What if we stopped waging war on spinach?
To say that spinach gets a bad rap would be an understatement! Whose fault is it ? To what? Perhaps the infamous greenish, water-soaked mush from the canteen? To this unsavory magma that everyone left on their plate while grimacing? Or even worse, this under-seasoned industrial preparation that parents tried so hard to force us to swallow. “It’s to be big and strong” they said… Unfortunately for them – the spinach and the parents – it was us who often won their case, with great sulking, stopped breathing, and tears that a saurian would not have denied! But let’s leave aside these happy childhood memories, and take a closer look at the object of all resentment: spinach.
First: we are going to tell you a truth that is important to write. Spinach is good! Wait, don’t leave yet, and give us time to explain.
First, you need to understand that spinach can be prepared in several ways. They can be cooked, as in our memories – good or bad -, but also raw, to be enjoyed in salad.
How to prepare spinach to perfection?
Cooked spinach
Before cooking these large, slightly wrinkled green leaves, take care to remove the somewhat hard stem, which is not very pleasant to eat. Young leaves do not need to be trimmed. Then, simply put the spinach in a frying pan before letting the heat do its thing. We say that we “make the spinach fall” which means that it loses volume and releases its water.
This is where everything comes into play. If you don’t prolong the cooking slightly, the spinach will “retain” water, and the result will be too “watery” in the mouth. We also rely on herbs and condiments to give them maximum flavor: garlic, onion, herbs, or even spices. Spinach only needs one thing to shine: seasoning.
Obviously, depending on the recipe, cooked spinach can be prepared in various ways, but the version cooked in a frying pan remains one of the simplest and tastiest. They can also be cooked in water, mixed in a soup, a cream, a sauce, a pancake batter, etc.
Spinach in raw version
When you want to prepare a salad with spinach, you prefer young spinach shoots, which are softer, than larger, tougher leaves. The advantage of young sprouts is that they don’t need anything – except a vinaigrette – to make a recipe! In a veggie version, in a Caesar salad, with blue cheese and croutons, or even as an accompaniment to a simple white fish, fresh spinach is always an effective base.
The benefits of spinach
In addition to its pleasant flavor, spinach also has many benefits. With 28.1 kcal/100g in the boiled version, spinach is the slimming food par excellence! If you want to benefit from the 41.1mg/100g of vitamin C they contain, it is better to enjoy them raw. Vitamin C is capricious and tends to disappear during cooking, never forget it! Vitamin B9, beta-carotene, minerals, trace elements, and obviously dietary fiber (insoluble fiber), the list of benefits of these little green leaves is still long. And it’s not Popeye who will say the opposite, even if the iron content of spinach was slightly overrated at the time!
If the intention is to play the Sunday bodybuilder with spinach, it is better to move on. But if, on the contrary, you prefer to enjoy this delicious leafy vegetable, then you have come to the right place.
Spinach soup, white fish and peanuts, coconut quinoa
© Valéry Guedes
Discover the recipe for spinach cream soup, white fish and peanuts, coconut quinoa
Club feta, spinach and dill

© Carrie Solomon
Discover the recipe for Club feta, spinach and dill
Gnocchi, creamed spinach and Parma ham

© Carrie Solomon
Discover the recipe for Gnocchi, creamed spinach and Parma ham
Green pancakes with ham, egg and cheese

© Ciders of France
Discover the recipe for Green Crêpes with Ham, Egg and Cheese
Spinach and mushroom lasagna

© Jean-Claude Amiel
Discover the recipe for Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna
Chicken pizza, mozzarella, spinach

© Valéry Guedes
Discover the recipe for Chicken, Mozzarella, Spinach Pizza
Spinach gnocchi with ricotta

© Nathalie Carnet
Discover the recipe for Spinach Gnocchi with Ricotta
Beurek with fresh herbs

© Jean-Claude Amiel
Discover the recipe for Beurek with fresh herbs
Spinach and goat cheese tart Sainte-Maure

© Jean-Claude Amiel
Discover the recipe for Sainte-Maure Spinach and Goat Cheese Tart
Mushroom and spinach gyoza

© Valéry Guedes
Discover the recipe for Mushroom and Spinach Gyoza
Green smoothie with cashew butter, vanilla and lemon

© Jean-Claude Amiel
Discover the recipe for Green Smoothie with cashew butter, vanilla and lemon
Spinach salad with petit-suisse, pumpkin seeds and soft-boiled eggs

© Nathalie Carnet
Discover the recipe for Spinach salad with petit-suisse, pumpkin seeds and soft-boiled eggs
Macaroni, spinach and gorgonzola cake

© Jérôme Bilic
Discover the recipe for Macaroni, Spinach and Gorgonzola Cake
Borani esfenaj with yogurt and spinach

© Virginie Garnier
Discover the recipe for Borani esfenaj with yogurt and spinach
Spinach-ricotta braid

© Jérôme Bilic
Discover the recipe for Spinach-ricotta braid
Spanakorizo rice and spinach croquettes

© Nathalie Carnet
Discover the recipe for spanakorizo rice and spinach croquettes
Squid stuffed with ricotta and baby spinach

© Jean-Claude Amiel
Discover the recipe for Squid stuffed with ricotta and baby spinach
Black mullet, wilted spinach

© Jean-Claude Amiel
Discover the recipe for black mullet, wilted spinach
Verdi pancake with spinach

© Lisa Klein Michel
Discover the recipe for Galette verdi with spinach
Sourdough and spinach ravioli, ricotta artichoke stuffing

© Pierre Baëlen
Discover the recipe for Sourdough and Spinach Ravioli, Artichoke Ricotta Stuffing
Spinach salad with blue cheese and seeds

© Jérôme Bilic
Discover the recipe for Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese and Seeds
Cabécou and spinach gnocchi

© Valéry Guedes
Discover the recipe for cabécou and spinach gnocchi