Soup Season in our house is also Bread Season. Eric likes to make sourdough breads to go with the soups we make. If I’m making the bread to accompany the meal, it will either be some French bread that I can make with the aid of the bread machine to mix and knead the dough or a quick bread.

Quick breads take less time and effort to make since the rising and kneading steps are not necessary when making bread with baking powder and/baking soda as the leavening agent. Quick breads are classified as either dough based, like biscuits and scones, or batter-based such as muffins, cornbread, and quick loaf breads. Today’s post is a batter based loaf bread.

When paring a soup with a bread, we aim for a complementary pairing. Soups with more ingredients and a complex flavor profile are paired with basic breads. And we’ll join a basic soup with a more ingredient rich bread.

This Spinach & Feta Cheese Quick Bread goes very well with the tomato soup we gravitate towards in the colder months of the year. (It would also go very well with scrambled eggs for breakfast!) Any combination of spinach and feta cheese always goes quickly in our home and this quick bread is no exception!

Spinach & Feta Quick Bread (adapted from countryliving.com)  Total Time Required: 1 hour 20 minutes, Bake Time: 50 – 60 minutes, Makes: 1 loaf of bread

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 ounces crumbled feta (about 1 cup)
• 6 ounces frozen cut spinach crumbled (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8-1/2 by 4-1/2 inch loaf pan.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.

Add the feta and spinach to the bowl and toss to coat.

In a large measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, and eggs.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir them together until they are well combined.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.

Bake the quick bread until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes.

Cool the bread in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn the bread out onto the rack to cool completely before slicing.

Every bowl of soup needs some great bread to go with it!  ~Linda

Spinach & Feta Quick Bread (adapted from countryliving.com)  Total Time Required: 1 hour 20 minutes, Bake Time: 50 – 60 minutes, Makes: 1 loaf of bread

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 ounces crumbled feta (about 1 cup)
• 6 ounces frozen cut spinach crumbled (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8-1/2 by 4-1/2 inch loaf pan.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the feta and spinach to the bowl and toss to coat.

In a large measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, and eggs. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir them together until they are well combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.

Bake the quick bread until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes. Cool the bread in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn the bread out onto the rack to cool completely before slicing.