Creamed Spinach
Fresh spinach and double cream come together in this vegetarian — 65 minutes, 7 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 7 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for saucepan and pan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (2)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Wash the spinach thoroughly in plenty of cold water, then drain it well, discarding any tough stalks.
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil, drop in the spinach for about 30 seconds until just wilted, then immediately plunge it into iced water to keep it bright green.
- Squeeze the cooled spinach hard with your hands to remove as much water as possible, then chop it finely and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add the finely chopped garlic and soften for 30 seconds, then stir in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to make a smooth roux without colouring it.
- Gradually whisk in the milk a little at a time, then the cream, and simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until you have a thick, smooth sauce.
- Fold the chopped spinach into the sauce and warm through for 2 to 3 minutes until piping hot.
- Season generously with salt, black pepper and a pinch of nutmeg, then serve at once.
You'll use: Saucepan · Pan · Large pot · Whisk
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
- Double Cream
- heavy cream · whipping cream
Tips & common questions
How long does Creamed Spinach take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 9 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Creamed Spinach vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Creamed Spinach is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Creamed Spinach with Nueske's Bacon.jpg by Arnold Gatilao, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.