Spicy Soup with Wilted Spinach,peanuts and rice

[Guest guest]

I love this soup! I made this a long time ago (it's from Sunset) and

I lost the recipe but just found it! )

 

 

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger

1 medium-size tomato, chopped

1/2 teaspoon each cumin seeds, ground coriander, ground turmeric

1/8 teaspoon each ground red pepper (cayenne), fennel seeds

1 quart homemade or canned vegetable broth

1 pound spinach, coarse stems removed

2 teaspoon lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoon chopped cilantro

salted roasted peanuts

chopped fresh red chile (optional)

Melt butter in a 3-to-4-quart pan over medium-high heat. Add

onion, garlic, ginger. Cook,stirring often, until onion is lightly

browned (5 to 7 minutes).

Stir in tomato, cumin, coriander, turmeric, ground red pepper,

fennel. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tomato is soft (about 8

minutes). Transfer to a food processor or blender, whirl until

smooth. Return to pan and blend in broth.

Bring to a boil over high heat and continue to boil until reduced

to 3 cups. Meanwhile, rinse spinach well; place (with moisture

clinging to leaves) in a 4-to-5-quart pan. Cook over medium-high

heat, stirring often, until wilted (4 to 5 minutes). Transfer

spinach to a colander and press with back of a spoon to extract as

much liquid as possible.

Spoon spinach into soup bowls. Stir lemon juice and cilantro into

hot broth. Ladle broth into bowls. Garnish with peanuts and, if

desired, chile. For a heartier soup, spoon in cooked brown or white

rice.