Goldilocks' Gourmet Spinach Soup

This spinach soup goes beyond the typical cream-of-something approach with two cheeses melted into the base. Swiss cheese and cream cheese dissolve into a butter-flour roux thickened with chicken broth and milk, creating a velvety, rich body before the spinach ever goes in.

Diced mushrooms and scallion sautéed in butter give the soup an earthy, savory depth that balances the richness of the cheese. The roux gets cooked for a couple of minutes to remove the raw flour taste before the liquids go in, and whisking keeps everything smooth as it thickens.

Fresh spinach, washed, cooked, and chopped, gets stirred in at the end and heated gently. A dash of nutmeg brings out the spinach flavor the way it always does. Low heat for that final step is important since the cheese makes this soup prone to breaking if it boils.

Kitchen Tips

• Cut the cream cheese into cubes before adding. Smaller pieces melt faster and more evenly into the hot soup.
• Whisk the broth and milk in gradually. Dumping liquid into a roux all at once creates lumps that won’t dissolve.
• Stir gently once the cheeses and spinach are in. Aggressive stirring at high heat will cause the cheese to separate and turn greasy.
• Fresh spinach is worth the extra prep here. Frozen works in a pinch but releases more water and dilutes the flavor.

Variations

• Artichoke addition: Stir in chopped canned artichoke hearts with the spinach for a spinach-artichoke soup twist.
• Lighter version: Use Neufchâtel instead of cream cheese and low-fat milk to cut some of the richness.