This site uses only a few technical cookies necessary for its operation. By continuing to browse, you accept their use.
To find out more...
To find out more...
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.
3.41 M 3.8/5 (981 reviews)
1 hour 9 min.
Easy
500 g
5 IngredientsLast modified on: June 5th 2015
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
Change these quantities to make:
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 55 min.
Cooking: 20 min.
All in all: 1 hour 9 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
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.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 20 RDI=8 % | 30 RDI=3 % | 20 RDI=3 % | 350 RDI=20 % | 1,470 RDI: 20 % |
| Per 100 g | 1 RDI=1 % | 2 RDI=0 % | 1 RDI=0 % | 30 RDI=2 % | 140 RDI: 2 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 500 g : 3.35 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
Some other recipes using this recipeSee them all 37
Langres-style spinach
Spinach in a creamy sauce with Langres cheese and lardons, served with hard-boiled eggs.
31 K 35 min.
Scrambled eggs with butter-fried bread and fresh spinach
Fresh spinach, butter-fried bread and scrambled eggs: simply delicious.
304 K3.8 2 hours
Spinach and Mushrooms with Pesto
For this simple recipe, thinly sliced and sautéed mushrooms, accompanied by cooked spinach, are combined with a pesto sauce.
26 K 20 min.
Spinach and chick peas "à la milanaise"
An Italian-style combination of spinach, chick peas and tomatoes, flavoured with thyme and Parmesan.
31 K 20 min.
Pan-fried cheese, egg and spinach toastie
Here's a new French twist on the famous American grilled cheese. This version plays on the great combination of spinach and eggs.
39 K 40 min.
This recipe uses (among others)
Fresh spinach
Like these other recipes: Mixed vegetable curry, Fresh spinach with cream, Koulibiak in pie dish, Chilli chicken and spinach gratin, Late Winter Soup with Fresh Spinach, ... See them all 11
Butter
Like these other recipes: Little apple and verbena tarts, Yeast-based flaky dough (for croissants), Apricot and pistachio clafoutis, Cabbage and cheddar quiche, Elsa's Comtoise galette, ... See them all 479
Pepper
Like these other recipes: New York style pasta, Grilled fillet of salmon with corn-salad cream, Thin tomato jelly and avocado tart, Brussels sprouts with thyme cream, Green beans with tomato cream sauce, ... See them all 639
Coarse salt
Like these other recipes: Stock-pot fish , How to prepare white beans, Roast potatoes "à la provençale", French bean salad with vinaigrette , Potted meat (rillettes), ... See them all 16
Other recipes you may also like
Brioche dough
It's a soft and rich dough, with butter and eggs which give a smooth and incredibly tasty brioche. This is the basic recipe for brioche dough, used for all other brioche-based recipes on the site. September 16th 2020544 K 44.2 14 hours 30 min.
Coconut paste
Similar to marzipan or walnut paste, coconut paste can be used in a variety of cake or sweet recipes, but you can enjoy munching it just as it is. October 13th 2010306 K 14.2 15 min.
Pistachio powder or paste
Pistachio paste has a similar texture to almond paste, but the similarity ends there, as its flavour and colour are quite characteristic. October 13th 2010394 K 154 50 min.
Tomato pesto
This is a variation on the classic pesto sauce (basil and pine nuts), using cherry tomatoes, basil and almonds. June 29th 2011177 K4.5 15 min.
Crisp apricot and pistachio tart
This delightful tart has a caramelized puff-pastry base, topped with apricots and pistachios. The recipe is simple and delicious. July 12th 202340 K 1 hour 15 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-10-19)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe (as 47 people already do)
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.