Spinach

For more info about spinach, including care and storage tips, click here.

Recipes on this page:

Spring Greens Risotto     Asian Spinach Salad     Spinach Prosciutto Salad     Spinach Strawberry Salad     Fruity Nutty Spinach     Spinach and Bocconcini Salad with Strawberries     Spinach (or Swiss Chard) Quiche     Greens Croquettes     Mediterranean Vegetable Soup     Chilled Garden Soup     Brilliant Green and Red Soup

Recipes from around the web:

Green Apple Fruit Leather with Spinach     20 Ways to Cook Leafy Greens    Green Smoothie with Avocado   A Lighter Spinach and Parmesan Egg Drop Soup

Spring Greens Risotto  (return to top)

• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 c chopped green onions
• 1 1/2 c Arborio rice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 c hot chicken or vegetable broth, divided
• 4 c coarsely chopped spring greens (spinach, chard, sorrel)
• 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg (optional)
• 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

Heat olive in heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook 3 minutes to soften. Add rice and salt. Cook and stir until rice begins to color.
Add 1/2 c broth; cook and stir until most of broth is absorbed. Add 1 1/2 c broth; simmer, stirring occasionally, until mostly absorbed, about 10 minutes. Add remaining broth. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Place greens on top of rice. Cover and simmer 3 minutes. Stir in greens. Simmer and stir a few minutes more until broth is absorbed but mixture is moist.
Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan and serve.

Asian Spinach Salad (return to top)

• 1 lb fresh spinach, washed and trimmed
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Steam spinach until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and squeeze out as much water as possible. Chop coarsely.
In bowl, combine soy sauce, oil, seeds, garlic, sugar, vinegar and pepper; mix well. Add spinach to sauce, and toss to coat. Serve hot or cold.

Spinach Prosciutto Salad (return to top)

• 1/3 lb prosciutto, finely chopped
• 1/2 c olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 c dry white wine
• 1/2 c lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 lbs fresh spinach, washed, stemmed, and torn into pieces
• 1/2 c chopped walnuts
• 1 c sliced black olives
• 1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

Cook and stir prosciutto in hot oil in skillet over medium heat. When browned, add garlic. Cook 2
minutes. Add wine, juice, sugar, salt and pepper; heat just until simmering. Pour over spinach in
bowl.
Add walnuts, olives and Parmesan to bowl; toss. Serve at once while dressing is still warm.

Spinach Strawberry Salad (return to top)

• 1/2 c sugar
• 1 T poppy seeds
• 2 Tbsp sesame seed
• 1 1/2 tsp minced onions
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 c cider vinegar
• 1/4 c wine vinegar
• 1/2 c canola oil
• 3/4 c slivered almonds
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 lb spinach, washed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 pint strawberries, sliced

Put sugar, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, onions, paprika, vinegars and oil in shaker jar. Shake to emulsify.
Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add almonds; cook and stir until lightly toasted, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Combine spinach, strawberries and almonds in serving bowl. Pour half of dressing over and toss. Add more dressing as desired. Serve at once.

Fruity Nutty Spinach (return to top)

• 2 T. chopped walnuts
• 1 t. olive oil
• 1 bag (about 4 cups) fresh spinach
• 2 T. raisins

Heat frying pan and add chopped walnuts.  Shake pan to turn the nuts.  When you begin to smell them toasting, turn off the heat. Transfer toasted nuts to a bowl.
Remove stems from spinach.  Rinse leaves and pat dry.
Heat oil in frying pan and saute spinach until soft and bright green.
Add raisins and nuts and stir just to heat.
Serve immediately as a side dish.

