How to cook spinach

This versatile, leafy green has found its way into everything from green smoothie recipes to scrambled eggs. Whether you add it to your favourite meals or eat it straight from the bag, there are plenty of ways to prepare spinach that give it flavour and texture.

How to prepare spinach

Luckily, preparing spinach for cooking is a breeze. When working with fresh spinach:

1. Wash the spinach leaves well with water, ensuring all dirt is washed away. 
2. Pat the leaves or wring the spinach until dry. If the leaves are too wet, they’ll start to wilt. 
3. Inspect the leaves. This will make sure they’re healthy and okay to eat. If the spinach is older, you might need to cut off any woody stems and give it an extra rinse before using it.

If you’re using wilted or frozen spinach, toss the already prepared spinach into your dish and start cooking.

How to boil spinach

Boiling spinach is a quick and easy way to wilt spinach leaves. The cooked spinach can then be used later in other dishes or seasoned and served as a healthy side: 

1. Fill a saucepan with salted water and bring to a boil. 
2. Once at a gentle, rolling boil, add the spinach leaves. Stir until the leaves begin to wilt. Spinach contains a huge amount of water, so it will decrease significantly in portion size as you cook it. 
3. Once wilted, drain over a colander. If you prefer to blanch it, put the wilted spinach immediately in a bowl of iced water. This will preserve its vibrant green colour. 

Alternatively, you can boil water in a kettle for a quick spinach cooking hack. Simply boil the kettle, drop the spinach in a colander and pour the hot water over it.

How to cook spinach

There are plenty of other ways to cook spinach without boiling it. To cook spinach in a saucepan: 

1. Drizzle a little olive oil and garlic in a saucepan. 
2. Allow it to heat up, then add the spinach leaves. Continuously stir the spinach with a spatula, letting it wilt in the heat for one to two minutes before serving. 
3. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the spinach and serve. 

Blanching spinach

If you want to cook spinach for salads, blanching is your best option. Blanching is the process of scalding vegetables in boiling water or steam for a short time and then placing them in cold water. To maintain the best quality, spinach should be blanched before freezing.

To blanch spinach:

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare a separate bowl of iced water and put it aside. 
2. Cook baby spinach in boiling water for one minute, then immediately dunk in cold water.

Creamed spinach

For a tasty alternative, add some cooked spinach to a saucepan on low to medium heat. Stir with butter, cream and spices for around 15 minutes— or until fully combined. Creamed spinach is a popular side dish and a tasty addition to any meal.

What to serve with spinach

Spinach is an extremely versatile ingredient. Mix in some leaves when you make scrambled eggs for a boost of iron in the morning. You can also fold spinach into a frittata or blend it down into a paste with artichokes for a steakhouse dip.

Spinach dishes

• Mix spinach with scrambled eggs, or you can serve under poached eggs and toast.
• Stir spinach into paella, pasta bolognese or risottos.
• Layer spinach with lettuce in salads.
• Blend into smoothies for extra vitamins.
• Add to vegetarian curries to complement chickpeas, sweet potato and squash.

Recipes with spinach

Take a look at this collection of spinach recipes that are delicious and easy to make. 

• Seared Salmon & Spinach Couscous Recipe
• Hearty Beef & Spinach Pie Recipe
• Spinach, Rocket & Apple Salad Recipe
• Creamy Pork & Spinach Risotto Recipe
• Lamb & Spinach Shepherd’s Pie Recipe
• Beef & Spinach Cottage Pie Recipe