The BEST Creamed Spinach Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What brings out the Flavour of spinach? ›

Olive oil: I love sauteing the spinach in olive oil. It has the best flavor! Garlic: Before tossing in my fresh spinach, I cook fresh sliced garlic in the olive oil, which gives the olive oil a lovely garlicky flavor. Lemon: It is optional but adds fresh flavor!

Place spinach in a large pot over medium heat. Cook covered with just the water cleaning to the leaves, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 4-6 minutes. Remove spinach to a colander. When the spinach is cool enough to handle, take small hand fulls and squeeze out as much water as possible.

Wilted spinach is mixed through a silky smooth white sauce, flavoured with sautéed onion and garlic, then served with parmesan cheese. This is the side dish of your dreams! Creamed spinach can be mistaken for just a bunch of spinach and heavy cream thrown together — like abracadabra — and you have creamed spinach.

Spinach is ultra mild, making it versatile. It also means that it's important to season it well. Some great flavors to add to spinach are garlic, Parmesan, lemon, and red pepper flakes.

The cider-vinegar sets this veggie side apart and gives the baby spinach a subtle, sour flavor.

The Vegetarian Times adds, “When you eat spinach that has been heated, you will absorb higher levels of vitamins A and E, protein, fiber, zinc, thiamin, calcium, and iron. Important carotenoids, such as beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, also become more absorbable.”

A study found that cooking spinach quickly in boiling water, then plunging it into cold water, reduced oxalate content by 40 percent, on average, which was more effective than pan or pressure cooking.

Primarily, I want to say: If you find spinach and other greens too bitter, add some apple cider vinegar or other acid when cooking. This acid will help balance with the bitter. When I cook spinach, I sauté some diced tomato (another acid) in oil for a minute or two, and then put in the spinach. Hope this helps.

However, the absorption of calcium from milk and other rich-in-calcium ingredients won't be impaired by spinach's oxalic acid, which is why pairing spinach with dairy products helps ensure you gain all the nutrients you need. Oxalate may also be produced by body or converted from vitamin C during its metabolism.

To cook fresh spinach in boiling water, place 1 pound of washed spinach, covered, in a small amount of boiling salted water. If you're wondering how long to boil spinach, it should only take a few minutes. Once the steam starts to foam, begin your timer. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender.

How do you make creamed spinach less bitter? ›

Use baby spinach with stems removed, or smaller, lighter-colored leaves rather than more mature leaves. Use olive oil or any kind of oil. Oil will reduce the bitterness. Don't over-cook it (most common culprit).

Recipe: Creamed Spinach

Spinach contains iron, heart-healthy antioxidants and very few calories. While eating spinach raw in salads is a terrific way to add color and nutrition to your diet, cooking it can turn it into a comforting wintertime side dish.

Serve it as an easy veggie side at your holiday dinner to really add some fancy factor alongside your Thanksgiving turkey. Storage and reheating. If you have any leftovers, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can also freeze your creamed spinach for around 3 months.

Also, in order to get the best out of spinach, it is advised that you combine vitamin C rich foods along with this such as citrus fruits and increase your absorption of calcium.

Another theory is to steam the spinach or to squeeze some lemon juice on top of the spinach because the vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in the lemon juice dissolves the oxalic acid.

To aid in iron absorption add vitamin C, such as a squeeze of lemon juice over your sauteed spinach or eat your spinach with other vitamin C rich foods like bell peppers or citrus fruits.