A hearty, clove-scented Irish vegetable and oatmeal soup topped with a dollop of whipped unsweetened cream.

Irish Oatmeal Soup

4 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup diced potatoes
1/2 cup sliced onions
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 pound fresh spinach
4 cups chicken stock or broth
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup Irish oatmeal (steel cut oats)
Salt and pepper to taste
Unsweetened whipped cream for accompaniment

1. In a skillet or pan, melt the butter over a low heat. Add diced potatoes, mushrooms and sliced onions and cook until soft.
2. Wash spinach. Remove stalks and tough stems and chop finely.
3. Transfer carrots and onions, mushrooms and spinach to a saucepan and add the stock, salt and pepper to taste, cloves and diced potatoes. Stir in the Irish oatmeal and simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Puree soup with a hand-held blender or in small batches in a conventional blender or food processor.
5. To serve, ladle soup in bowls and top with a small dollop of whipped cream.

Makes 4 servings.