Healthy Spinach Artichoke Soup
Trying to cut back a little bit? This Healthy Spinach Artichoke Soup is the perfect solution!
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Are you a fan of spinach artichoke dip? A bowl of that dip is never safe in our house! In fact, we’ve made meals in the past out of spinach artichoke dip. Since we’re in soup season, I thought it might be fun to use the same flavors in spinach artichoke dip…but in a soup instead. This Spinach Artichoke Soup is easy and delicious…and super healthy, too!
Every winter, we go into “detox” mode after the holidays, and this soup is a staple menu item. It’s super low in calories, but it doesn’t feel like you’re chewing on cardboard. The flavors are fantastic, and a bowl of this soup makes for a great lunch on a cold winter day!
Spinach Artichoke Soup
Ingredients
Let’s take a look at the ingredients needed to make a pot of this Spinach Artichoke Soup:
- Onion, Garlic and Olive Oil. Sauteed onions and garlic provide the base flavor for this soup.
- Frozen Chopped Spinach and Canned Artichoke Hearts. That’s right. Super easy. 2 boxes of frozen spinach and a can of artichoke hearts go into the pot next. You don’t even have to thaw the spinach first!
- Low-Sodium Chicken Stock and Lemon Juice. The bulk of this soup comes from chicken stock, but a little bit of lemon juice in there adds acidity – which balances the flavors in this soup. For a vegetarian version of this soup, feel free to substitute vegetable broth.
- Low-Fat Cream Cheese (Neufchâtel cheese) and grated Parmesan Cheese. A block of low-fat cream cheese and a handful of grated Parmesan cheese add lots of easy flavor.
The combination of spinach and artichokes brings plenty of flavor and texture, while the garlic and onions round everything out. A bit of cheese gives the soup that familiar spinach artichoke dip flavor that everyone loves. This soup makes regular appearances in our house each winter!
One Pot Meal
This soup is the perfect one pot meal for cold winter days. Everything gets cooked in one pot, so clean up is super simple! If you love the cheesy flavors of spinach artichoke dip, then you’re going to love this easy recipe, too. Once it’s done cooking, the soup is blended together using an immersion blender – this creates a soup that feels creamy and decadent, but without being overly heavy.
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover soup should be allowed to cool fully before being stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, place in a small saucepan over medium heat or microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval. This soup also freezes well! Just let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
This soup is actually one of our favorite winter “detox meals.” Laura came up with the recipe years ago when we were living in Atlanta, and we’ve been making it every January since then. In fact, we often make this one 2-3 times per winter. It might be a rather unfortunate shade of green, but this Healthy Spinach Artichoke Soup is loaded with all sorts of good stuff. Heck, there’s 2 pounds of spinach in there!
I hope this soup becomes a staple in your house, too – Enjoy!
Did you make this Healthy Spinach Artichoke Soup recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Healthy Spinach Artichoke Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp garlic minced
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 16-oz. packages frozen, chopped spinach
- 1 14-oz. can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 6 oz. low-fat cream cheese
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- {garnish} sour cream
- {garnish} chives chopped
Instructions
- Using a large stock pot or Dutch oven, add olive oil and place over medium-high heat. Once hot, add garlic and onions; saute for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until onions begin to soften.
- Add frozen spinach, artichoke hearts, stock and lemon juice; stir and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Lower heat and let simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Cut cream cheese into several pieces; add cream cheese and Parmesan to pot. Let simmer for 5 more minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, puree until completely smooth.
- Before serving, garnish each bowl with a dollop of sour cream and chopped chives.
Looking for more spinach artichoke inspired recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Nothing wrong with the colour of this soup 😉 Hubby and I used to go to the gym a long time ago. It got so time consuming by the time we got there, worked out and got home so we decided to purchase our own equipment and haven’t looked back since. We try to work out about 5 days a week and it’s usually in the evenings because I have to get up early to leave for work and I just can’t possibly work out in the morning (I’d love to be able to, but not for me). I used to calorie count ago, but don’t do so any more….I just go with the mentality of ‘everything in moderation, including moderation.’ We particularly eat healthy during the week and have some indulgent stuff on the weekend. This soup would be something we would love to have for lunch. I’d make a big batch of this (2 lbs of spinach is AWESOME!) and eat throughout the week. I feel stronger just looking at it 😉
Good for you guys…5 days a week! That’s impressive as heck. We shoot for 2-3 days during curling season and then 3-4 during non-curling times. But I’ll be the first to admit that we sometimes come up a day short. The morning isn’t ideal, but it sure is nice to get up and get it down with! You guys sound a lot like us, Dawn. We eat healthier during the week, and then we splurge a bit (pizza!!) on the weekends…but it all balances out in the end. Thank you! 🙂
We get up at 5:15 and workout in the living room with the brutal T25 and Shaun T. then it’s off to the park with the boys for a run. I will say the older I get the harder it is to lose the pounds. Sad face.
