25 Fresh, Earthy Spinach Recipes (2024)

From sautéing to pureeing, here's how to make the most of a bunch or a bag of fresh or frozen spinach. Start the day with a spinach quiche, snack on spinach-artichoke dip or turnovers, enjoy a refreshing spinach salad or silky spinach soup for lunch, or braise spinach for dinner. Showcase the leafy green when it's freshest this season with these earthy spinach recipes.

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Woven Lasagna with Prosciutto and Fresh Spinach Sauce

25 Fresh, Earthy Spinach Recipes (1)

This stunning lasagna recipe from 2005 F&W Best New Chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson is plated on a simple, vibrant sauce made with fresh baby spinach, water, olive oil, and salt.

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Warm Spinach-Artichoke Dip

25 Fresh, Earthy Spinach Recipes (2)

This classic spinach dip is creamy, filled with four kinds of cheese and plenty of tender artichoke hearts, contrasted by a crisp, golden top.

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Spinach, Grapefruit, and Avocado Salad with Sesame Vinaigrette

25 Fresh, Earthy Spinach Recipes (3)

Use fresh baby spinach for this light salad that's perfect for pairing with rich meals.

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Greens Braised in Coconut Milk

25 Fresh, Earthy Spinach Recipes (4)

Swiss chard and spinach are wilted together with coconut milk in this tender, silky riff on callaloo, a stewed vegetable dish popular in the Caribbean.

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Spinach, Artichoke, and Chicken Stew

25 Fresh, Earthy Spinach Recipes (5)

Transform spinach-artichoke dip into a one-pot stew for dinner by adding chicken thighs, capers, wine, and tangy boursin cheese.

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Spinach Salad with Warm Maple Dressing

25 Fresh, Earthy Spinach Recipes (6)

The tender spinach leaves gently soften under the warm dressing, giving them a barely wilted yet still crisp and refreshing texture.

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Spinach Shakshuka

25 Fresh, Earthy Spinach Recipes (7)

2012 F&W Best New Chef Jenn Louis opts to make her shakshuka bright, tangy, and spicy with a mix of Malabar spinach and tomatillos, along with jalapeños, cilantro, and spices.

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Easy Creamed Spinach

25 Fresh, Earthy Spinach Recipes (8)

Butcher Erika Nakamura makes a mean creamed spinach, using a combo of Cognac and Pernod to add complex flavor to the steakhouse staple.

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Spinach Borani

25 Fresh, Earthy Spinach Recipes (9)

Canadian food writer Naomi Duguid describes this Persian dish as a genius combination of cooked vegetable and thick drained yogurt. Borani are generally topped with fried onions and often with a scattering of lightly toasted walnuts.

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Crustless Spinach Quiche

25 Fresh, Earthy Spinach Recipes (10)

This crustless quiche is similar to a frittata and ready in an hour. You can bake it in advance and reheat it right before guests arrive.

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Creamy Spinach Soup with Dill

25 Fresh, Earthy Spinach Recipes (11)

This soup, adapted from The Nordic Cookbook, has the rich flavor of creamed spinach but a much lighter texture.

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Spinach Mu'ajinaat

25 Fresh, Earthy Spinach Recipes (12)

At Reem's in Oakland, California, traditional Arabic-style stuffed turnovers begin with a yeasted dough rather than flaky pastry. The warm-spiced spinach filling includes allspice, cinnamon, and ground sumac.

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Golden Semolina Quinoa Spinach Cakes

25 Fresh, Earthy Spinach Recipes (13)

1996 F&W Best New Chef Maria Helm Sinskey's vegetarian spinach patties are coated with panko bread crumbs so they become deliciously crispy in the skillet.

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Broccoli-Spinach Soup with Crispy Broccoli Florets and Croutons

25 Fresh, Earthy Spinach Recipes (14)

Baby spinach is stirred into a potato and broccoli stock until wilted and then pureed for this supremely silky soup.

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Lentil Salad with Spinach, Pecans, and Cheddar

25 Fresh, Earthy Spinach Recipes (15)

Spinach serves two purposes here: Half of the leaves are shredded and wilted with the warm lentils, while the rest is dressed and makes a base for the salad.

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Spinach Spoon Bread

25 Fresh, Earthy Spinach Recipes (16)

A Southern specialty, spoon bread is like a cross between corn bread and a savory pudding. Tanya Holland whips egg whites to give this spinach version a soufflé-like texture.

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Catalan-Style Spinach

25 Fresh, Earthy Spinach Recipes (17)

Curly spinach is cooked just enough to retain its great flavor when mixed with sautéed garlic, toasted pine nuts, and plump raisins.

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Spinach and Parmesan Sformati

25 Fresh, Earthy Spinach Recipes (18)

2005 F&W Best New Chef Lachlan Mackinnon Patterson adds Parmesan to his wonderful spinach custard, then garnishes it with a little more cheese before serving.

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Warm Spinach and Sunchoke Salad

25 Fresh, Earthy Spinach Recipes (19)

Nutty roasted sunchokes gently wilt the greens and crumbled cheddar cheese, while apple slices add great tartness, in Justin Chapple's spinach salad.

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Spinach and Caramelized Onion Dip

25 Fresh, Earthy Spinach Recipes (20)

Food & Wine’s Kay Chun makes her lighter version of classic spinach dip with nonfat Greek yogurt and curly spinach in a half hour.

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Almond-Milk Creamed Spinach

25 Fresh, Earthy Spinach Recipes (21)

This creamed spinach is so silky and light that you won't miss the cream. The crunchy bread crumb topping is a fantastic addition.

