Fridge Emptying

This is a bit delayed; I wrote it before departing for spring break a couple of weeks ago but wasn't able to post until now. Enjoy!

I find that my most creative moments in the kitchen come when I'm trying to use things before they go bad. I'm traveling this week and last night I found myself trying to empty the fridge of a handful of perishable items: spinach, a few pieces of brown bread, a jalepeño, and an onion and ginger that I'd already sliced for an earlier meal. The weather's been chilly and wet, so a creamy soup with homemade croutons seemed like the perfect idea. 

Vegetarian/vegan-friendly.

Creamy Spinach Soup with Homemade Croutons 

Ingredients 

For soup

3 cups spinach

1 can white beans

1 small onion, halved and sliced

1 clove garlic, sliced

3 tbsp fresh ginger, sliced

1 small jalepeño, sliced

1 tbsp olive oil or butter

1 cube vegetable bouillon 

1 cup water

1 tbsp sesame oil, for garnish

2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese

Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste 

For croutons 

3 slices bread*

1 tbsp olive oil or butter

Seasoned salt**

*I used a delightful Latvian brown bread with seeds. Seeded rye or pumpernickel are my suggestions, but really any bread will work.

**garlic salt works well, but I used a homemade blend of sea salt, cayenne, and red pepper flakes.  

Method 

Preheat oven to 175C. Spread butter or olive oil evenly over both sides of each slice of bread and sprinkle with seasoned salt. Slice into 1ish cm cubes and place on a baking sheet. Pop this into the oven for 15ish minutes with one toss/mix up about halfway through. Remove when browned. Should be nice and crisp on the outside and a little soft in the middle. If you prefer them crunchier, leave in for a little longer. 

While the croutons are baking, place a tbsp of butter (or olive oil) in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Once melted, add onions, garlic, ginger, and jalepeño. Stir occasionally until onions are translucent. Add white beans (no need to drain/rinse). Add bouillon and water. Increase temperature to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and add spinach. 

At this point,

you could just serve your soup, but I'm in a deeply committed relationship with my stick blender, so blend until all ingredients are completely blended into a nice, creamy green mixture. Serve with croutons, a drizzle of sesame oil, cracked black pepper, and some grated parm.