Spinach and Lemon Soup

Name: Spinach and Lemon Soup
Prep time: 14 min
Cook time: 4 min
Total time: 18 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Levantine
Ingredients: 300 g baby spinach; 1 small onion; 2 cloves garlic; 1 tbsp olive oil; 4 cups low-salt vegetable stock; 1/4 cup lemon juice; 1/2 tsp ground cumin

Baby spinach, onion, and garlic in a light lemon broth, with no cream or blending.

Vegan

Cooking time: 18 min
Hands-on time: 14 min
Free time: 4 min
Difficulty: Easy
Cuisine: Levantine
Calories: 125

Baby spinach enters at the end and needs only minutes; long cooking loses color without adding flavor.

Before you start

Before turning on the heatWash and dry the spinach before starting and use hot vegetable stock so the pot returns to a simmer quickly.
The twenty-minute promiseThe clock runs from the first cut to serving. There is no hidden soak or marinade and no pre-cooked ingredient unless it is clearly labeled canned or ready to eat.

Ingredients

4people

Amounts follow the number of people

For the soup

300 g baby spinach — washed and dried
1 small onion — finely diced
2 cloves garlic — crushed
1 tbsp olive oil — for cooking
4 cups low-salt vegetable stock — hot
1/4 cup lemon juice — fresh
1/2 tsp ground cumin — ground

To double the recipe, use a wider pan or bowl and adjust salt, acid, and spices by tasting rather than arithmetic alone.

Equipment

Medium, heavy-bottomed pot — The heavy base keeps the quick soup at a gentle simmer without scorching.
Ladle — Set it out before starting so the recipe stays within its short cooking time.

Method

Dry the spinach, dice the onion, crush the garlic, and heat the stock.
4 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
All ingredients are measured and cut small enough to cook quickly.
Tip: Small, even pieces are what make the twenty-minute timing honest.
Heat the oil and cook the onion until soft, then add garlic and cumin.
4 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
The onion is translucent and the garlic fragrant without dark color.
Tip: Stir spices in the fat for only half a minute so they do not turn bitter.
Add the hot stock and let the flavors simmer gently.
4 minYou can walk away
You’ll know it’s ready when
The broth is hot and cohesive and the cumin smells fragrant.
Tip: Keep a gentle simmer; a hard boil clouds the broth without cooking faster.
Add the spinach and stir until wilted, then turn off the heat and add lemon.
4 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
The texture is balanced, with solids and broth in each spoonful.
Tip: Adjust thickness with hot, not cold, water so the simmer does not stop.
Turn off the heat, add lemon or herbs, taste, and serve.
2 min
You’ll know it’s ready when
Salt and acidity are balanced and the soup is hot but no longer boiling.
Tip: Lemon added off the heat stays bright rather than turning bitter.