Recipe : Spinach and Milk Light Gumbo

Today's recipe features a color that is especially spring-like, a vibrant green reminiscent of matcha. The soup doesn't contain any meat, yet it has a particularly fresh taste, making it very suitable for a light dinner.

The discovery of this recipe was particularly fortuitous. One day, after having a late lunch, I wasn't hungry by the time 7 or 8 o'clock came around, so I decided to skip dinner. As expected, by 9 o'clock, I was suddenly starving, and I wasn't the least bit sleepy.

So, I thought, what could I make that would be delicious and fill me up, without being too heavy to sleep on? I opened the fridge and saw milk and fresh spinach and celery, and I instantly had an idea.

I heated some milk in a small saucepan, then washed the spinach. I grabbed a large amount of spinach with my biggest palm, grabbing three handfuls in total, and only took out one stalk of celery, removing the strings without even cutting it, and put the spinach, celery, and the warmed milk into a blender. I only used half a box of milk because the vegetables already contain a lot of water, and too much milk would turn it into a smoothie instead of soup.

Then, I added a spoonful of salt to the blender because I wanted to make a savory soup that satisfies hunger, not a sweet soup that makes you hungrier.

When the blender started, I was amazed by the color inside. It was a special creamy green, reminding me of the name of a book, "Anne of Green Gables," perhaps because the green was so cute. At this moment, I found a pretty, somewhat retro bowl, like those from the South of France in Provence, a bit old, with a bit of blue country painting inside, and placed a checkered cloth under the bowl, getting the tray and a big spoon ready. Then, what to use for decoration? Since it's a Western-style thick soup, it definitely needed some garnishing.

So, I took out some Greek yogurt and mint leaves from the fridge. After the soup was blended, I poured it into the bowl, wow, what a beautiful green. While the soup was still warm, I placed a spoonful of yogurt on the surface, and finally, decorated it with mint leaves around and on top of the yogurt. Actually, if there were pine nuts, I could have thrown a few in, letting the yogurt act like a little island holding them up.

By the time it was ready, I was really hungry, feeling like I could eat a whole cow, so I reluctantly grabbed a few biscuits, because I was too lazy to toast bread. Then, sitting at the table, I took the soup bowl in both hands and took a deep sip.

It was like the grass and trees in spring meeting dew, instantly refreshing. Truly delicious, and so fresh. Later, I realized that the classic combination of milk and sea salt is classic for a reason; sea salt brings out the freshness of the milk, while spinach and celery give the milk a fresh, crisp taste, not to mention the pleasing color.

I told myself, it's getting late, if I'm still hungry after the soup, I'll eat the biscuits. But, I enjoyed each sip of the thick soup very slowly. The Greek yogurt melted away with each spoonful during the soup, providing a cool, slightly sour taste that matched perfectly with the soup. It was in no way inferior to cream, and even had a lower fat content. Until I finished the soup, I didn't feel the urge to eat the biscuits and ended up putting them away, feeling satisfied and no longer hungry.

This recipe is not only visually appealing but also has a healing effect. I call it "The Reassuring Midnight Snack." Many people think of midnight snacks as almost synonymous with sin, as eating anything at that time will lead to weight gain. But from my experience, mindful eating doesn't require adhering to a strict timetable; it's not a test. When we were young, we ate when hungry and didn't when we weren't, just like puppies and kittens, following the needs of our bodies. I don't feel guilty for eating late or a lot at noon, causing me to be hungry late at night; instead, I follow my body's cues, choosing to treat myself with the right amount at the right time, rather than fighting with myself or wasting energy internally. Midnight snacks are not about sin; you might not know, but there are many options.

If you can adjust according to your body's feelings in time, like eating more at noon and then adjusting the amount and content of your dinner accordingly, you will enter a new world of freedom and relaxation,

which is really beautiful.