This soup came together by accident, a sort of desperate effort to throw lunch together out of a nearly empty pantry and refrigerator. Not wanting to pick up my market basket and walk through the snow to the little health food store a few blocks away, I simply threw a few things together in the pot and hoped for the best. The result was a lovely pale green soup with a kick of jalapeño that softened under the soothing texture of pureed potatoes.

SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

• 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
• 4 ounces bacon, finely chopped
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeño chile, seeded and minced
• 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 8 cups Chicken Bone Broth
• 8 ounces spinach, tough stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped
• Finely ground unrefined sea salt
• Sour cream, to serve

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Melt the butter in a heavy stockpot over medium heat.
2. Toss in the chopped bacon and allow it to render its fat and become crisp, about 6 minutes.
3. Stir in the onion and fry it until it softens and releases its fragrance, about 3 minutes.
4. Stir in the jalapeño and continue frying for 1 to 2 minutes, until the chile is fragrant.
5. Toss the potatoes into the pot and pour in the broth.
6. Cover the pot and allow the mixture to simmer for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes fall apart when pressed with the tines of a fork.
7. Stir in the spinach, cover the pot once more, and turn off the heat.
8. Let stand until the spinach wilts in the heat of the soup, about 8 minutes.
9. Puree the soup with an immersion blender until perfectly smooth, with no lumps remaining.
10. Season with salt and serve the soup, topping each bowl with a spoonful of sour cream.