Trick Your Taste Buds into Loving Spinach!
A spinach recipe can be an absolute delight!
I hate canned spinach but love fresh spinach recipes. And, thanks to Popeye, I know spinach is packed full of vital super nutrients my body needs.
Spinach does more than pump up your muscles.
It’s also rich in antioxidants, is an anti-inflammatory, helps regulate blood pressure, and boosts your immune system. Spinach keeps your brain functioning, your bones strong, your skin clear, and spinach improves digestion.
With superpowers like that, it’s no wonder Popeye ate so much spinach!
We can’t all be like Popeye and eat a can of spinach four times a day. But good news! It’s not necessary to eat a pile of mushy greens out of a tin for the benefits spinach has to offer.
One thing I’ve learned about spinach is that it’s delicious fresh, especially if you mix it into the right recipes!
Ten simple spinach recipes to Satisfy those picky taste buds!
I’ve gathered some of my favorite recipes with spinach to share with you, so you too can fall in love with this scrumptious superfood!
A spinach casserole the whole family will love, spinach salad recipes for a quick delicious lunch, a creamed spinach that makes an easy side dish or appetizer, and other classic comfort food recipes the whole family will love.
These recipes are simple enough for your weekly meal prep or to share at the next potluck! Packed full of flavor, even picky eaters will be fighting for the last bite!
Spinach for the win! With spinach, make life simple, delicious, and healthy!
Creamed Spinach Recipe
The following is the best creamed-spinach recipe I’ve ever had. Even my family loves it! This easy creamed spinach makes the perfect side dish for any occasion.
It also freezes well, so you can make a double batch and save some for a busy day or that pot luck you forgot about! Eat it as a side dish by itself or as an appetizer to dip with baguette pieces or tortilla chips.
Ground black pepper, onions, garlic, and paprika make this recipe explode with flavor. Even the kids will love this creamed spinach!
Creamed Spinach
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion minced
- Half tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ⅓ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp paprika optional
- 1 c unsweetened cashew milk cashew milk is more creamy, but you may also use soy or almond milk
- 5 oz. 2 packages of spinach leaves
- 1 c grated parmesan cheese divided in half
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉ and grease a 9×9 baking dish with non-stick spray or oil of choice.
- In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add onion and garlic, cook until translucent (about 5 minutes).
- Sprinkle in spices and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Add coconut flour and stir until well combined.
- Pour in cashew milk and mix well, bring sauce to a boil, then let simmer until it thickens.
- Add ½ c of parmesan cheese and whisk until it’s melted (about 30 seconds).
- Once the mixture thickens, slightly, add spinach one handful at a time and mix with sauce until the leaves wilt (then add more).
- Mix well, then remove from heat.
- Pour mixture into greased baking dish and top with remaining parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbling and the cheese is golden brown.
Notes
Spinach Salad Recipes
Salad season is approaching!! Stay prepared and keep a quick lunch on hand at all times with an easy spinach salad that’s ready to grab and go. Baby spinach makes the perfect base for any salad. You can get creative with so many different ingredients to keep things interesting. You never have to get bored with salad again!
Make weekly meal prep simple with this easy spinach salad. Keep the staple ingredients on hand. Then, let your creativity go wild and make a spinach salad buffet with different ingredients like hard-boiled eggs, cooked turkey or chicken, baked salmon, feta or gorgonzola cheese, walnuts, dried cranberries, red onions, mushrooms, chickpeas, quinoa and more.
Spinach Salad
Ingredients
- 2 c fresh baby spinach
- ½ c sliced strawberries
- ¼ c sliced almonds
- 2 tbsp red wine vinaigrette
Instructions
- Combine spinach, strawberries, and almonds in a bowl.
- Add a little extra flavor with ingredients of your choice (i.e., salmon, gorgonzola, and chickpeas).
- Toss with red wine vinaigrette.
Notes
Add protein like salmon, chickpeas, or chicken.
Sautéed Spinach Recipe
Vital nutrients can break down when heating food and the nutritional value can decrease.
But with sautéed spinach, there’s no need to worry! Sautéed spinach is still full of vital nutrients. In fact, the nutrients that break down will help your body absorb even more nutrients from other foods like vitamins A and E, proteins, fiber, calcium, and iron! Spinach doesn’t have to be bitter or tasteless.
Serve with grilled salmon or oven-roasted chicken breast. This simple garlic sautéed spinach recipe will change the way you think about eating greens forever!
