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    Home » Recipes » Soup

    Mustard Greens Soup With Spinach

    Published: Mar 10, 2023 Updated: Sep 13, 2023 Author: Roxana Begum· This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe
    Mustard greens soup pin image.

    You’ve never had mustard greens soup this delicious and creamy. Cooked with spinach and a hint of spices, it is full of flavor and good nutrition. This healthy comforting soup makes a great lunch or starter for a meal.

    Mustard greens soup served on the table.

    Table of Contents

    • Mustard Greens and Spinach Soup
    • What is in This Green Soup?
    • How to Make Spinach and Mustard Greens Soup
    • Top Tips
    • How To Serve The Soup
    • Meal Prep/Storage
    • Variations
    • Recipe FAQs
    • More Greens Recipes
    • Mustard Greens Soup With Spinach
      • Ingredients
        • Garnish
      • Equipment
      • Instructions
      • Notes
      • Nutrition
    • More Soup Recipes

    Mustard Greens and Spinach Soup

    Mustard greens are an amazingly nutritious leafy vegetable. But most mustard greens recipes are pretty boring and are often just steamed or sautéed. We solve this problem with a few culinary tricks and adding a hint of spices.

    First we cook it with lots of spinach, which adds more green nutrition, taste and a smooth texture. Then we choose savory spices with floral, earthy or citrusy tones, such as cumin, coriander and turmeric. Just a hint of these spices is enough to elevate the taste of these greens.

    Mustard greens are pretty pungent, which makes it less acceptable. To make these greens more pleasing, we must use some basic culinary tricks. The pungency can be lowered by using heat and appropriate amounts of fat and seasonings, including salt. 

    Mustard greens and spinach soup in a brown bowl.

    Cooking mellows the pungency of mustard greens, while also softening its’ coarse texture. However, we don’t want to overcook the greens, or we lose the color and nutrients. So we choose tender and young mustard greens, so that they are easier to cook.

    A squeeze of lemon juice or vinegar also works well with mustard greens, but because this soup is milk based, I have skipped that. If you make this soup with coconut milk, try a drizzle of lemon juice on top.

    So now we have a super creamy green soup that is wonderfully nutritious and delicious. This phytochemical rich, immunity-supporting and flavor-packed soup is also vegetarian. And you can make it in less than 30 minutes, including the prep time.

    What is in This Green Soup?

    Ingredients needed for the recipe.
    • Mustard Greens: I chose organic, young and tender mustard greens. This is much easier to cook and less pungent than the more mature variety. Be sure to trim off the touch stems. Best substitute for these greens, would be kale.
    • Spinach: We use fresh baby spinach. It is easily available and gives a delicate texture and taste. However, regular spinach will also work. To  substitute with frozen spinach, follow the package instructions, but in general 5 ounces frozen spinach should work for this recipe.
    • Aromatics: I use fresh onions, garlic and ginger. Sautéing these will add a nice aroma and also lower the pungency. If you don’t like spicy taste, then skip the ginger or replace it with more garlic.
    • Spices: Spices with earthy, floral or citrusy notes will work the best for this green soup. For this I chose cumin, coriander, turmeric and paprika. Sweet and aromatic spices such as cinnamon and cardamom are too intense.
    • Thickeners: I use potatoes to add body and creaminess to the soup, while keep a fresh vegetarian taste. Toasting flour with butter and cooking it with milk also give you the same result, but with a richer flavor. You can use both these methods as I do here. Or just increase the potatoes or the flour/butter mixture.
    • Milk: We need full fat milk for this, because mustard greens needs fat to balance the pungency and coarser texture. If using plant based milk, choose full fat coconut milk or alternative rich milk.

    How to Make Spinach and Mustard Greens Soup

    1. Cook Aromatics: Saute onions, garlic and ginger. Add potatoes and cook.
    2. Spices: Add turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, paprika and cook until fragrant.
    3. Greens: Next add mustard greens and sauté. Add chopped spinach and cook the greens until wilted.
    4. Thickening: Cook flour with butter. Whisk in milk and cook.
    5. Soup: To the greens, add the thickened milk, salt and adjust to taste. Blend the mixture until pureed and heat it once again. Top with cream, olive oil and black pepper or red pepper flakes and serve.
    Preparing the greens and cooking the aromatics.
    Cooking the greens until wilted.
    Thickening and blending the soup.