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Palestinian Spinach Pies

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The spinach filling in these fatayer, inspired by a recipe from Palestinian-born baker Maha Ziadeh, isn't flavored with feta, as it is in the more common Greek spinach pies. Instead, it's spiked with lemon and sumac —a tangy Middle Eastern spice.

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Sautéed Spinach with Lemon-and-Garlic Olive Oil

25 Fresh, Earthy Spinach Recipes (23)

1990 F&W Best New Chef Nancy Silverton blanches spinach, then sautés it in garlic-spiked oil until all the leaves are thoroughly coated.

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Spinach Soup with Horseradish Granité

25 Fresh, Earthy Spinach Recipes (24)

This creamy spinach soup calls for spinach, leeks, thyme, and bay leaves. Chef Tristan Welch creates an ingenious granité by freezing horseradish with milk, scraping it into icy flakes, and scooping it onto toastsfor the garnish.

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Easy Wonton Spinach and Feta Ravioli

25 Fresh, Earthy Spinach Recipes (25)

Fill wonton wrappers with baby spinach, egg, lemon zest, pepper, and three cheeses — feta, ricotta, and Parmigiano-Reggiano — for an easy weeknight dinner.

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25 Fresh, Earthy Spinach Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you use spinach leaves? ›

These dark green leaves are delicate enough for salads but hardy enough to be cooked, and can be sautéed or stir-fried, layered into lasagna or simmered in sauces, soups and stews. There's no trimming or prep required and tender baby spinach cooks quickly, wilting into almost any dish you add it to.

What should not be mixed with spinach? ›

BAD COMBO #2: Spinach and Dairy Products

If you're on a vegetarian diet or are a menopausal woman or just want to make sure you're absorbing calcium well, you'll want to avoid mixing dairy with oxalate-dense foods like spinach, beets, collards, leeks and parsley.

Is 2 cups of raw spinach a day too much? ›

Too much of anything is going to be a bad thing. But when it comes in spinach, you have to eat quite a lot of it to any serious damage. It is recommended by nutritionists that you eat maximum 2 cups of spinach per day; eating any more over a long period time could incur health complications.

Can you freeze fresh spinach? ›

Can you freeze spinach? You definitely can, and the result serves fabulous flavor when you start with freshly picked leaves. You won't be able to serve the thawed product in fresh salads, but frozen spinach is versatile in the kitchen.

Why can't you heat up spinach twice? ›

Every time you reheat spinach or other veggies that are rich in nitrates, they become increasingly toxic. Here's the deal on those spuds. When cooked potatoes are left out at room temperature or warmed up for a second time, they can take a toxic turn for the worst.

How long does fresh spinach last in the fridge? ›

Seal the container tightly. Store the spinach in the crisper drawer of your fridge for about 10 days. If your spinach isn't in an airtight container, make sure you don't store it next to ethylene-producing fruits (such as bananas and apples). Exposure to ethylene gas will cause your spinach to go bad more quickly.

What brings out the Flavour of spinach? ›

How do I make spinach salad taste good? Spinach goes great with tomatoes, shallots, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Is it okay to eat spinach and egg together? ›

This is a great breakfast option that can also make for lunch or even a snack. It's tasty, healthy and easy to pull together.

Is eating eggs with spinach good for you? ›

Eggs offer high-quality protein and spinach provides a range of essential minerals and vitamins. An egg and spinach breakfast can provide a variety of health benefits as part of a balanced diet and can help you meet your daily nutrient recommendations. Spinach is high in calcium, iron, magnesium, and vitamin A.

What are 3 ways you can eat spinach? ›

Delicious and Easy Ways to Eat Spinach
  • Add spinach to smoothies. ...
  • Wilt spinach on the stovetop with garlic and olive oil. ...
  • Add spinach and chopped sausage to pasta dishes. ...
  • Mix raw spinach into salads. ...
  • Steam spinach over boiling water. ...
  • Fried spinach: a delicious treat. ...
  • Use it in curry. ...
  • Add spinach to your eggs or omelet.
Feb 19, 2022

What is the healthiest way to eat spinach? ›

Highlights. Spinach is a green leafy vegetable that we all know to be really healthy, due to the presence of high levels of antioxidants in it. However, the best way to eat spinach is not after blanching or boiling it, but rather adding it to your smoothies or juicing it, says a new study.

Why do we boil spinach before cooking? ›

To reduce the oxalic acid content in cooked spinach, you can follow these preparation methods: Blanching: Bring a pot of water to a boil Submerge the spinach leaves in boiling water for about 1-2 minutes.

Can I freeze fresh spinach? ›

Can you freeze spinach? You definitely can, and the result serves fabulous flavor when you start with freshly picked leaves. You won't be able to serve the thawed product in fresh salads, but frozen spinach is versatile in the kitchen.

Is 4 cups of spinach a day too much? ›

If you eat spinach every day in excessive amounts (more than a bowl) there can be adverse health effects. Most commonly these include gas, bloating and cramps due to its high fiber content. Eating too much spinach can also interfere with the body's ability to absorb nutrients.

Why you should not eat spinach in excess and people who should avoid it? ›

High amounts of purines and oxalates can trigger conditions such as kidney stones and gout (a type of arthritis). High amounts of oxalic acid in spinach may form calcium oxalate stones in the kidney.

What can I do with too many leafy greens? ›

You can make bagged greens key components of your pasta dishes, quesadillas, and curries, using spinach as the foundation of a shepherd's pie or incorporating kale into risotto or tacos. Soups, smoothies, pesto, sauces, and dressings are other places to add those extra greens before they go bad.

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