Sauteed Spinach & Garlic Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh spinach leaves
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- Sea Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- Soak spinach leaves in the sink with cold water, rinse and repeat until clean.
- Spin in a salad spinner or pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until it starts to brown (about 1 minute).
- Add spinach to skillet and gently toss with oil, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper until evenly coated.
- Cover the pan and cook until spinach is wilted (about 1 minute). Uncover and mix again.
- Cover the pan and continue to cook for 1 minute.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove spinach into serving dish.
- Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Notes
Creamy Spinach and Chicken
Spinach doesn’t just have to be a side dish.
Include spinach in your main dish for a flavorful, nutrient-rich dish. This one-pan, easy chicken breast meal is one of my favorites for a quick, feeling-fancy dinner. And if there are leftovers – a big if – this makes a splendid lunch for the next day.
The creamy sauce makes this a new favorite comfort food!
Creamy Spinach And Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 6 tbsp grass-fed butter divided
- Sea salt & pepper
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 yellow onion minced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small jar sun-dried tomatoes drained & chopped
- 1 c chicken broth
- 1 c low-fat cream cheese
- ⅔ c grated parmesan cheese
- 2 c fresh spinach leaves
Instructions
- Season both sides of chicken breast with 1 tsp oregano, salt, and pepper.
- On medium-high heat, melt 4 tbsp butter, then add seasoned chicken breasts and cook for 4 minutes each side, or until no longer pink inside.
- Remove chicken from the pan, set aside.
- Add the remaining butter to the same pan, and cook onion, garlic, remaining oregano, and sun-dried tomatoes until onions are translucent.
- Slowly add broth, cream cheese, and parmesan cheese and mix until smooth.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix in fresh spinach and cover. Cook until wilted.
- Add chicken to the sauce, and cover until chicken is reheated (about 2-3 minutes).
Notes
Strawberry Spinach Smoothie
This is mind-blowing!
You can’t even taste the spinach in this strawberry spinach smoothie! It’s my favorite green smoothie that feels like summer all year round. Life gets super busy, so I like to keep these prepped for a quick snack. Just put a few large frozen strawberries and a handful of fresh spinach leaves in a zip lock bag and freeze.
When you’re ready, just throw it in the blender with the rest of the ingredients, and you’re good to go!
Strawberry Spinach Smoothie
Ingredients
- 8-10 oz. unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 scoop LadyBoss LEAN
- 3-4 large frozen strawberries
- 1 big handful of fresh spinach leaves
- Handful of ice
Instructions
- Blend the ingredients until smooth.
Notes
Out of fresh spinach? Frozen spinach works great in a pinch.
Add ¼ c plain Greek yogurt for more protein and an extra creamy shake.
Spinach and Artichoke Dip Recipe
Finally, the perfect game day, pot luck, guilt-free appetizer!
This creamy, hot spinach artichoke dip is super quick and easy, just whip it up and go! Scoop this up with some almond thin-crackers, toasted baguette slices, some whole wheat tortilla chips, or fresh veggies like carrots, red bell peppers, and celery.
A classic favorite to enjoy while creating lifelong memories with family and friends, you’ll forget it’s healthy for you!
Spinach and Artichoke Dip Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 14- oz. can of quartered artichoke hearts
- 1 10- oz. package frozen chopped spinach thawed
- 8- oz. package light cream cheese softened
- 1 c plain Greek yogurt
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ c grated parmesan
- ½ c shredded low-fat mozzarella
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Drain & chop artichoke hearts.
- Use cheesecloth to squeeze out excess moisture from thawed spinach.
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add cream cheese, yogurt, and cheeses.
- Mix well, and cook until softened.
- Add artichoke hearts, spinach, and garlic.
- Mix well and add salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook until bubbling hot (about 5 minutes).
Notes
Spinach Sauce Pasta
Who doesn’t love pasta?!
This recipe adds a spin to the garlic sautéed spinach and turns a side dish into comfort food. Make meal prep easy by making an extra batch of sautéed spinach tonight and make the spinach sauce recipe for tomorrow’s dinner!
This sauce freezes well, up to a month, so that you can save it for a quick, healthy dinner.
Spinach Sauce Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh spinach leaves
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ c grated parmesan cheese
- 1 pound angel hair pasta veggie made pasta or zucchini noodles are great options too
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Soak spinach leaves in the sink with cold water, rinse and repeat until clean.
- Spin in a salad spinner or pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high.
- Add garlic and sauté until it starts to brown (about 1 minute).
