Cream of Spinach Soup

Ingredients

• 1 cup onion chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 2 cups pkt spinach fresh frozen packed thawed chopped (or 1 10-oz package spinach, )
• 1 pound potatoes peeled quartered
• 1.5 cups chicken broth for vegetarian option (or vegetable broth )
• 1.5 cups water 
• 2  chicken bouillon cubes for vegetarian option (or vegetable bouillon cubes )
• 2 cups half-and-half 
• 0.5 teaspoon salt 
• 0.1 teaspoon pepper 
• 0.8 cup cup heavy whipping cream sour
• 6 servings optional: chives and/or ground allspice chopped for garnish

Equipment

• sauce pan
• whisk
• blender
• immersion blender

Directions

1. Cook the chopped onion: In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté onion in butter for 4 minutes or until translucent.
2. Add potatoes, chicken broth, water, and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
3. Add spinach and cook for 2 to 4 minutes longer until spinach is tender.
4. Purée the soup, whisk in half-and-half: Working in batches, purée soup mixture in a blender. Return to saucepan.
5. Whisk in half-and-half, salt and pepper.
6. Whisk in sour cream: Over low heat, bring to just before simmering.
7. Whisk in the sour cream. You may want to use an immersion blender to get the sour cream fully incorporated.
8. This soup can be served hot or chilled.
9. Garnish with chopped chives, sprinkles of allspice, or a dollop of sour cream.