A green smoothie is maybe my favorite way to “veg” out. But sometimes I switch it up with Elisa Marshall’s nourishing green herb velouté. “It’s like comfort in a bowl,” says Marshall, founder and designer of Maman, a french bakery, café, and restaurant with locations in New York, Toronto, and Montréal. Featured in the The Well+Good Cookbook, this healthy green soup recipe is bright, flavorful, and packed with fragrant herbs and leafy greens, making it high in fiber, iron, and calcium.

Though blended and served chilled, Marshall’s green soup isn’t like a smoothie bowl. The greens are first cooked in vegetable broth, making it irresistibly savory. And since this vegan recipe keeps it simple with just greens, olive oil, and herbs, it’s gluten-free. It’s also low-inflammation, which is not only good for digestion and cognitive function, but dermatologist Nicholas Perricone, MD, says it’s also key for youthful-looking skin. This green soup is a nourishing alternative to your smoothie routine, and pro tip: it’s just as delicious served warm.

Green herb velouté

2 servings

Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling1 bunch scallions, thinly slicedSea salt4 cups mixed greens, such as spinach, arugula, dandelion, and watercress, stemmedFreshly ground black pepper4 cups vegetable broth1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish1 Tbsp fresh mint leaves1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves2 Tbsp fresh chervil of tarragon leaves3 ounces brousse or other soft cheese, for garnish

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When it shimmers, add the scallions, season with salt, and cook until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the mixed greens and season with a salt and pepper. Pour in the broth, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes, then add chives, mint, parsley, and chervil and cook for about 1 minute, or until wilted.

2. Fill a large bowl with ice and set it nearby,. Transfer the contents of the pot to a blender and blend until very smooth (or uses an immersion bender to blend the mixture directly in the pot.) Transfer the blended velouté to a medium metal bowl and set it over the bowl of ice to allow the chlorophyll  to set, preserving the bright green color.

3. To serve, divide the velouté between two bowls, top with the cheese, if desired, and garnish with chives. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

A dietitian explains the benefits of olive oil:

The Well+Good Cookbook has 100 recipes from 100 wellness experts. If you haven’t grabbed your copy, what are you waiting for?