This is an authentic Romanian spinach soup with eggs and garlic. Have you ever had soup topped with a fluffy omelet?
This Romanian soup with spinach and a fluffy dill omelet is an easy, healthy, and flavorful way to enjoy fresh spinach.
This omelet soup used to be one of my favorite spring dishes as a teenager, but we would only have it once or twice every spring when the fresh spinach and dill were plentiful at the market.
The recipe is just delicious: the comforting spinach taste is there, uplifted a bit by the use of fresh lemon juice. The bacon gives it even more of a hearty flavor. The dill and garlic ensure that you have enough aroma, and the fluffy omelet on top makes everything even more interesting. One slice of bread on the side will make spinach soup a complete meal.
Should you want to try another seasonal Romanian soup served with an omelet, try this amazing rhubarb soup.
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Recipe ingredients
Spinach: I used four large bunches of fresh spinach, which weighed about 800 g (28 oz) after removing the stalks. You can substitute with 400 g (14 oz) of frozen spinach, but fresh spinach is preferable. If using frozen spinach, choose whole leaves or roughly chopped varieties.
Vegetables: Carrots and celeriac. If you cannot find celeriac, don't replace it with celery sticks; they don't really fit here. Use more carrots instead.
Bacon: The bacon cubes make the soup hearty, but you can definitely leave out the bacon if you want to keep this recipe vegetarian.
Dill: It is best to use fresh dill. Frozen is ok, too, but don't use dried dill. If you have lots of dill, make this Orange Dill Salmon, too.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Tips for making Romanian soup with spinach
Use mature spinach with larger, firmer leaves. Baby spinach is not suitable for making this soup with eggs.
You must temper the egg yolk-flour-cream mixture before adding it to the soup. Otherwise, the egg yolk will scramble. To temper, slowly add one ladleful of liquid from the hot soup while whisking continuously. Slowly pour this mixture into the pot, but don't let it come to a boil.
Take care not to overcook the omelet. It should be soft and fluffy and not dry. I usually remove the pan from the heat shortly before the omelet is almost done. The residual heat from the pan will help it cook without letting it become too dry.
Romanian Spinach Soup with Eggs
Ingredients
Soup:
- 2 lbs fresh spinach 1 kg, Note 1
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion
- 2.5 oz bacon or pancetta, 75 g, Note 2
- 1 small carrot
- 1 small piece of celeriac 2 oz/ 60 g, Note 3
- ยฝ teaspoon sweet paprika
- 6 cups vegetable broth or chicken stock, 1.5 liter
- 3 large garlic cloves
- ยผ cup heavy cream 60 ml
- 1 heaped teaspoon all-purpose flour
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice to taste
- 1 handful dill
- fine sea salt and pepper
Omelet:
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon butter
Instructions
Soup:
- Clean the fresh spinach, remove the stalks and chop the spinach roughly. You should have approximately 28 oz/ 800 g spinach left.2 lbs fresh spinach/ 1 kg
- Saute: Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the finely chopped onion and the bacon cubes and cook for a couple of minutes or until the onions are translucent.1 tablespoon olive oil + 1 medium onion + 2.5 oz bacon / 75 g
- Add vegetables: In the meantime, roughly grate the carrots and the celeriac. Add both to the pot and stir for a couple of minutes more. Add the wet spinach (or the frozen and thawed one) and stir for a few minutes until the spinach is wilted.1 small carrot + 1 small piece of celeriac
- Simmer spinach soup: Add the paprika powder, stir a few times, then add the vegetable broth or chicken stock. Cover and cook gently for about 10 minutes. Add the thinly sliced garlic cloves and cook for 5 minutes more. ยฝ teaspoon sweet paprika + 6 cups vegetable broth/ 1.5 liter + 3 large garlic cloves
- Separate only one egg; you will need the yolk for the soup. Set the egg white aside and use it for the omelet.