    Top Tips

    Do not overcook the greens. This will help retain the color, flavor and nutrients.

    Heat the soup carefully after adding the milk. Do not let it boil.

    Blend the cooked greens in batches for 2 to 3 minutes at high speed. Fill the blender to less than half capacity and vent in between to release the steam. Immersion blender will give you a soup with some texture.

    How To Serve The Soup

    • With bread: Try it with honey wheat rolls, zaatar parmesan bread, barbari bread.
    • Cream: Top it with a dollop of fresh cream, creme fraiche or sour cream.
    Green soup served with bread rolls.

    Meal Prep/Storage

    • You can chop up the greens and refrigerate couple days ahead.
    • The cooked soup will keep for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Leftovers can be frozen for 2 months.
    • Thaw and reheat. If it loses, some of its creamy texture, add some corn starch slurry and cook it.

    Variations

    This mustard greens and spinach soup is vegetarian, nut free, egg free and soy free.

    • Gluten free: Skip the flour and increase the potatoes. Or use gluten free flour or corn starch to thicken the soup.
    • Vegan/Dairy Free: Use full fat plant based milk such as coconut milk. Use coconut cream if needed. You can also increase the fat content of the milk by blending it with walnuts as we do it for making this rich hot chocolate drink.
    • High Protein: Top it with sautéed or grilled halloumi cheese, Indian paneer or tofu. 
    • Flavor Twist: Add some celery, leeks or fennel to the Soup. Saute any of these with the potatoes.
    Creamy soup served in bowls.

    Recipe FAQs

    How long to cook mustard greens?

    Cook the mustard greens just until they become tender and still retain a vibrant color. The time to cook can vary depending on how mature the leaves are. Baby mustard greens will cook much faster.

    How to keep greens green in color?

    In general cook greens just until they turn soft and tender while still retaining a vibrant color. And this is usually between 5 to 10 minutes of cooking time.

    Adding a pinch of baking soda to the cooking water also makes it alkaline and helps retain the green color, but this is usually not necessary. For the soup here, we just watched the cooking time, giving us a bright green soup that retained its’ lovely color even after reheating a few times.

    Are Mustard Greens Good For You?

    Mustard greens belong to the brassica family of vegetables, known for their nutrition potential. Also known as cruciferous vegetables, they include broccoli, kale, cabbage and cauliflower.

    These greens are an excellent source of vitamin K, which is essential for blood clotting and supports bone health. As a significant source of antioxidant nutrients such as, vitamin A and vitamin C, these leafy greens are known for disease fighting properties. And they also provide folic acid, manganese and calcium.

    Further, regular consumption of mustard greens has been associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and some cancers. They are a good source of sulfur containing compounds - glucosinolates, which are converted to cancer fighting isothiocyanates. Finally, research studies have shown that cooked mustard greens have an enhanced ability to bind bile, thereby lowering cholesterol levels.

    Kale vs Mustard Greens Nutrition: What is the difference?

    Mustard greens are low in calories and packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals and protective phytochemicals.

    They provide relatively lower amounts of flavonoids such as Kaempferol (~80% of kale), Isorhamnetin (~70% of kale) and Quercetin (~40% of kale). However, they are also far lower in calories (~58% of kale). And per cup, these greens actually provide slightly more calcium and protein.

    Rather, the point I am trying to make, is that we must make sure that the great variety of nutritious foods of the planet earth must make it to our table. Because, that’s when we enjoy the benefits of a wholesome diet.

    Close view of creamy soup served in bowls.

