Sometimes a simple hearty soup is all is takes to warm you up after a cold fall day.  Potato and spinach soup is as simple as it gets.  Serve with a poached egg, sourdough bread, or add some cannellini beans to add some extra protein.  Skip the broth to make it vegetarian.  Substitute spinach for swiss chard or kale.  The possibilities are endless.

Potato and Spinach Soup

1 lb of potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/2 lb of spinach, rinsed and cleaned

2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

2 cups homemade chicken broth, store bought is okay too

2 cups of water

1 tbsp of maple syrup

Grana Padano

Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Peel and cut the potatoes into small dices.  Wash the spinach and pat dry.
2. In a large pot, bring the broth and water to a boil. Afterwards, add both the garlic and the potatoes.  Turn the heat down to a simmer.  Let cook for approximately 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
3. Add the spinach to the soup until wilted.  This should take a minute or two.  Remove from the heat.
4. Season to taste.  Don’t forget the maple syrup!
5. Serve with cold-pressed olive oil and freshly grated Grana Padano.

Serves 4