5 Spinach Recipes

Name: Spinach Dip
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 22 min
Ingredients: 2 tbsp pine nuts; 70 grams feta cheese; 1/2 cup plain yoghurt (or dairy free alternate); 150 grams fresh spinach (washed); 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 pinch salt and pepper (generous)

If you have been following my posts you will be aware that I have a lot of spinach in my vegetable garden at the moment. This is not an issue for me as I love it and so does my family. It is an incredibly versatile vegetable and I wouldn’t be without it in my garden. I have included 5 Spinach recipe below, plus a link to an additonal 5 at the end of this article that are now firm family favourites and amongst the most popular of my recipes.

Spinach is a hardy vegetable, very productive and easy to grow. It is easy to incorporate into almost any meal. It is one of the vegetables that I grab almost every time I go to the garden. Other reasons I love it, and you should too, include:

It can be eaten either raw or cooked
It has a long production period (I have a plant that has been producing for over a year)
It is one of the foods considered to hold high level of chemicals – if you enjoy it and can grow your own please you and your family will not be exposed to such chemicals
It is high in Vitamins K, A C and folate. 2 cup serving of baby spinach meets over 25 percent of the Recommended Daily Intake for Vitamin C

Ingredients that combine well with spinach include: pine nuts, anchovies, lemon, capers, any protein, feta, ricotta, pumpkin, tomatoes, potato

These are my top ways to enjoy spinach fresh from my vegetable patch:

1. Spinach Dip Recipe

A light, tang snack. Offer it to children as a snack with cut up carrot or capsicum sticks. This is also delicious on baked potatoes

Spinach Dip

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

12 mins

Total Time

22 mins

A tangy, healthy dip to add to lunch boxes or use as a spread

Course: Condiment

Keyword: dip, entertaining, spinach

Author: Kyrstie Barcak

Ingredients

2 tbsp pine nuts
70 grams feta cheese
1/2 cup plain yoghurt or dairy free alternate
150 grams fresh spinach washed
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 pinch salt and pepper generous

Instructions

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the washed spinach and cook for 2 minutes.
Drain, remove and chop. Remove any large stems
Brown the pine nuts in a pan, no oil is needed
Add all of the ingredients into a food processor and whiz until smooth.

2. Baby Spinach Salad Recipe

This is a light summer meal or a side that works well served with any meat.

Baby Spinach Salad

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

50 mins

A lovely light Spring dinner option

Course: Main Course, Salad

Keyword: salad, spinach

Author: Kyrstie Barcak

Ingredients

4 handfuls baby spinach leaves
1 tbsp pine nuts
1 cup pumpkin cubed, roasted and cooled
2 tomatoes chopped or a handful of cherry tomatoes
1 avocado sliced

Dressing

4 tbsp mayonnaise or mashed avocado
2 tsp seeded mustard
1 handful fresh sage leaves torn
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

Combine the salad ingredients together in a salad bowl.
Use a fork to whisk the ingredients of the dressing to combine and drizzle over salad prior to serving

3. Baby Food – or Spinach Storage Recipe

I cook spinach like this for my 11 month old son. It is also a great method for keeping the spinach to use in cooking at a later date. If I was not using the spinach for baby food I would freeze it in slightly larger containers than the ice cube trays. It can be used when defrosted for pesto, dips, pasta etc.

Baby Food or Frozen spinach cubes

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

2 mins

Freezer

12 hrs

Total Time

12 mins

Simple process to save your excess spinach for use later in the season.

Course: Condiment

Keyword: baby food, freeze, meal preparation, preserve, spinach

Author: Kyrstie Barcak

Ingredients

400 grams spinach leaves washed

Instructions

Set a pot of water to boil
Wash the spinach leaves and remove large stalks.
Add spinach when water is boiling and cook for 2 minutes
Remove and add to a blender with a small amount of the water used for the cooking. Process to a smooth paste and pour into ice cube trays and put in the freezer
After 12 hours remove from the trays and put into zip lock or plastic bags to store. Label the bags with the ingredients and date and store until required. Use within 2 months.

