5 Oh-so-Scrumptious Spinach Dishes You Need To Try!

Spinach is a super food that contains an insane amount of good-for-you nutrients. Considering the fact that it is a cheap, easily available and easy to prepare vegetable, it is not used as often as it should be in our regular diets. Need to be convinced? It is rich in iron therefore improving the function of your red blood cells and the quality of your blood, it is a great source of the vitamins K, A, C and B2 and it is rich in manganese and magnesium. This all translates to: great blood, great skin, great bone health and extra energy. They also contain anti-inflammatory and anti-cancerous properties.

If all this isn’t enough to make you run to your grocery store and stock up on spinach, we’re giving you 5 delicious reasons to do so!

1. Chicken and Spinach Lasagna

This dish is an immediate hit at dinner parties, family members of all ages and potlucks. It’s completely alright if you decide you want to keep it to yourself and not share (we may have done that once or twice). There are three basic steps to this dish: the chicken, the spinach and the sauce. Marinate chicken breasts in your favorite spices and grill until they’re cooked through, cut into even slices. Next, prepare the spinach by boiling it for not more than 7-8 minutes. Add a bit of butter, salt, pepper and a touch of milk and blend until smooth. Now the sauce: this is your basic white sauce- butter, flour, milk, salt, pepper and some cream to get a lovely consistency. Now place your boiled lasagna noodles in a dish, top with half the spinach, chicken slices and sauce; repeat. Cover the top with lots of cheese and olives and bake until its golden. Try it now, thank us later.

2. Spinach Smoothie

Spinach is an excellent addition to smoothies for a filling snack or a breakfast-on-the-go option. You can virtually add it to anything: apples, bananas, papaya, blueberries, strawberries, oats, and many more.

Our recommendation: Add a handful of baby spinach to pineapple chunks, coconut milk, 1 tablespoon of honey and a squeeze of lemon – so darn good!

3. Palak Paneer 

Spinach and paneer is perhaps the best combo in vegetarian cuisine and this mouth-watering dish is surprisingly easy to prepare. Cut some paneer/cottage cheese into medium sized chunks and fry them in small batches; remove and keep aside. Blend some boiled spinach with salt, pepper, green chilies and 1 tomato. Now sauté one finely diced onion in olive oil, add in the spinach with a dash of red chili powder, ground cumin and cook until aromatic. Stir in half a cup of cream (or milk) and add the fried chunks of paneer. Serve with naan. Brb, we need to go make this NOW!

4. Spinach Pesto 

Pesto is traditionally made with basil leaves and toasted pine nuts but this version is equally delicious. Blend baby spinach, basil leaves, toasted walnuts, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil until it reaches a smooth consistency. Use it as salad dressing, on toast, with grilled chicken or toss it in some pasta- it tastes divine however you choose to use it.

5. Spinach and Artichoke Dip

This dip is found in almost every relatively ‘high-end’ restaurant’s menu in the appetizers section and we can safely say that we have tried almost every restaurant’s version of this creamy dip. It is simple to whip up at home and it tastes so good that no one will believe it’s homemade. Sauté some chopped spinach in butter and garlic, add finely chopped artichoke hearts (easily found in tins in all major grocery stores), 3 tablespoons of cream cheese, 3 tablespoons of sour cream, throw in some mozzarella cheese (for that cheese pull, of course) and season with salt, pepper and dried basil. Top with a mixture of bread crumbs and parmesan cheese and bake until you have a crispy, golden top. Serve with crostini, toasted pita, chips, salted crackers or you know, a spoon.