How to prepare spinach
For most people (and me most of all), spinach brings back bad memories of canteens... But, well prepared, it's a fine and delicate vegetable which goes remarkably well with scrambled eggs, fish, and many another things. Here are two ways of preparing it.
3.43 M 3.8/5 (982 reviews)1,292828
Last modified on: September 25th 2026
For 500 g, you will need:
- 1
1 kg fresh spinach - 2
20 g butter - 3
Coarse salt - 4
Salt - 5
Pepper - Total weight: 1,020 grams
Times for this recipe
Preparation
55 min.
Cooking
20 min.
All in all
1 hour 9 min.
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Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - ⌛ 10 min.
Start by washing 1 kg fresh spinach in several changes of lukewarm water (not too cold, like for all earthy vegetables).
Stage 2 - ⌛ 2 min.
Drain.
Stage 3
To prepare the leaves, you need to remove the central vein, for that there are two methods:
Fold the leaf in two along the central vein.
Fold the leaf in two along the central vein.
Stage 4
Then with a knife, remove the central vein.
Stage 5
You should keep only the green and tender part of the leaf.
Stage 6
Second method: fold the leaf in half along the central vein.
Stage 7
Then detach the vein by pulling on the stalk, from the base towards the top (in the direction of the arrow), until it's completely detached.
Stage 8 - ⌛ 30 min.
Do this for all the leaves.
If you don't want to blanch the spinach, but just wilt it with a little butter, dry thoroughly in a salad spinner and go on to the following stage.
If you don't want to blanch the spinach, but just wilt it with a little butter, dry thoroughly in a salad spinner and go on to the following stage.
Stage 9 - ⌛ 10 min.
To blanch spinach
If you wish to blanch before cooking, which brings out the flavour, boil a large pan of water, then salt using 1 tablespoon of salt per litre of water.Also prepare a large container, or your sink, full of water as cold as possible (ice-cold).
Stage 10
Tip in spinach leaves.
Stage 11 - ⌛ 1 min.
Plunge the leaves down under the water, while waiting for it to come back to the boil.
Stage 12
As soon as it boils again, remove spinach from pan with a skimmer, and transfer to ice-cold water.
Stage 13 - ⌛ 5 min.
As soon as spinach is completely cooled, drain thoroughly.
Stage 14 - ⌛ 5 min.
Then use a salad spinner to remove as much water as possible.
Note: you will sometimes read in other recipes that you should squeeze spinach in your hands to remove water. I don't think this is a good idea because it gives you hard blocks of spinach, with the leaves all stuck together, not so easy to use.
Note: you will sometimes read in other recipes that you should squeeze spinach in your hands to remove water. I don't think this is a good idea because it gives you hard blocks of spinach, with the leaves all stuck together, not so easy to use.
Stage 15
And finally set aside on absorbant paper to collect any remaining water.
The spinach is ready to be used in your recipe.
The spinach is ready to be used in your recipe.
Stage 16
See how to in this video.
Stage 17
If you wish to eat it like this (and it is already excellent), you just need to heat it through in a frying pan with a knob of butter.
Stage 18 - ⌛ 1 min.
Spinach "wilted" in butter
If you have not blanched you spinach, take a high-sided pan, and melt 20 g butter in it.Stage 19 - ⌛ 5 min.
As soon as it's fairly hot, add the spinach. If it won't all fit in the pan, wait until the first batch wilts, then add the rest.
Stage 20
As soon as spinach wilts, salt and pepper, taste to check, it's ready.
Remarks
There is a a huge task of "spinach rehabilitation" to be done with children: "spinach is not inevitably the horrible green mush which you ate in the canteen"...
Keeping: Several days in the fridge, in a closed jar.
Source: Home made.
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Nutritional information
| Proteins | Carbohydrates | Fats | Calories | Energy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per 100 g | 1 g RDI=3 % | 2 g RDI=1 % | 1 g RDI=2 % | 34 kcal RDI=2 % | 144 kJ RDI=2 % |
| Whole recipe | 20 g RDI=31 % | 30 g RDI=11 % | 16 g RDI=23 % | 351 kcal RDI=18 % | 1,473 kJ RDI=18 % |
How much will it cost?
For 500 g
3.35 €
Per How to prepare spinach
0.05 €
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
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This recipe uses (among others)
Fresh spinach
Like these other recipes:
Butter
Like these other recipes:
Coarse salt
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