4. Spinach and Pine Nuts Recipe

A tasty side dish that is very well suited to accompanying pork

Spinach and pine nuts

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

5 mins

Total Time

10 mins

Zingy, fresh side dish perfect to serve with pork

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: vegetarian

Keyword: recipe, side dish, spinach

Author: Kyrstie Barcak

Ingredients

100 grams freshly picked spinach leaves washed
1 clove garlic finely chopped
2 anchovies chopped
2 tbsp pine nuts
1/2 lemon juiced
2 tbsp sultanas
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to season

Instructions

Heat a fry pan and add a small amount of oil to the pan.
Add the oil and then the garlic and the anchovies
Stir until the anchovy is starting to dissolve
Add the spinach and the sultanas and stir for a couple of minutes until the spinach is wilted.
Pour over the lemon juice and season with a pinch of salt and generous grind of pepper
Place a serving of pork fillet on top of the spinach to serve

5. Prawn, Spinach and Tomato Pasta Recipe

Quick, healthy, tasty pasta recipe.

Prawn, Spinach and Tomato Pasta Recipe

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

35 mins

Light, fresh pasta recipe the family will love

Course: Main, Main Course

Keyword: pasta, prawns, spinach

Author: Kyrstie Barcak

Ingredients

300 grams fresh raw prawns shelled and de-veined (also good with chicken, tuna, prosciutto or tofu)
100 grams spinach washed and chopped
3 cloves garlic freshly chopped
1 punnet cherry tomatoes roasted if you have time
1 lemon zest only
1 chilli finely sliced - with or without seeds
pasta of choice
parmesan cheese to serve
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Put a saucepan of water on to boil, large enough to cook the pasta of your choice
Prepare the ingredients while waiting for the pasta water to boil. Once the water has boiled add the pasta and cook for the time specified on the pack
Heat a fry pan, add a small amount of oil and then the garlic (and chilli if you are using)
Add the tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes if they have not been roasted. If they have been roasted stir until warmed through
Add the prawns and cook for a few minutes on high heat until they start to change color. Add the spinach and lemon zest and stir until spinach wilts
Drain the pasta and add to the pan
Add the basil and stir through
Serve with Parmesan cheese and seasoned with salt and pepper

Recipe Notes

If you are using chicken instead of prawns, add the chicken at Step 4 and cook almost through before adding the tomatoes. If I use chicken I slice it into strips before cooking.

4 More Spinach Recipes : Family Favourites

Spinach continues to be grown in our family vegetable garden and as a result there are now tens of recipes that feature it as the main ingredient developed over the years. The recipes below are some of our family favourites and are the most viewed and used by readers. Click on the image to find the recipe.

Gluten Free Beef and Spinach Pie

Spinach and Ricotta Triangles

Greek Marinated Lamb Wraps

Steak and Cous Cous Salad

I hope you now have plenty of inspiration to make a fresh family meal featuring your garden spinach.

*Images were updated in this post 27/07/2014, additional recipes added 17/11/2017

nellymary says:

December 9, 2011 at 7:09 am

Hi Kyrstie, over from DTE, what lovely recipes…in good time too, as I have plenty of spinach and ruby chard in my garden….I also blanch my spinach, but hadn’t thought of whizzing it…Great…..On my mind today is tracing the heritage of a recipe….
http://justlikemynanmade.blogspot.com/2011/12/on-my-mindjumping-johnnys.html

Kyrstie says:
December 9, 2011 at 12:42 pm

Hi Nellymary, thanks for your comment. I have not heard of jumping johnnies….There are jumping Punky’s at our place though 🙂

Kellie @ Three Li'l Princesses says:

December 9, 2011 at 8:39 am

I’m still stuck back on Spinach Dip. Yum!

Kyrstie says:
December 9, 2011 at 12:38 pm

Thanks Kellie,
It is a good one for this time of year. I have tagged your delicious looking zucchini fritters to try when my zucchinis start producing.

Rhianna says:

December 9, 2011 at 10:17 am

Yum, yum yum! Thanks for sharing

kate says stuff says:

December 9, 2011 at 12:36 pm

Oh yum! I love spinach!

Kyrstie says:

December 9, 2011 at 12:44 pm

Thanks Yvette, I am sure you will enjoy the dip it is delicious. I am keenly waiting for our tomato crop to be ready. I have so many things I want to make with them this year.

December 9, 2011 at 1:19 pm

Hi Kirri, the brownie recipe sounds interesting! A mum at my mothers group put broccoli in a birthday cake a couple of weeks ago and a heap of veg as an egg substitute. The kids loved it! Funny. Spinach on pizza is yum, my nearly 4yr old added to his home made one last night. Recipe next week maybe. Everyone will be sick of me adding spinach to stuff soon lol.