22 Fresh Spinach Recipes (2024)

Need to use up a package of fresh spinach, FAST?! These tasty fresh spinach recipes are sure to be your new go-to! Even better? They’re all gloriously vegetarian!

Ever find yourself with a box or bag of spinach that has to be used up ASAP but you’re not quite sure what to make?

Whether you have a full package of spinach to use up or even just half – these fresh spinach recipes are here to rescue your neglected bag-o-spinach and inspire your eats!

While spinach salads are an obvious choice (there are a few tasty ones below) I’ve also included some deeeelish spinach pasta recipes, soups, sandwiches, and more!

You’ll be channelling your inner Pop-Eye in no time.

22 Fresh Spinach Recipes

If you love spinach you’re going to want to cook your way through this tasty list of recipes. These are my all-time favorites and many of these we make on repeat year-round.

I’m so excited for you to try them!

Garlic Parmesan Spinach Spaghetti Squash

4.97 from 491 votes

This crazy deliciousgarlic parmesan spaghetti squash is one of the most popular recipes on Peas and Crayons — and for good reason too!

View the Recipe

With over 240 ★★★★★ rave reviews, this cheesy spinach stuffed spaghetti squash is a must make!

It can be served up as a main dish (feel free to add any extras like shrimp, mushrooms, chicken, sausage, or whatever your heart desires!) or as a saucy side dish.

Blueberry Broccoli Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Ranch

4.88 from 48 votes

Channeling the flavors of some of some of my favorite restaurant salads, this tasty Blueberry Broccoli Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Ranch is the perfect blend of savory sweetness!

View the Recipe

Ok hear me out. Blueberries on a spinach salad may seem a little strange, but this fruit and veggie studded salad is bursting with flavor and texture. It’s so tasty and my friends always rave about this one!

Three Cheese Pesto Spinach Flatbread Pizza

5 from 52 votes

Aiming to eat more veggies? This Three Cheese Pesto Spinach Flatbread Pizza packs an entire box of spinach into one glorious single-serving pizza! This veg-tastic recipe can easily be doubled [or tripled!] to feed a crowd and makes an awesome meal paired with your favorite salad.

View the Recipe

Another crazy popular recipe of mine, this spinach flatbread pizza is a must-make! It uses up an entire 5 oz package of spinach (though if you have less you can make due with a little less than a full package) and each bite will have you coming back for more! The three cheeses and kiss of pesto make this speedy pizza a total delight.

Spinach and Avocado Grilled Cheese

4.95 from 18 votes

Spinach and Avocado Grilled Cheese FTW! This tasty vegetarian sandwich is loaded with melty cheese, buttery avocado and a hearty helping of fresh spinach!

View the Recipe

If you’ve ever found yourself towards the end of a package of fresh spinach with only a handful or so left, this recipe is for you!

Toss those gorgeous greens onto a grilled cheese (bonus points for adding some sliced avocado too) and get ready to swoon! This easy cheesy recipe is my favorite weekday lunch and is great all on it’s own or with a cup of soup for dunking.

Cheesy Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

5 from 29 votes

These easy cheesy Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms are stuffed to the brim with the most amazing garlic, parmesan, and spinach cream cheese filling. They’re great as a party appetizer and can even be prepped in advance the day before!

View the Recipe

These are quite possibly my favorite way to eat mushrooms on the planet! The cheesy spinach filling makes these stuffed shrooms absolutely irresistible and you may want to just go ahead and double the recipe. They vanish fast!

Keep Me Posted!

If you get a chance to try any of these fresh spinach recipes, let me know!

Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!

More Scrumptious Spinach Recipes

Apple Citrus Spinach Salad with Blood Orange Dressing
Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip
Spinach and Artichoke Vodka Sauce via Sarcastic Cooking
Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms
Easy Cheesy Vegan Spinach Pesto Grilled Cheese

Peas and Crayons is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliated sites at no cost to readers.

FAQs

How much fresh spinach makes 1 cup cooked? ›

When cooked, spinach reduces to less than 10% of its original volume when fresh. That means over ten cups of fresh spinach will cook down to one cup.