Spinach and Bocconcini Salad with Strawberries (return to top)
-Alison M.
Serves 4

• 16 young spinach leaves, washed and trimmed
• 3 T. balsamic vinegar
• 1 t. honey
• 2 t. olive oil
• Cracked black pepper (to taste)
• 12 oz. Bocconcini cheese, drained and sliced (or use fresh mozzarella cheese, drained and sliced into bite-sized pieces)
• 1 pint ripe strawberries, hulled, washed, and sliced

Tear spinach into bite-size pieces, or shred finely
Place vinegar and honey in a small bowl or cup and mix to dissolve the honey.  Add the oil and black pepper and whisk the mixture with a fork or small whisk.
Arrange the spinach on a serving plate and top with the cheese slices
Arrange the strawberries on top of the cheese
Drizzle dressing on the salad just before serving

Spinach (or Swiss Chard) Quiche (return to top)
-Dave R.
Serves 6

• 9” Quiche shell
• 1 lb. spinach or Swiss Chard
• 2 T. olive oil or butter
• 1 T. lemon juice
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 ½ cup sour cream
• Salt and pepper
• 1/3 c. minced onion
• 1/8 t. cream of tartar
• 1/3 c. parmesan cheese
• 1/3 c. bread crumbs

Saute chard (or spinach), drain well
Add lemon juice
Whisk yolks, sour cream, salt, pepper, and onions.  Fold in greens
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff.  Fold into greens.  Pour into Quiche shell
Combine parmesan cheese and bread crumbs, and sprinkle on top
Bake at 450 for 15 minutes, then reduce to 325 and bake for 40 minutes

Greens Croquettes (return to top)

• 2 lbs. leaves of mixed greens (Spinach, Kale, Swiss Chard, etc.)
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup cow’s milk cheese, grated
• 2/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs, plus extra
• Salt and Pepper
• Oil or butter

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Salt the water and then add the greens.  If you are using a mix of greens, add them in order of coarseness (i.e., start with kale, end with spinach).  Cook until just wilted, no more than a minute or ninety seconds.  Drain thoroughly, gently pressing the leaves against the sides of the colander.  Allow the greens to cool, and then roughly chop.
In a mixing bowl, combine the greens, onion, eggs, cheese, pepper, and approximately half of the breadcrumbs.  If the mixture is too wet to form cakes, gradually add more bread crumbs until it is possible to mold the mixture.  Form small patties, roughly the size of a small hamburger, and set aside.
Put a plate in the oven and set the oven to low heat.  Over medium heat, cover the bottom of a cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan with oil or butter.  Add a few of the cakes to the pan, being careful not to overcrowd it.  (The amount of cakes you add depends on the size of the pan.) Cook for approximately five minutes, or until browned, flip the cakes and cook an additional five minutes to brown the other side.  Remove the cakes to the plate in the oven and continue with the next batch.  Repeat until cakes are cooked.

Mediterranean Vegetable Soup (return to top)

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 (28-oz) can Italian-style plum tomatoes, cut up
• 1 (15-oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (14-oz) can beef broth, or 2 c water
• 1 bunch spinach, stems removed, chopped
• 1 lb green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 c sliced carrots
• 1 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 16 oz small bow tie pasta
• 8 oz feta, crumbled

In pot over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in oil 3 minutes.
Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth or water, spinach, green beans, carrots and oregano; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add pasta; simmer 10 minutes more. Serve with crumbled feta on top.

Chilled Garden Soup (return to top)

• 1 bunch green onions, sliced
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 4 c peeled, diced cucumbers
• 3 c chicken broth
• 1 c chopped spinach
• 1/2 c peeled, sliced potatoes
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• ~1 c heavy cream
• Fresh lemon juice
• Salt
• Cucumber slices for garnish

In saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté green onions in butter until soft, 3-5 minutes.
Add cucumbers, broth, spinach, potatoes and pepper. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
Puree in blender, working in batches. Transfer to bowl and stir in almost enough cream to reach desired. Add lemon and salt totaste.
Chill several hours. Serve with thinly sliced cucumber garnish.

Brilliant Green and Red Soup (return to top)

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 6 c packed spinach leaves (about 2 bunches), stems removed
• 4 c chicken broth
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 4 tomatoes, diced; divided
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Place onion, garlic, celery, and cumin in pot with olive oil over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes.
Add spinach; stir well. Reduce heat to low; cover. Simmer until spinach is wilted, about 4 minutes.
Add broth and oregano; simmer, covered, 20-25 minutes.
Working in batches, puree mixture. Place mixture and 2 cups of diced tomatoes in pot and heat through (but don’t cook tomatoes).
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve garnished with reserved diced tomatoes.