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Nothing feels better than a hearty bowl of soup on a cold day or if you’re feeling unwell. This hearty meal feels like a hug and can also be incredibly nutritious.
Spinach is a popular ingredient that adds freshness, taste, and nutritional value to soups. What would you do when you’re craving a bowl of fresh spinach soup but don’t have spinach on hand? The answer is simple. Spinach substitutes in soups!
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What are the best spinach substitute in soup?
Arugula, kale, and swiss chard, beet greens, bok choy and romain lettuce are among the best spinach substitutes in soup as they resemble spinach in terms of flavor, texture, or appearance.
As you can see, you can use more than one suitable spinach substitute in your soups. To make it easier for you, I have compiled a list of the best spinach substitutes for soup.
So, what are you waiting for? Let’s dive right into today’s post to find the perfect match for your soup!
More About Spinach
Let’s learn more about spinach before finding its proper substitute!
Spinach is a green leafy vegetable from the Amaranthaceae family. It is one of the most popular and nutritious greens consumed worldwide.
Spinach is a prosperous source of vitamins and minerals. It contains vitamins A, C, K, folic acid, iron, and calcium.
It is also a good source of dietary fiber and antioxidants. Due to this, spinach is often considered a superfood that offers several health benefits, such as promoting heart health, supporting bone health, and aiding digestion.
Spinach leaves are dark green and have a distinctive, slightly bitter taste. They are usually eaten raw in salads, cooked in various dishes, or used as an ingredient in soups, stews, and smoothies. Spinach is known for its versatility and is a common ingredient in many cuisines worldwide.
Substitutes for Spinach in Soups
Now that you know you’ve numerous options for spinach substitutes, it is time to pick one for your soup! It is essential to pick a spinach alternative that complements the flavors of your soup perfectly.
Here are my top spinach substitutes to use in soup:
1. Arugula
Arugula, also known as roquette or garden rocket, belongs to the brassica family. It is one of the best spinach alternative for soups, with a texture very similar to that of spinach. It’s a peppery and slightly nutty taste and adds a unique flavor to soups.
Regarding the nutritional content, Arugula is in the running with spinach! Arugula contains nutrients like Vitamins A, C, and K and iron and calcium.
Arugula is perfect for hot soups as it still retains its texture at such temperatures. Its pretty green color adds to the visual appeal of the soup as well.
Arugula is popularly used as a garnish in various recipes. You can also use it in salads, casseroles, sandwiches, and pizza.
2. Swiss Chard
Swiss Chard is the next spinach substitute that tastes incredible in soups! Swiss Chard has a distinctive taste that many describe as “earthy” while offering subtle bitterness. It is often eaten in both cooked and raw forms. It is a suitable spinach substitute as it also resembles spinach, replicating the visual appeal!
Swiss Chard has a mild flavor and works great in soups. It is a popular ingredient in many Mediterranean dishes and contains essential antioxidants, fiber, vitamins A, C, and minerals like calcium and iron.
I recommend including the stems of Swiss Chard in your soup if you want an extra crunch! Swiss Chard is also an excellent spinach substitute in other dishes like salads, pasta, stews, and meat-based foods.
3. Kale
Kale is another excellent alternative for spinach in soups. It belongs to the cabbage family and has a distinct earthy-bitter taste that enhances the flavor of various soups.
Kale replaces spinach in various dishes due to their close similarity. It offers beneficial nutrients like spinach and resembles it too!
Although kale has a firmer texture than spinach, it is loaded with nutrients like iron, vitamin K, and fiber.
In fact, the firm texture of kale is perfect for soups that require a longer cooking time. You can slap some olive oil on your kale if you wish for a softer texture!
In addition to soup, you can substitute spinach with kale in dishes like pizza and pasta!
4. Beet greens
Have you noticed how similar cooked beet greens look to spinach? It is also a great option if you want to reduce the cooking time of your spinach substitute in soups. Beet greens are a fantastic addition to soups to add that burst of freshness!
Beet greens, too, have an earthy taste and a softer texture. It is perfect to replace spinach in many dishes like soups, pasta, and stews. It is also loaded with vitamin A, C and minerals like copper and potassium.
One tip that helps is adding the leaves and beet greens. The leaves harbor a good portion of the nutrients.
So, by throwing them away, you’d be missing out on incredible nutrients! You can also use beet greens in various salads or side dish recipes as a spinach substitute.
5. Bok choy
The next suitable spinach substitute in soup we will discuss is Bok Choy! Bok Choy, or Chinese cabbage or pak choi, is a fantastic spinach substitute in soups. It is a famous green part of many Asian soup recipes.
The stalks have a tinge of sweetness, while the dull green leaves have a slight peppery taste.
Along with its incredible, refreshing taste, it is a rich source of calcium. It also offers Vitamins C and K and abundant fiber to enhance the nutrition profile of your soup!
If you’re trying to replicate the visual appeal of spinach, you can remove the leaves from the stem before cooking them!
6. Romain Lettuce
Romain Lettuce may be the last substitute we will discuss, but surely not the least! Romaine lettuce has a fresh and crisp texture with a milder flavor than spinach. It acts as an excellent spinach substitute in soups and adds a distinct flavor to the flavor profile.
Romaine Lettuce is also the best source of folate after spinach, compared to other greens. It is also rich in Vitamins A, C, and K.
Romaine lettuce’s subtle sweet taste enhances the overall flavor of the soup without overpowering the other ingredients. It also adds a crunch to your soup and offers a delicious flavor contrast to other ingredients.
Romaine lettuce’s long leaves are heat tolerant, which makes it an excellent substitute for hot soups with a longer cooking time. Romaine lettuce is also a famous green used in salad recipes and meat dishes!
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I use instead of greens in soup?
There are multiple excellent substitutes for greens that you can use in soup. Some of them include zucchini, carrots, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, beans, etc.
Can I substitute broccoli for spinach in soup?
You can substitute broccoli for spinach in certain types of soup. It is essential to consider the taste and texture differences between both. Broccoli has an earthy taste with a slight bitterness compared to the milder flavor of spinach. It is a suitable substitute for soups such as broccoli cheddar soup or a comforting vegetable stew.
Can you replace spinach with broccoli?
Yes, there are specific recipes you can replace spinach with broccoli. However, I wouldn’t recommend broccoli as a suitable spinach substitute as they differ in taste. Broccoli also requires a different cooking process than spinach, so you must be careful about what dishes you use it in. Spinach also has high levels of nutrients like Vitamin C, iron, and zinc.
Conclusion
We’ve reached the end of today’s post! I hope today’s article on the best spinach substitutes for soup has opened a range of options for you.
Soups are, honestly, an emotion! A hearty bowl of soup can do wonders for your physical well-being and uplifts your mood. Spinach adds the perfect freshness to soups while offering a rich nutrient profile.
Not being able to find spinach shouldn’t stop you from benefiting from the greens, should it? This is when spinach substitutes like Arugula, Kale, Swiss Chard, Romaine Lettuce, and Bok Choy work great in soups.
Thank you for reading. See you in the next post!