    More Greens Recipes

    • Spinach Egg Stuffed Mushrooms
    • Leeks and Avocado Soup
    • Kuku Sabzi (Persian herbs and eggs)
    • Kale Quinoa Salad (with lentils)

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    Close view of mustard greens soup served on the table.
    5 from 6 votes

    Mustard Greens Soup With Spinach

    This mustard greens soup is so delicious and creamy. Cooked with spinach and a hint of spices, it is full of flavor and good nutrition. This healthy comforting soup makes a great lunch or starter for a meal.
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time15 minutes mins
    Total Time30 minutes mins
    Print
    Course :Soup
    Cuisine :American
    Servings: 6 Cups
    Calories: 129kcal
    Author: Roxana Begum, PhD, RD

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • ½ medium onion finely chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic grated
    • 1 teaspoon grated ginger or garlic
    • 1 medium potato peeled and cubed
    • ½ teaspoon turmeric
    • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
    • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
    • ½ teaspoon paprika
    • 2 cups mustard greens thick stems trimmed, finely chopped, 3 oz
    • 8 cups spinach thick stems trimmed, chopped, 8 oz
    • 2 tablespoons butter optional
    • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour optional
    • 3 cups milk full fat, or rich plant based milk
    • ¾ teaspoon salt adjust per taste
    • 2 tablespoons cream optional

    Garnish

    • buttered croutons, sour cream, toasted pumpkin seeds, mild red pepper flakes or black pepper
    US Customary - Metric

    Equipment

    • Cooking Pot
    • High speed blender
    • Skillet
    • Chef's Knife
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • In a cooking pot, heat olive oil at medium high. Add chopped onions and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Then add garlic and ginger. Stir and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
    • Add diced potatoes and cook for 2 minutes.Then add turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander and paprika. Stir and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds.
    • Next add chopped mustard greens and sauté until slightly wilted, about 3 minutes. Add chopped spinach and continue to cook the greens until wilted, about 5 minutes.
      Tip: Do not overcook the greens, which will help retain the bright color.
    • In a skillet, melt the butter at medium heat. Add flour and cook until very lightly toasted, stirring continuously, about 2 minutes. Add the milk in a stream, whisking until well combined. Cook the mixture until thickened, stirring in between, about 2 minutes.
    • Add the thickened milk to the cooked greens. Stir in salt and adjust to taste. Transfer the mixture to a high speed blender and blend until pureed, about 3 minutes.
      Tip: The mustard greens are tougher than spinach, so blending them to a smooth consistency will take a few minutes.
    • Pour the creamy soup back into the cooking pot and quickly heat it.
      Tip: Do not simmer for too long, because the greens will overcook or the soup may boil over.
    • Transfer the soup to a serving dish. Drizzle with cream, olive oil and sprinkle freshly ground black pepper or mild red pepper flakes. You can also top with buttered croutons. Serve the soup immediately with bread or corn chips.

    Notes

    1. Less spicy or pungent: Mustard greens are pungent. To make the soup less spicy, skip ginger or replace with garlic.
    2. Thickening the soup: You can thicken the soup just with 2 potatoes or toasting ¼ cup flour with 4 tablespoons butter. Alternatively, you can use both the methods as we did here. To make it gluten free skip the flour or use gluten free flour or corn starch.
    3. Blending: Be careful while blending the soup. Blend the mixture in batches, filling the blender less than half capacity. And vent in between to release the steam or remove the feeder lid and cover with a kitchen towel.
    4. Frozen Vegetables: You may use frozen greens instead of fresh greens and follow the package instructions for suitable substitutions.
    5. Meal Prep/Storage: Chop the greens and refrigerate couple days ahead. The cooked soup will keep for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Leftovers can be frozen for 2 months. Thaw and reheat. If it loses, some of its creamy texture, add some corn starch slurry and cook it.
    6. For more information on ingredients, variations and serving suggestions, scroll up the page to the blog post.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Cup | Calories: 129kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 385mg | Potassium: 638mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 4521IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 213mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @thedeliciouscrescent or tag #thedeliciouscrescent!

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    This post was first published on April 11, 2017 and has been updated with improvements in pictures, tips, FAQs and additional enhancements.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Marie

      May 31, 2023 at 3:00 am

      Absolutely delicious and so creamy. If you go that route, I would recommend making the milk thickening sauce (bechamel) in advance as it took me a little while and I was worried about the greens cooking for too long. Overall I was really positively surprised as I had no idea what to do with all these mustard greens that I received through our CSA. 10/10 would recommend.

