You might not immediately think of spinach as the main ingredient in a dish; after all, it’s easy to overlook it in favour of one of its chunkier relatives (we’re looking at you, kale). But hear us out: spinach is in season right now, it’s a nutritional powerhouse and it’s delicious. 

“Spinach is an excellent source of carotenoids and antioxidants,” says registered nutritional therapist Alex Allan. “The body can turn carotenoids into vitamin A, while vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant. Spinach is an excellent source of folic acid or folate, an essential vitamin for normal cellular function and tissue growth. 

“Having a big portion of this antioxidant-rich leaf will help support the normal functioning of your immune system – perfect for battling those summer lurgies.”

Ready to embrace your spinach era? Read on for three tasty recipes that make this nutrient-rich vegetable the star of the show. 

“I always advise choosing organic, cooked spinach,” says Eva Humphries, aka The Wholefood Warrior. “Conventional spinach frequently makes the ‘dirty dozen’ list – the 12 most chemically sprayed fruits and vegetables. Provided you’re choosing quality leaves, spinach contains nice quantities of folate, magnesium and iron. 

“This stew takes me back to my childhood in Transylvania, where we had to eat seasonally – it’ll work with any greens, but spinach is the mildest in flavour and is in season now.”

Ingredients 

• 1 onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon of flour or gluten-free alternative
• 1 entire bag of spinach (200g approx)
• 1 mug of frozen peas
• 1 mug of milk or plant milk 
• 1 stock cube
• A small bunch of parsley (10-15g approx)
• Sea salt and black pepper to season
• A drizzle of oil for cooking

Toppings (entirely optional but highly recommended)

• Creme fraiche
• A boiled egg - for extra protein
• A few extra herbs to sprinkle on top
• Nuts or seeds for added crunch and protein (use whatever you have)
• Sliced avocado (it brings a different texture profile to the dish, plus a lovely dose of healthy fats and protein)

Method

1. Pop a saucepan on a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and a splash of oil and cook gently until the onion has softened.

“This is the perfect salad to rustle up to accompany a BBQ or Saturday lunch party,” says Allan. But no need to relegate it to a side dish – this one can take centre stage. 

Ingredients 

• 180g spinach
• 50g chopped herbs – parsley, basil, dill, mint
• 2 beef tomatoes, chopped
• ½ cucumber, chopped
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 6 spring onions, chopped
• 1 tin cannellini beans
• Handful flaked almonds
• 3 tbsp pomegranate seeds
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• Seasoning

Method 

1. Drain and rinse the cannellini beans.

2. Assemble all of the salad and herbs in a large bowl.

3. Add the cannellini beans.

4. Mix together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar and seasoning, and dress the salad.

5. Garnish with the pomegranate seeds and flaked almonds. Enjoy!

This speedy stew is the perfect combo for sweet-savoury lovers, with the honey-grilled goat’s cheese giving an oozy creaminess to the dish. Packed with protein from the chickpeas, fibre and vitamins from the spinach and healthy fats and calcium from the goat’s cheese, this recipe from Abel & Cole is a great way to eat your way to that 30 plants a week goal – don’t forget, the spices also count towards this tally. Win-win

Ingredients 

• 1 onion
• 1 fennel bulb
• 1 garlic clove
• A handful of thyme
• 1 tbsp Spanish spice mix
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 400g tin of chickpeas
• 100g soft goat’s cheese
• 40g honey
• 200g baby leaf spinach
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar

Method

1. Peel and finely chop the onion. Pick any fronds off the fennel bulb and set them aside for later. Trim the root end from the fennel, then finely chop the bulb. Peel and grate or crush the garlic clove. Pick the leaves from the thyme sprigs.

2. Place a large pan on a medium-high heat and drizzle in 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the onion and fennel and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Fry gently for 10 mins till soft. Stir every now and then, adding a splash of water if the pan looks a bit dry.

3. When the veg has cooked for 10 mins, add the garlic, Spanish seasoning and ground cumin. Stir for 1 min till the pan smells fragrant, then add half the thyme leaves. Pour in the tin of chickpeas, along with the liquid from their tin. Stir, then pop on a lid and simmer for 10 mins. Stir every now and again, adding a splash of water if the pan is looking dry.

4. While the chickpeas simmer, heat your grill to a high setting. Line a small, snug baking dish with foil, then pop in the goat’s cheese. Tuck the remaining thyme leaves underneath. Drizzle over the honey and dust over some salt and pepper. Slide the goat’s cheese under the grill. Cook for 5-8 mins till the goat’s cheese is golden and bubbling.

5. When the chickpeas have cooked for 10 mins, add the spinach to the pan and pop on the lid. Cook with the lid on for 2-3 mins to wilt the spinach, then stir it into the chickpeas. Stir in the cider vinegar. Taste and add more salt or pepper, if you think it needs it.

6. Ladle the chickpeas into a couple of bowls. Spoon the goat’s cheese over each bowl of chickpeas, drizzling over the honey from the dish. Serve straight away, garnished with the fennel fronds.

Images: The Wholefood Warrior; Alex Allan; Abel & Cole