Clear Spinach Soup
In this recipe
About this recipe
Sayur bening is the simplest Javanese vegetable soup: sweet corn, spinach, and shallot. Gentle enough for children.
Cook the corn first; add spinach at the end so it stays green.
Do not over-season—the freshness of the vegetables is the point.
Prep & cook time
- Prep10 minutes
- Cook10 minutes
- Total20 minutes
- Servings4 servings
- LevelEasy
Tools you need
- Pot
- Knife
Ingredients
- 1 bunch spinach, leaves picked
- 1 ear sweet corn, cut or kernels stripped
- 2 shallots, sliced
- 1 garlic clove, bruised (optional)
- 600 ml water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- A pinch of pepper
Directions
- Boil water with corn, shallot, salt, and sugar.
- Cook until the corn is tender.
- Add spinach and stir just until wilted (1–2 minutes).
- Taste, finish with pepper, and serve.
Kitchen tips
- Do not boil spinach long or it turns dull and strong-smelling.
- Kenikir greens add aroma if available.
- Serve immediately.
Serve with
- Rice
- Fried tempeh
- Salted fish
- Sambal
How to store
Best finished in one meal; spinach does not reheat well.
Common mistakes
- Overcooking the spinach.
- Using too much salt.
- Adding spinach before the corn is tender.