      Reply
    2. Ken

      October 23, 2022 at 3:28 pm

      Excellent! Healthy and delicious. I really liked the addition of Indian spices.

      Reply
    3. R

      February 25, 2019 at 10:01 am

      Soup looks lovely! Fresh green soups are so nice, especially now we're getting warmer weather.

      I was wondering if I could use double (whipping) cream in place of full fat milk? Or a part-part sub, double cream/extra stock.

      I have a lot of double cream lying about in need of using up and no full fat milk!

      Thanks

      Reply
      • Roxana Begum

        March 07, 2019 at 9:38 pm

        It will taste a lot richer if you use cream.

        Reply
    4. Karen

      May 28, 2017 at 10:46 am

      I LOVE soups and especially green soups - they are so clean and fresh tasting, as this one looks!

      Reply
      • Roxana

        May 28, 2017 at 6:19 pm

        Yes Indeed Karen :) Thanks!

        Reply
    5. Jovita

      May 28, 2017 at 10:07 am

      Wow, so many flavors! I can imagine how great this soup tastes!

      Reply
      • Roxana

        May 28, 2017 at 6:19 pm

        Thanks so much Jovita :)

        Reply
    6. Emily

      May 28, 2017 at 8:54 am

      This sounds absolutely delicious, I can't wait to try it out.

      Reply
      • Roxana

        May 28, 2017 at 6:18 pm

        Thanks Emily. Let me know what you think :)

        Reply
    7. MICHELLE

      May 27, 2017 at 9:59 pm

      With all of those spices, this has to be delicious!

      Reply
      • Roxana

        May 28, 2017 at 6:18 pm

        Thanks Michelle. Yes it is :)

        Reply
    8. Natalie

      May 27, 2017 at 8:49 pm

      Wow this soup sounds amazing. I really love all the spices you used in this soup. I bet is full of flavor and just delicious. Can't wait to try it.

      Reply
      • Roxana

        May 28, 2017 at 6:17 pm

        Thanks Natalie. Hope you enjoy it!

        Reply
    9. Lauren

      April 13, 2017 at 3:21 pm

      I just want you to come over and cook for me every day. What a beautiful dish!

      Reply
      • Roxana

        April 13, 2017 at 7:16 pm

        Oh Lauren, you are sweet! Thanks. I would be happy to do that :)

        Reply
    10. Katie

      April 13, 2017 at 2:32 pm

      can't wait to try this soup! Pinning for later :)

      Reply
      • Roxana

        April 13, 2017 at 7:14 pm

        Thanks Katie. Enjoy :)

        Reply
    11. Emily

      April 13, 2017 at 2:04 pm

      Such a bright soup! Reminds me of spring!

      Reply
      • Roxana

        April 13, 2017 at 7:14 pm

        Thanks Emily. So glad spring is here :)

        Reply
    12. Abbey

      April 12, 2017 at 5:42 pm

      The creamier the better! Yum yum

      Reply
      • Roxana

        April 13, 2017 at 7:12 pm

        Thanks. Sure :) I had fun taking these pictures on a freezing storm day.

        Reply
    13. Bridget

      April 12, 2017 at 1:03 pm

      I love the bright color of this soup and the promise of healthy nutrition and great taste that it alludes to! Truthfully I'm not a mustard greens fan, but this is such an inspiring recipe, I'm going to try it!!

      Reply
      • Roxana

        April 13, 2017 at 7:11 pm

        Thanks so much. That is so encouraging. I love mustard greens prepared this way. The flavors remind me of a popular Indian recipe.

        Reply
    14. Christy

      April 12, 2017 at 1:52 am

      Yum! I love the spices in this - sounds so delicious!

      Reply
      • Roxana

        April 13, 2017 at 7:10 pm

        Thanks Christy. It was so tasty. And the spices go well with it.

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Roxana, registered dietitian and recipe developer. Here I share wholesome & delicious recipes with room for cravings. Healthy makeovers. Step-by-step photos & videos.
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