THE best part about this recipe for Creamy Spinach Soup is that it contains absolutely no cream! The secret was in steaming some fresh cauliflower and blending that with the blanched spinach.
Chop the shallot into small dice and in a stock pot sauté with butter.
Rinse the spinach really good to remove any dirt and grit.
Add the flour to the butter and shallots and cook on low and create a nice, golden roux.
Steam the cauliflower until fork tender, remove it heat and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and set it aside. Set aside a 1/2 cup and chop, saving for garnish.
In the water used to steam the cauliflower blanch the cleaned spinach quickly for a minute or two. Immediately shock the spinach in a ice cold water bath and allow to drain.
Purée the steamed cauliflower, spinach and chicken stock and pour this mixture into the shallot and roux mixture, stirred to incorporate and simmered for several minutes.
Add some white pepper to taste and serve with a garnish of chopped cauliflower and a crumble of browned pancetta. Drizzle some olive oil and serve.