St. Patrick's Day Soup

It's purely by accident that I'm posting something green today. There I was, last night, haphazardly throwing together a big pot of soup for my mother-in-law (who just had knee surgery), just humming and tossing things in a pot: a little garlic, lots of potatoes (always potatoes), a handful of spinach, a splash of cream... and after immersion-blendering everything, I realized I had the perfect soup to post for St. Patrick's Day. The ivy on my kitchen windowsill was an unwitting accomplice.

Cream of Garlic-Potato-Spinach Soup

1 tbsp olive oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks celery
6 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
3 cups vegetable stock
1/4 tsp black peppercorns
a sprinkle of dried thyme
5 oz spinach, fresh or frozen
1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1 cup milk or cream

Warm the oil in the bottom of a big pot. Toss in the garlic, and saute for about a minute, stirring constantly. Add the celery, and cook until tender, about five minutes. Keep stirring. Now, add the potatoes and the stock. Wrap your peppercorns in cheesecloth (or put them in one of those herb-infuser things) and drop them in, along with the thyme. Cover the pot, lower the heat, and cook until the potatoes begin to fall apart, about 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the chunks. Check the pot periodically, and add a little water if it begins to dry out. Once the potatoes are cooked, you should have a very thick stew. Add the spinach, and the milk or cream. Either transfer your soup (in batches) to a blender or food processor, or whip out your immersion blender and puree it in the pot. If the consistency is too thick for your liking, you can add additional water, stock, or milk/cream to thin it out. Add your salt, and taste to adjust the seasonings. Enjoy!

This soup would be great with some crusty bread and butter on the side. And some ceilidh music in the background, a must.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!