- Thicken soup: In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk, cream, and flour. Add about one ladleful of soup to the mixture while whisking constantly. Take the soup off the heat and pour this mixture into the soup pot while whisking continuously. Do not let the soup cook anymore.ยผ cup heavy cream60 ml + 1 heaped teaspoon all-purpose flour
- Adjust the taste with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir about half of the chopped dill into the soup.2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice + half from 1 handful dill
Omelet:
- Whisk the remaining 3 eggs and the leftover egg white together. Add salt and pepper and the rest of the dill.fine sea salt and pepper
- Cook omelet: Melt the butter in a medium nonstick pan, pour in the eggs and cook the omelet.1 teaspoon butter
- Serve: Break the omelet into pieces and top the soup with it. Serve immediately with bread.
Notes
- Spinach: If you use frozen spinach, choose a variety in which the leaves are left whole or only roughly chopped. You will need about 14 oz/ 400 g frozen spinach; a bit more or less is fine.
- Bacon: If you only have bacon rashers, chop them into pieces.ย
- Celeriac: If you don't have it, don't replace it with celery stalks; it's better to use an extra carrot.
Evi @ greenevi says
I think I've never had a spinach soup, but I'm sure I'd love it, especially with lots of fresh dill!!
GiGi says
YES PLEASE! I'd like 3 bowls of this! THANKS ๐
Laura Dembowski says
I must admit I am not a huge spinach fan either, but I love kale, so I usually swap the two. This soup looks so comforting and I love that is full of nourishing ingredients.
Monica says
I love tossing spinach in any soup to freshen it up. This one is right up my alley with the omelette. What a fabulous idea. Thanks for sharing.
allie says
Hi Adina - you sure make me chuckle with all the comments about your kids and spinach. So funny. My kids used to do the same. I have four boys and now I just have one who will not eat spinach - and it's his birthday today. Hudson is 7 and he has Down syndrome and autism. He refuses to eat most vegetables and fruits and so I have to be VERY creative. It's a challenge for sure. He has very few words and so we have lots of silent food battles!!! Ha ha. I know I will love this soup Adina. It sounds wonderful with the dill and spinach! I'm sorry to hear you are still experiencing snow. Mother Nature can be cruel, esp. when the calendar says spring. I hope many sunny, spring days are headed your way very soon! XO
Adina says
Yes, I am so ready for spring it hurts. ๐ ๐ Happy Birthay to Hudson, I read about him on your blog, he is a sweet boy but I can imagine how difficult it can be for you at times. It lifts my spirits when you say that your other boys USED TO do the same with vegetables, it gives me hope. ๐
Valentina | The Baking Fairy says
I absolutely LOVE spinach, and this soup is such a great way to enjoy it! I can't say I've ever had spinach soup, though I do put it in my minestrone ๐ The omelette addition is so clever!
Sissi says
What an unusual soup! Topped with an omelette! (I love the rest of ingredients too, but any egg appearance always makes me forget the rest and bookmark it). I hope you have had wonderful Easter. I'm sure you have eaten amazing dishes....
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
Glad you guys had a nice Easter, but OMG snow still?? I'm sending warm weather vibes your way!! This soup looks delish, girlfriend! I'm a huge fan of spinach, so this is right up my alley. Plus, that fluffy omelet on top sounds really intriguing! Cheers!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
We had a lovely Easter weekend here. Though, it is a bit colder this week! When I was a kid I would definitely not eat spinach. Now? I eat it all the time! I've had egg drop soup before, but nothing like this! Like the addition of the omelet in there for extra protein and flavour!
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
Snow in April!! My husband would love that! The soup looks delicious and warming, perfect for the unseasonably cold weather.
Balvinder says
We celebrate vaisakhi during Easter and I hosted a yoga and meditation retreat for girl friends at my home. This spinach soup looks so filling with loads of fiber, protein and flavor. The addition of eggs sounds very interesting to me.
Brie says
Looks like weโre skipping spring this year and heading straight to summer weather complete with flip-flops and shorts ๐ I was hoping to wear sweaters for at least another week or two. Oh well, the heat wonโt keep me from digging into this tasty soup filled with so many veggies. And I agree with the other comments, the omelet is inspired!
KR says
We have at the moment snow...:(
Very interesting recipe, I like this omelet idea:)
Shashi at Savory Spin says
Adina, I feel for you! I cannot even fathom snow towards the end of April - it's been super warm here in Atlanta for this time of the year with temps hitting the 80s for several days in a row - but, am still enjoying my soups and seeing I love spinach so much, this is one I could get down with! By the way, so love your pairing of an omelet with this delightful soup!