Keep Reading ›

What is the healthiest way to cook spinach? ›

Steam it: Steaming spinach is a gentle cooking method that helps retain most of its nutrients, including vitamin C. Simply place the spinach in a steamer basket over a pot of boiling water and cook until it wilts, which should take only a few minutes.

Learn More ›

How much fresh spinach makes 10 oz cooked? ›

A good rule of thumb is fresh spinach cooked down equals about a cup and a half, which is roughly the equivalent of a 10 oz frozen package.

Keep Reading ›

Should spinach be eaten raw or boiled? ›

The researchers concluded that the best way to get the most lutein from spinach is to not cook it. While eating raw spinach is good, it's better to chop it in a blender — for instance, by making a smoothie — or in a juicer, as this releases more lutein from the leaves, according to the researchers.

See Details ›

Do you wash fresh spinach before eating? ›

Compared to other salad greens, spinach can arrive at your house caked in a lot of dirt. The best way to discard this dirt is to fill a large pot or a large bowl with cool water. Place the spinach in there, swish the leaves around, and let them sit for at least five minutes.

Is 2 cups of raw spinach a day too much? ›

Too much of anything is going to be a bad thing. But when it comes in spinach, you have to eat quite a lot of it to any serious damage. It is recommended by nutritionists that you eat maximum 2 cups of spinach per day; eating any more over a long period time could incur health complications.

Is 2 cups of spinach too much? ›

If you eat spinach every day in excessive amounts (more than a bowl) there can be adverse health effects. Most commonly these include gas, bloating and cramps due to its high fiber content. Eating too much spinach can also interfere with the body's ability to absorb nutrients.

Discover More Details ›

Which is better frozen spinach or fresh spinach? ›

Even better, one cup of frozen spinach has more than four times the amount of nutrients, including iron, vitamin C and calcium, compared to a cup of fresh spinach.

Find Out More ›

Is sautéed spinach good for you? ›

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.”

Tell Me More ›

Is sauteed spinach as healthy as raw? ›

Spinach is nutrient-dense whether you eat it raw or cooked. While some nutrients are lost during the cooking process, cooked spinach is a lot more compact. so you can eat more of it in one sitting, making it easier to consume more nutrients overall. Using the right cooking methods can help you limit nutrient losses.

Find Out More ›

Is raw spinach better than sauteed? ›

Sautéed spinach may have slightly fewer nutrients than raw spinach. And, depending on how you sauté; water vs. oil, it may have slightly more fat but both are close to equally 'healthy'.

Discover More ›

How many cups is 10 oz of fresh spinach? ›

A cup of fresh spinach is about an ounce. A can of spinach 13.5oz should net you about 13 to 14 cups. So 10 oz should be about 10 cups.

Learn More ›

What is considered 1 serving of spinach? ›

One serving is 2 cups mesclun greens (about 10 calories), 2 cups raw spinach (about 14 calories) or 1 cup cooked greens (about 40 calories), per the USDA.

Get More Info ›

Do you eat the stems of fresh spinach? ›

The stalks and stems on leafy greens are completely edible and can add a nice crunch when eaten raw. If salad is not your thing, try experimenting with different preparations for leafy greens. Use greens to top a pizza or toss spinach into a frittata.

Keep Reading ›

Can you eat raw spinach by itself? ›

Yes, you can eat spinach raw.

Spinach is packed with several nutrients, including folic acid, lots of fiber, and vitamins A, C, and K. It is also extremely low in calories. Is raw spinach toxic? Were you aware that spinach is low in calories?

Discover More ›

Should you drink the water you boil spinach in? ›

A; Dinking the cooking water of dark leafy vegetables enables you to harvest many of the water-soluble minerals and vitamins present in the leaves, that you would otherwise throw away. Unless you suffer from gout or kidney disease, you should drink the cooking water.

22 Fresh Spinach Recipes (2024)

22 Fresh Spinach Recipes

Keep Me Posted!

More Scrumptious Spinach Recipes

FAQs

How much fresh spinach makes 1 cup cooked? ›

Is raw spinach better than sauteed? ›

References