salt(to taste; depending on your stock, you may not need any extra salt)
2cupsbaby spinach
¼cupfresh herbs, such as parsley, dill, thyme, sage(*optional)
Instructions
Dice the onion, carrot or potato, and celery. Finely mince or crush the garlic.
Add all the ingredients except spinach and herbs to an Instant Pot or slow cooker.
Slow cooker: leave on High for 3 hours or Low for 6 hours. During the last 15 minutes of cooking, stir in the spinach.
Instant Pot: use the Pressure Cook setting on High Pressure for 10 minutes. Allow pressure to naturally release for 5 minutes, then manually release the remaining pressure. Stir in the spinach, and cover for another 10 minutes.
Stir in fresh herbs if using. Ladle into bowls and enjoy hot.
Notes
The last time I made this, I sauteed the onions and garlic in 1 tbsp of sesame oil before adding the other ingredients. It adds a richer, more satisfying taste and texture to the soup. If you have time for this step and are not bothered with a slightly higher calorie count, I recommend adding some oil to make it more flavourful.
This recipe is super forgiving and easy to customize! For example, if you want a thicker stew-like meal, just reduce the water by a quarter. You can substitute the fresh herbs for dried (use half the amount since dried herbs are more concentrated in flavour). Add some red pepper flakes to make it spicy. The spinach can be swapped out for kale or swiss chard, or left out altogether.