Spinach soup on a hot Sunday!

I can feel the summer heat already. Nights are becoming warmer and harder to sleep without airconditioning. But this did not stop me from making a big pot of soup. My family loves meals accompanied with a hearty soup. Today, I made a very easy soup to make. Spinach soup.

Spinach has become common in the market nowadays. One can buy spinach only in supermarket only five years ago. I think vendors become aware of it already. And I think a lot of local farmers are also planting them. Spinach has little flavor but despite of this it is loaded with nutrients. And because it doesn't taste much, it is easier for kids to eats this. It can be cooked in lots of possible ways.

I first encountered spinach soup in one of the Cantonese restaurant we frequented. It was divine and judging from the texture, I believe that I can easily make some at home. I made my own version. With my choice of assorted meat in it.

Ingredients:
A bunch of spinach
100g ground pork, shelled shrimps, or chicken
1 block of silken tofu
6 pieces meatballs with mushrooms, cut into cubes (1 ball=8)
10 pieces of black fungus (tenga ng daga), softened and cut into strips.
2 bouillons (pork, chicken or shrimp)
3 Tbsp cornstarch or potato flour, dispersed in water
1 piece onion, minced
4 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Heat 2 Tbsp oil in pot. Brown the ground meat. Saute onion and garlic. Then put 1 L of water.

Clean the spinach. Then puree in blender with 1 L water.

Put the pureed spinach in the pot. Bring to boil.

Put the tofu, fungus, meatballs into the pot. Let boil for 10 mins or until everything floats, it means the meatballs and tofu is cooked already. Put the cornstarch into the soup while stirring. If you are not satisfied with the thickness of the soup , you may add more cornstarch. Potato starch produces thicker soup and it does not break down like cornstarch.

Add pepper. If the saltiness is not enough, add salt.

Serve hot and add sesame oil, if desired.