If you’re tired of salads as your dinner party first course, think chilled soup. Our Chilled Soup Chartreuse has an ingredient list similar to that of a spinach salad. And, since the soup must be made ahead in order to chill completely, it frees you up at dinner time to attend to other details and enjoy your guests.

Purchasing bagged spinach will save you a little preparation time. If you’re short on time and your produce section stocks a combination of chopped fresh onion, carrot and celery, feel free to use it in place of chopping the vegetables yourself. Then the only work involved will be washing and tearing up a head of Bibb lettuce and chopping up some fresh parsley.

The recipe includes an optional addition of whipping cream. It’s up to you to decide whether it is worth the splurge or not. Either way, the soup will be sublime when it’s pureed in your Viking Blender.

• 1 5-ounce package fresh spinach, washed and spun dry
• 1 head Bibb lettuce, cored, washed and torn into pieces
• 1 cup (packed) fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and grated
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable stock or broth
• 1 cup whipping cream, optional
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine spinach, lettuce and parsley in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and sauté until vegetables are tender. Add spinach, lettuce and parsley and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until vegetables wilt. Add stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in whipping cream, if desired, and season to taste with the salt and pepper, to taste. Chill overnight before serving. Puree in a blender until smooth. Serve cold.

Makes 8 servings.