- Add spinach to skillet and gently toss with oil, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper until evenly coated.
- Cover the pan, and cook until spinach is wilted (about 1 minute).
- Mix again. Cover the pan and continue to cook for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat, and set aside.
- Cook pasta following instructions on the back of the box. Reserve 1 cup pasta water.
- In a food processor (or blender), add ½ c of pasta water, cooked spinach, and parmesan and puree until the sauce is smooth. (Add more pasta water as needed to desired thickness)
- Add the spinach sauce back to the pan over medium-high heat, and heat through.
- Pour in more water if needed and season with salt and pepper.
- Plate pasta and pour ½ c spinach sauce over noodles. Top with parmesan or red pepper flakes.
Notes
Spinach Soup
This creamy spinach soup is going to be a new favorite, and it takes less than 30 minutes to make!
Full of robust flavor, it’s perfect for those rainy days or to help boost your immune system while you fight off a cold. It may look green, but it doesn’t taste like it!
Spinach Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 1 bunch green onions chopped
- 4 c low sodium broth chick or vegetable
- 1 russet potato peeled and chopped into ½ inch cubes
- 1 pound fresh spinach leaves with thick stems trimmed
- ½ c evaporated milk coconut milk or heavy cream work well too
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add green and yellow onions and cook until translucent (about 5 minutes). Stir in garlic first, then add potatoes and spinach.
- Cook until spinach wilts.
- Add broth.
- Cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour soup into a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth.
- Add milk and mix until creamy.
- Return to pot, and heat through.
Notes
Spinach Casserole Recipe
Below is another recipe that is all about using what you already have to make something new.
Using the Creamed Spinach Recipe from above, you’ll make a couple of slight adjustments to make and even creamier casserole.
Spinach Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion minced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- One-half tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp paprika optional
- 1 c unsweetened cashew milk cashew milk is more creamy but you may also use soy or almond milk
- 1 tsp coconut flour
- 2 5- oz. packages of spinach leaves
- 1 c grated parmesan cheese divide in half
- 2 oz.s low-fat cream cheese
- 4 tbsp panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉, and grease a 9×9 baking dish with non-stick spray or oil of choice.
- Heat olive oil on medium-high heat.
- Add onion and garlic, cook until translucent (about 5 minutes).
- Add spices and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Pour in almond milk, and mix well.
- Bring sauce to a boil; then reduce to a simmer.
- Add coconut flour and stir until well combined
- Add ¼ c of parmesan cheese, and whisk until it’s melted (about 30 seconds).
- Once the mixture thickens, add spinach one handful at a time and mix with sauce until the leaves wilt (then add more).
- Add cream cheese and stir until melted.
- Remove from heat.
- Pour mixture into a greased 2-quart baking dish and top with panko crumbs and remaining parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until bubbling and top is golden brown.
Notes
Spinach Puree for Babies
It’s never too early to fall in love with vegetables!
The vitamins and minerals found in spinach are vital to the brain development of children. This recipe has so many nutrients like folate, iron, fiber, calcium, vitamins A, B2, B6, C, E, and K and is rich in antioxidants.
Spinach puree is excellent for babies around 8-10 months, but it makes a perfect snack for toddlers too! Roemee isn’t a big fan of vegetables (ha, she takes after me), but this is a recipe I can actually get her to eat! The recipe will prep about 25 ounces you can store in jars or reusable pouches.
You can keep it in the fridge for up to four days or freeze it for four months!
Spinach Puree For Babies
Ingredients
- 2 c fresh spinach leaves packed
- ½ c water
- 6 apples peeled, cored, and chopped
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, over medium-high heat, add apples, water, and spices.
- Cook for 15 minutes or until apples are tender.
- Add spinach leaves, and cook until spinach is wilted (about 2 minutes).
- Add ingredients to the food processor, and puree until smooth (about 1-2 minutes).
Notes
Store in refrigerator up to 2 days.
Serve slightly warmed.
Nice try Popeye!
Spinach doesn’t have to be a pile of yucky mush!
You can use fresh spinach in a variety of ways to make dishes for everyone to love! There are so many vital nutrients packed in those pretty little leaves; eating plain, bland, mushy piles of spinach would be a disservice to this valuable superfood!
Spinach is so versatile that you can make it taste any way you want with a few extra ingredients. These spinach recipes will make your picky taste buds fall in love with eating healthy again.
Popeye just doesn’t know what he’s missing out on!