As for this one, Dave would love it and I’d give it a try (not really a artichoke lover) but am always up for new and creative ways to use it. Thanks Dave!
Oh, Shaun T. He and I have a love-hate relationship. Actually, it really leans heavily on the hate side. That dude is intense! But it’s for all the good reasons, so that makes it love. Sorta? This soup is mighty tasty, Kevin…you could leave the artichokes out, but I find that the flavor just gets blended in with everything else. Cheers, my friend!
Yup, you’re absolutely right, David! The most important part of any diet is the amount of food, and this could be tricky. I enjoy ice cream almost every day cause I work out enough (Besides, I normally buy lighter versions of ice cream which are only 120 calories or something in 125 ml. of it). So I’ve been enjoying it cause I honestly could afford even 250 ml. Yesterday I decided to weight these 125 ml to get a better understanding how much real ice cream that would be. And you know what? Total disappointment! Turned out that those 125 ml.are nothing, and I normally fit 3 times of ice cream more in my bowl (And sometimes repeat). Or like with nuts…30 gramms of any nuts would be around 200 calories which is great. But wait…have you counted how many nuts would be in these 30 gr.? (And that’s why it’s highly dangerous to buy nuts in Costco for me haha). As about Robbie, you should get another pass to the gym for him – I bet there are plenty of safe things he would enjoy in here. Like napping on a bench:) And of course I do like this delicious and healthy soup. Please send me this ASAP (375 ml):)
Yeah, it’s really dangerous to actually look at serving sizes! I did the same thing as you, Ben. When we started getting serious and counting our calories, that meant I started weighing out/measuring out my food. And I was shocked! And nuts? Yeah, those things are so good…but they sneak up on you fast in terms of calories. Most nuts have good fats in them, but still. Hah! If Robbie would nap on a bench then I would eat my sock…after working out. That kid is one gigantic ball of energy! 🙂
I’ve roasted artichokes, I’ve had artichokes on pizza, in pasta, and salads but I’ve never had artichoke soup, and I’m totally ready to try it. I’m loving you and Laura definition of diet! There’s nothing wrong with watching your portion sizes while eating some of your tasty creations. I’m all for the home workout. I had to stop going to the gym also, and it’s just me, no husband, no toddler, just me, it’s just me, and I still can’t find time to make it to the gym. I’m going to check out this Loseit app Laura found.
Roasted artichokes, eh? I’m not sure we’ve ever roasted them! We’ve been on a serious roasting veggies kick lately, so I’ll need to try that one out. (We currently have a fridge packed with broccoli b/c it was on super sale!) The home workout totally works if you have the self control to do it…and I know you do, Mary, as I see your Monday posts! And LoseIt is a good one for sure. You’ve got to be honest and stay on top of your log…but I’m down 10 pounds in 3 months so far (and that’s over the holidays!). 🙂
I like your weight loss approach – balance is key! So many family & clients try to go too extreme and go cold turkey with all of their guilty food pleasures, but that never works in the long term. For it to be sustainable, you’ve got to treat yourself here and there. Good for you guys for committing to healthier eating and a regular workout routine – especially when it requires you to get up super early and be creative in your approach!
Also, I’ve got to try this soup. I love spinach & artichoke dip, and I love soup… so I think that I’d have to love this recipe!
Yeah, I hear ya, Nicole! When I was younger, I used to try to do the extreme thing. Funny enough…it never worked out. When I finally changed my lifestyle and eating habits, something actually started happening! Sure, we still “cheat” and eat pizza…but it’s all about balance. And the early workouts are rough, but we manage to get them in most weeks. (This week is a different story as we’ve both been sick as dogs…ugh.) Definitely give this soup a try! It’s one of our favorite post-holiday detox soups! It doesn’t look that great colorwise, but it’s packed with flavor and it’s so low calorie, too!
