Soup is a surprisingly delicious and velvety soup. And after eating one bowl you’ll feel like you just did something really good for your body.
In other words, this green soup maybe even be THE sexiest food around and after trying it your body won’t get enough of it.

And with the festivities just around the corner, I feel like we all need some trusted good-for-us food to fuel us back into the swing of things when say, we stuffed ourselves with turkey, dressing, yams, taters, and gravy ‘till we really thought we’d die.
You know those days when you wake up feeling like a bloated, elastic-waistband-wearing version of yourself?
For those days instead of throwing yourself a pity party, why not start fresh with something healthy?

Enters the Green Machine Soup.
This is an awesome soup, I absolutely love it.
It’s soothing, nurturing, healthy, and so incredibly delicious.
The mix of zucchini, peas, and spinach, onion, garlic, and ginger is awesome: it’s bursting with nutrients and flavor, so it really makes you feel amazing.
I always make big batches of this so that I always have some in the freezer ready to eat.
I like to serve it with polenta croutons — I love the subtle, sweet corn flavor that it brings to this soup. The croutons also add some extra color and a nice crunch.
Now go make some!

Green Machine Soup with Polenta Croutons                                                                             Print this recipe!

Ingredients
Serves 6

Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 medium potatoes (about 6 oz each), peeled and diced
4 medium zucchini, cut into chunks
2 large handfuls spinach (or kale), large stems removed and roughly chopped
1 ½ cup peas, (fresh or frozen)
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
Ground black pepper to taste
4 ½ cups / 1.2 liters good tasting vegetable stock*

* I rarely make my own broth. I always use all-natural vegetable bouillon cubes instead, such as Rapunzel.

Polenta croutons

2 cups instant polenta
6 cups water

Directions

Soup

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add potatoes and zucchini and sauté for 3 minutes.
Add spinach and cook 1 minute, until wilted.
Add peas and and vegetable stock, bring to a boil, lower to simmer, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through.
Remove the pot from the heat and with the help of an immersion blender puree until smooth. Alternatively you can puree in batches in a blender (be careful not to splatter the hot liquid onto yourself though).
Return the pot to the heat and simmer for about 5 to 10 more minutes, or until it starts to thicken.

Polenta croutons

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and lightly grease it. Set aside.
Bring water to a boil in a large non-stick pan, add 2 teaspoons of salt and, using a whisk, stream polenta making sure no lumps form. Cook 1 minute then pour mixture into the lined sheet pan.
Using an offset spatula, smooth surface of polenta. Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to set.
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and place a rack in the middle.
Turn polenta out onto dry surface and cut into ½-inch cubes.
Place polenta cubes on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for 45 minutes, turning once with a spatula.

Serve soup in bowls topped with polenta croutons, freshly ground pepper, chopped fresh parsley, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Nutrition facts

One serving yields 237 calories, 5 grams of fat, 42 grams of carbs, and 7 grams of protein.