Celebrate Spring: Russian Spinach Soup

I know that many gar­den­ers look for­ward to har­vest­ing those first peas of the sea­son. Although I under­stand their delight in fresh green things after a long win­ter, I’ve nev­er been a big fan of peas. For me, it’s that first crop of spinach in the cold frame. 

Many years ago, a neigh­bor gave my Mom this recipe for a sim­ple soup guar­an­teed to van­quish win­ter and wel­come spring.

1 lb fresh spinach, washed and chopped
1 – 2 car­rots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 – 2 turnips or 1 – 2 parsnips, cut into chunks
1 – 2 pota­toes, cut into chunks
4 cups chick­en broth
Dill, prefer­ably fresh, to taste
Hard-boiled eggs, one per serv­ing
Sour cream

Place car­rot, onion, turnip/​parsnip, pota­to, and dill in a soup pot. Add chick­en broth. Bring to a boil. Low­er the heat and sim­mer for about 20 – 30 minutes.

Add spinach and sim­mer for a few minutes. 

Serve hot with a sliced hard-boiled egg and a dol­lop of sour cream.