Spinach
Spinach is a tender, mineral-rich leafy green used everywhere from raw salads to creamy purees, and one of the most universally cooked greens across world cuisines.
How to buy
Look for crisp, deep green leaves with no sliminess, yellowing, or dark wet spots. Bunched spinach with roots attached tends to be the freshest and most flavorful, while bagged baby spinach is convenient but spoils faster once opened. Give leaves a squeeze -- they should feel firm, not slick.
How to store
Store unwashed in a loosely sealed bag with a paper towel to absorb moisture, and use within about 5 days. Cooked spinach keeps in the fridge for 3-4 days. Spinach freezes well once blanched and squeezed dry, making it easy to portion for future cooking.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Mild and slightly sweet raw, with a mineral, faintly bitter edge that's more noticeable in mature leaves than tender baby spinach. Cooking deepens the flavor and brings out a subtle earthiness, especially once it's reduced down from a large volume to a small one.
- Texture
- Tender and a little crisp raw, collapsing into a soft, almost silky texture within seconds of hitting heat. Its high water content means a big pile of raw leaves cooks down to a small fraction of its original volume.
- Aroma
- A mild, grassy, slightly earthy smell raw, which becomes more pronounced and vegetal once wilted or cooked.
How to prepare
- Wilted/sautéed — Cooked briefly in a hot pan with oil or butter until just collapsed, keeping bright color and flavor.
- Creamed — Chopped and cooked down with butter, cream, and often nutmeg into a rich side dish.
- Raw in salads — Used whole or torn as a tender base, often paired with warm dressings or fruit.
- Blanched and squeezed — Briefly boiled, shocked in ice water, then squeezed dry for use in fillings and dips.
- Pureed — Cooked down and blended smooth as the base of soups, sauces, or stuffed pasta fillings.
Classic dishes
American
- Creamed spinach — A steakhouse classic of chopped spinach cooked in a rich cream sauce.
- Spinach dip — A creamy party dip combining chopped spinach with sour cream and seasonings.
Italian
- Spinach and ricotta ravioli — Pasta dumplings filled with a mixture of wilted spinach and creamy ricotta.
- Spinach lasagna — Layered pasta baked with spinach, ricotta, and mozzarella.
- Spinach gnudi — Soft ricotta and spinach dumplings served in butter or tomato sauce.
Chinese
- Stir-fried spinach with garlic — Spinach wilted quickly in a hot wok with garlic and a touch of oil.
Japanese
- Ohitashi — Boiled spinach chilled and served in a light dashi-soy dressing.
- Spinach goma-ae — Blanched spinach tossed in a nutty, slightly sweet sesame dressing.
Indian
- Palak paneer — A creamy spinach puree studded with cubes of fresh paneer cheese.
- Saag — A spiced greens dish, often built heavily on spinach, simmered until deeply savory.
French
- Eggs Florentine — Poached eggs served over a bed of creamed spinach, topped with hollandaise.
- Spinach quiche — A savory egg custard tart studded with sautéed spinach and cheese.
Greek
- Spanakopita — Flaky phyllo pastry filled with spinach and feta cheese.
- Spanakorizo — A lemony spinach and rice dish, simmered together until tender.
Korean
- Sigeumchi namul — Blanched spinach seasoned with sesame oil, garlic, and soy as a banchan side.
Middle Eastern
- Spinach fatayer — Savory hand pies filled with spinach, onion, and sumac or lemon.
Substitutions
- Arugula — More peppery and sturdier raw; works in salads but wilts less uniformly in cooked dishes.
- Watercress — Sharper and more peppery; a reasonable raw salad swap but a stronger-flavored stand-in when cooked.