Wow ! The combo is really awesome. I would like to try these yummy and healthy spinach artichoke soup.
Thanks so much! This soup really is quite delicious…and super easy to make, too! 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting!
Lololol. Let’s see how many nachos make your plate. A single corn chip and a spoonful of salsa 😉 Actually, my friend’s mum did weight watchers and salsa was a free food so she like..dipped into it like crazy! Mad props on the 4.45 start and the two bikes!!! Don’t even get me started on the beer calories- Low carb beer too killed me!
Anyway this soup is my favorite dip in soup form!!! I’ll comply to any diet for a bowlful- or ten.
Hey, how did you already know what my nacho plate looked like?!? 🙂 Yeah, I do love me some salsa. It’s packed with flavor and has almost 0 calories. The problem comes from the chips that I dip into it…haha. Oh, and low carb beer = water. Save yourself the time and pour water into a can instead!
So impressed that you have watched your diet over the festive season – I did not so I had to pay the price in January 🙂 I bought one of those smart watches recently which comes with an app making calorie counting, step tracking etc. a lot easier. Completely agree with you, it is nice to keep a balance and treat yourself every now and then. Artichokes are a fantastic detox food and spinach so healthy too – great combination! Most supermarkets don’t have artichokes in their regular stock here but thankfully we had a few Wholefood stores popping up all around London and they usually have it which is great!
Yeah, going into the holidays I was feeling a little ‘eh’ about the calorie counting…but then it kinda worked out! It made me stop and think whether or not I actually wanted one of those less-than-tasty cookies that was leftover from Laura’s work party. (Answer was no.) I don’t have a smart watch, but I’ve totally wondered about them. Good for you for using it! Oh, and this soup uses canned artichokes…are those any easier for you guys to find over there?? Thanks so much, Miriam!
Dude – 4.45am?! WOA!!! That’s super impressive – congrats to the two of you for sticking to it – especially over the Holidays!! I remember you mentioning about y’alls exercise bike plans when we were there – so glad to know it’s working out for y’all! Life is most definitely about balance and portion control – but, you’ve telling me portion control can be thrown out the window when it comes to this soup – right!? YES!!! So glad you used frozen spinach in this – I am starting to prefer the frozen kind to the fresh ones as they last for ever – kinda like a Twinkie! 🙂 Spinach is by far one of my favorite detox foods – that and kale! Happy Thursday, my friend!
Yeah, that alarm clock in the morning is super rough! But then again, we go to bed by like 9pm, so we still get a solid night’s sleep. We just don’t get to watch any late-night tv. 🙂 It’s been a bit of a change, but the bikes are working out…or as we call it, our “gym.” Oh, and yes, you can totally throw out portion control with this soup! The entire pot was only 1,100 calories (ish). You could eat the entire thing and still be within your daily allowed limits. But there’s no way you could eat the entire pot in one day…it’s a LOT of soup! 🙂
This is awesome .. I completely fell for the color and the presentation!!
Why thank you so much, Sharmila! I was actually a little afraid about the color when I made this soup…I thought it wouldn’t look good in photos. I appreciate your comment! 🙂
Hi David, love the color of this soup. I bet this is delicious. So funny my husband and I started watching our calories last October and all through the holidays as well. Everything in moderation…..
It sounds like we’re following about the same pattern then, Cheri! I hope it’s working as well for you guys as it is for us. Sure, the holidays were a bit difficult…but we managed quite well. We only ate the really good desserts instead of ALL desserts like we normally do. Haha! Enjoy this soup, my friend…it’s super tasty, and super low in calories! 🙂
I love all the comments on watching the calories! I have thyroid issues, so that is definitely something I have to be careful of all around. Not fun, but I’ve been finding some wonderful, gluten free, low carb recipes that make me feel like I’m not giving up. This would be one of those, I love spinach and artichokes. I have a spinach soup recipe that is great, even teenagers liked it, but I like the addition of artichokes and the cheese. This will be on our table soon.
Hey there, Cathy! I agree that counting carbs/calories isn’t much fun, but once you get the hang of it, then it’s not too bad. We still eat “bad for us” stuff…we’re just careful about portion sizes. You won’t need to be careful with portion sizes on this soup though…it’s so low in calories! But it’s packed (packed!) with flavor. Do give this one a shot. It’s one of our favorites. Oh, and Happy Valentine’s Day, my friend! 🙂