Finland Food: Pinaattikeitto - Spinach soup

My Finnish food postings continue this time with a spinach soup: a sort of a béchamel sauce with blanched and chopped spinach (but instead of a sauce it's a soup). It is usually served with boiled egg half and at school lunch we got also a small meat pie (lihapiirakka) alongside. This time though we had potato flatbreads (the recipe will soon follow, I promise).

Nutmeg gives a nice peppery aroma, but white pepper can be substituted. If you have fresh nettles, blanche and cut it finely and use instead of spinach.

Spinach soup (for 3-4)

30 g butter
3 heaped Tbsp wheat flour
800 ml milk, preferably full-fat
150 g frozen chopped spinach
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg

2 hard-boiled eggs, cut in half

Melt the butter in a teflon-coated pan (big enough to hold the whole soup). Don't let it get brown. Add the flour and stir until you get an even paste. Warm up the milk. Add appr. 100 ml milk to flour paste and whisk it until even. Add appr. half of the milk and cook until it thickens a bit. Stir the soup carefully for it sticks easily to the pot. Pour in the rest of the milk and bring to a boil. Add spinach and let it melt in the soup. Cook the soup on mild heat appr. 10 min, mix it once in a while. Serve with half an egg.

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