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Vegan Super Greens Soup with Lemon-Tarragon Cream

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on September 12, 2019

Time

1¾ hours

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Vegan Super Greens Soup with Lemon-Tarragon Cream

Ingredients

3 cups plus 1 tablespoon water 6 tablespoons dairy-free sour cream 2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil ½ teaspoon minced fresh tarragon ¼ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest plus ½ teaspoon juiceSalt and pepper 1 onion, halved and sliced thin¾ teaspoon organic brown sugar 3 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin2 garlic cloves, mincedPinch cayenne pepper 3 cups vegetable broth ⅓ cup Arborio rice 12 ounces Swiss chard, stemmed and chopped coarse9 ounces kale, stemmed and chopped coarse¼ cup fresh parsley leaves 2 ounces (2 cups) baby arugula

Before You Begin

We prefer the flavor and consistency of Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream. Other dairy-free sour creams will add their distinctive flavor to the cream and you may need to adjust the consistency with additional water. We strongly prefer our favorite vegetable broths, Orrington Farms Vegan Chicken Broth or our homemade Vegetable Broth Base.

Instructions

  1. Combine 1 tablespoon water, dairy-free sour cream, ½ teaspoon oil, tarragon, and lemon zest and juice in bowl. Season with salt to taste, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  2. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Stir in onion, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until onion releases some moisture, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring often and scraping up any browned bits, until onion is deeply browned and slightly sticky, about 30 minutes. (If onion is sizzling or scorching, reduce heat. If onion is not browning after 20 minutes, increase heat.)
  3. Stir in mushrooms and cook until they have released their moisture, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in remaining 3 cups water, broth, and rice, scraping up any browned bits. Increase heat to high and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
  4. Stir in chard, kale, and parsley, 1 handful at a time, until wilted and submerged in liquid. Return to simmer, cover, and cook until greens are tender, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in arugula until wilted. Working in batches, process soup in blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Return pureed soup to clean pot and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, drizzling individual bowls with lemon-tarragon cream.
Vegan Super Greens Soup with Lemon-Tarragon Cream
Photography by Keller + Keller. Styling by sally Staub.

Vegan Super Greens Soup with Lemon-Tarragon Cream

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

1¾ hours

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

3 cups plus 1 tablespoon water
6 tablespoons dairy-free sour cream
2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon minced fresh tarragon
¼ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest plus ½ teaspoon juice
Salt and pepper
1 onion, halved and sliced thin
¾ teaspoon organic brown sugar
3 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch cayenne pepper
3 cups vegetable broth
⅓ cup Arborio rice
12 ounces Swiss chard, stemmed and chopped coarse
9 ounces kale, stemmed and chopped coarse
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
2 ounces (2 cups) baby arugula

Ingredients

3 cups plus 1 tablespoon water
6 tablespoons dairy-free sour cream
2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon minced fresh tarragon
¼ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest plus ½ teaspoon juice
Salt and pepper
1 onion, halved and sliced thin
¾ teaspoon organic brown sugar
3 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch cayenne pepper
3 cups vegetable broth
⅓ cup Arborio rice
12 ounces Swiss chard, stemmed and chopped coarse
9 ounces kale, stemmed and chopped coarse
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
2 ounces (2 cups) baby arugula

Ingredients

3 cups plus 1 tablespoon water
6 tablespoons dairy-free sour cream
2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon minced fresh tarragon
¼ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest plus ½ teaspoon juice
Salt and pepper
1 onion, halved and sliced thin
¾ teaspoon organic brown sugar
3 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch cayenne pepper
3 cups vegetable broth
⅓ cup Arborio rice
12 ounces Swiss chard, stemmed and chopped coarse
9 ounces kale, stemmed and chopped coarse
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
2 ounces (2 cups) baby arugula

Why This Recipe Works

First, we built a flavorful foundation of sweet caramelized onions and earthy sautéed mushrooms. We added broth, water, and lots of greens (we liked a mix of chard, kale, arugula, and parsley for balance) and simmered them until tender before blending them. The flavor was great, but the soup was thin. Many recipes we found used potatoes as a thickener, but they lent an overwhelming earthy flavor. Instead, we tried Arborio rice with great success. The rice's high starch content thickened the soup to a velvety, lush consistency without clouding its vegetal flavors. For a vibrant finish, we whisked vegan sour cream with a little water, lemon zest, lemon juice, and tarragon and drizzled it over each serving.

Before You Begin

We prefer the flavor and consistency of Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream. Other dairy-free sour creams will add their distinctive flavor to the cream and you may need to adjust the consistency with additional water. We strongly prefer our favorite vegetable broths, Orrington Farms Vegan Chicken Broth or our homemade Vegetable Broth Base.

Instructions

  1. Combine 1 tablespoon water, dairy-free sour cream, ½ teaspoon oil, tarragon, and lemon zest and juice in bowl. Season with salt to taste, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  2. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Stir in onion, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until onion releases some moisture, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring often and scraping up any browned bits, until onion is deeply browned and slightly sticky, about 30 minutes. (If onion is sizzling or scorching, reduce heat. If onion is not browning after 20 minutes, increase heat.)
  3. Stir in mushrooms and cook until they have released their moisture, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in remaining 3 cups water, broth, and rice, scraping up any browned bits. Increase heat to high and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
  4. Stir in chard, kale, and parsley, 1 handful at a time, until wilted and submerged in liquid. Return to simmer, cover, and cook until greens are tender, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in arugula until wilted. Working in batches, process soup in blender until smooth, about 1 minute. Return pureed soup to clean pot and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, drizzling individual bowls with lemon-tarragon cream.

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Appears In

Book

Vegan for Everybody

Key Equipment

Equipment

The Best Dutch Ovens

Equipment

The Best Mixing Bowls

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