Spinach is the vegetable you have to have around this fall and winter. It’s extremely well suited for the chilly weather and can produce throughout the winter if you take care of it properly. We certainly can’t stop eating these delicious spinach recipes — for breakfast, lunch, and dinner — will leave you leafy green satisfied and ready to take on the world.
BREAKFAST: Eggs Benedict Florentine
All good brunch menus include Eggs Benedict. Add an extra tender (and extra nutritious) touch to your morning meal by adding freshly harvested spinach. You’ll bring out the best of breakfast with this spinach recipe!
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 5oz container spinach
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 English muffins
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 5 large eggs
- 3 Tbsp light mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp water Tbsp butter, melted
How-To:
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; sauté spinach until wilted — about three minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
- Cut English muffins in half and toast. Divide spinach among the slices and set aside.
- Bring a high sided skillet filled with 2 inches of water to a simmer. Add vinegar. Break eggs into a ramekin and slide into simmering water. Poach minutes and remove with a slotted spoon. Place each egg atop of each English muffin slice.
- Separate the last egg yolk from the whites and place yolk in a blender, alongside mayonnaise, lemon juice, and water. Blend until smooth and then add melted butter. Spoon hollandaise over eggs and serve immediately.
LUNCH: Spinach Soup
When the fall/winter season rolls around, soup is all we want for lunch. This is one of the more lightweight and tasty spinach recipes. It’ll bring warmth to your midday meal.
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 10 oz fresh spinach
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ½ medium onion, chopped
- 4 Tbsp butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- Freshly ground black pepper
How-To:
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add spinach and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until the spinach is wilted — about 2 to 3 minutes. Add mixture to a blender, pour in ¼ cup hot water and pulse until pureed. Set aside.
- In a large soup pot, cook onions in the butter over medium heat until the onions begin to soften. Sprinkle flour over the top and stir to combine. Cook for about 2 minutes and then pour in milk, stirring occasionally. Add salt, cayenne, and some black pepper. Stir. Pour in pureed spinach and cook until thickened — about 3 to 5 minutes.
DINNER: Italian Spinach Dumplings
For dinner, forgo the pork and opt for a spinach dumpling instead. This spinach recipe is beyond delicious, with complex flavors that will perfectly accompany chicken or rice. You’ll be finishing off your day with fresh spinach flavor.
Ingredients:
- 8 oz spinach
- 2 oz stale bread, cut into ¼ inch cubes
- About ¼ cup milk to soak the bread
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup grated parmigiana or pecorino cheese, heaping
- salt to taste, about 2 to 3 Tsp
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ cup flour
How-To:
- Boil the greens in salt water until they’re tender — about 1 to 2 minutes. Plunge spinach into a large bowl of ice water to shock them, then remove and squeeze greens until they’re just damp.
- Chop finely and set in a bowl.
- Soak bread cubes in the milk until they soften. Mash into a paste with hands and add to bowl with the greens.
- Add remaining dumpling ingredients, except butter, garlic, and lemon juice, but only adding half the flour. Mix everything well. Form mixture into balls about the size of a walnut using hands. Roll each ball in a little flour and drop dumplings into the water and simmer them until they float, plus one minute — totaling about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Heat butter in a large sauté pan and cook the garlic slices gently until barely brown around the edges — about 1 minute. Add dumplings and roll around in the mix. Serve with a squeeze of lemon, and enjoy!
Not sure you want to grow your own spinach to make these delicious spinach recipes? Trust us, you do. Check out the reasons here.