Greek Spanakorita Vegetable Soup
A light yet satisfying Greek vegetable soup inspired by spanakorita, combining tender spinach, creamy feta, fragrant dill, and soft rice in a simple vegetable broth. Finished with a squeeze of lemon juice and fresh herbs, this soup is warm, nourishing, and ready in under an hour.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Makes
- 4 servings (about 2 cups each)
Steps
Before you start
- Wash and roughly chop the spinach
- Cut the leeks in half lengthwise and slice into half-moons
- Have all ingredients prepped and within reach before starting
Sauté the leeks
- Heat the olive oil in a large 5-quart pot over medium heat.
- Add the sliced leeks and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they soften and become translucent.
- The leeks should smell sweet and fragrant.
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Ready when: Leeks are translucent and fragrant
Tip: Don't brown the leeks; you want them soft and sweet, not caramelized.
Add garlic and broth
- Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in the 6 cups (1440 ml) of vegetable broth and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
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Ready when: Broth comes to a rolling boil
Tip: Listen for the boil; don't walk away during this step.
Add rice and simmer
- Once the broth boils, stir in the rice.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- The rice should be mostly tender but not yet fully cooked.
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Ready when: Rice is tender but still has a slight firmness when bitten
Tip: Stir the pot 2–3 times during cooking to prevent rice from sticking to the bottom.
Add spinach and dill
- Add the chopped spinach and fresh dill to the pot.
- Stir well to submerge the spinach in the hot broth.
- Continue simmering for 5 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the spinach is fully wilted and tender.
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Ready when: Spinach is dark green, tender, and completely wilted
Tip: Add spinach in batches if your pot is small; it wilts down quickly.
Finish with feta and lemon
- Remove the pot from the heat.
- Gently stir in the crumbled feta cheese and the juice and zest of the lemon.
- Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to your liking.
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Ready when: Feta is distributed throughout and lemon juice is well incorporated
Tip: Don't boil the soup after adding feta; the gentle heat will warm it without making it grainy.
Serve and garnish
- Ladle the soup into bowls.
- If desired, garnish each bowl with an extra pinch of fresh dill, a few extra crumbles of feta, or a thin lemon slice.
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Tip: Serve immediately while the soup is hot and the feta crumbles are still distinct.
Good to know
Tips
- For a creamier soup, whisk together 1/4 cup (60 ml) of heavy cream with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of broth before stirring it in at the end.
- If you prefer a brothier soup, add up to 1 more cup (240 ml) of vegetable broth after adding the spinach.
- This soup tastes even better the next day, as the flavors have time to meld. Reheat gently and add fresh feta and dill just before serving.
- For a protein boost, stir in diced cooked chicken, white beans, or a poached egg per bowl just before serving.
Make ahead
Prepare the leeks, garlic, spinach, and dill up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate in separate containers. The soup itself is best served fresh but can be made up to 2 days ahead; reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding a splash of broth if it has thickened.
Storage & reheating
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The feta may soften slightly but the flavor will remain. Freeze for up to 2 months in freezer-safe containers; thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stovetop, stirring occasionally. Add a small dollop of fresh feta and a sprinkle of dill when reheating for best flavor.
Substitutions
- short-grain white rice → Orzo pasta or short-grain brown rice. Use the same amount by weight or volume. Orzo will soften in about 10 minutes; brown rice may need an extra 5 minutes of cooking time.
- fresh dill → Fresh parsley or fresh mint. Use the same amount. Parsley gives an herbaceous note; mint adds a fresher, brighter flavor that is also very Greek.
- feta cheese → Ricotta or Greek yogurt. Ricotta will give a creamier texture; Greek yogurt adds tanginess. Stir in at the end rather than heating directly in the broth.
- vegetable broth → Chicken broth or a light vegetable broth made with fennel. Chicken broth adds subtle depth; fennel-infused broth amplifies the Greek flavor profile.
