Spinach and Potato Soup

1/2 lb frozen chopped spinach
3 small to medium red potatoes*
1 organic carrot
3-4 cloves fresh garlic
1/2 medium yellow (or white) onion
1/4 c. shredded organic cheddar cheese or Vegan Gourmet cheese (optional)
1 c. low sodium organic free-rage gluten free chicken (or vegetable) broth (We use Pacific brand)
2 c. unsweetened almond or coconut milk (or rice, soy, hemp, or cow/goat milk)
1 T. extra virgin Olive Oil
1 t. San-J low sodium wheat free tamari (optional)

Seasonings:
sea salt and pepper
oregano
rosemary
Italian seasoning
garlic powder

Garnish:
chopped red onion
1/4 c. shredded organic cheddar cheese or Vegan Gourmet cheese (optional)
1 ear fresh corn, cooked & cut off cobb
Keep about half of the spinach and one potato separate from the blender for a chunkier soup.
parsley

Set aside 1/4 of the frozen spinach, one of the cooked potatoes, half of the cheese (if using), and the cooked ear of corn. You can serve the corn as a garnish if you slice it off the cobb. Divide these reserves evenly among serving bowls.

Combine remaining ingredients into blender and puree. In the Vitamix, you can actually cook the soup by running the blender on high for about 6 minutes or until the soup is steaming. Once the soup is finished, pour it into serving bowls and serve hot.

* Red and sweet potatoes are lower in glycemic index than white potatoes are thus are an easy, healthy stand-in for Russets.