Of all the delicious and nutritious vegan spinach recipes in the world, spinach has to be one of the best.
Not only does spinach contain antioxidants which reduce inflammation in the body and the risk of health conditions caused by said inflammation, but this leafy green is rich in so many essential vitamins, including vitamins A, C, E, K, and B.
Being a low calorie vegetable, at just 23 calories per 100-gram serving, spinach is a great choice if you’re trying to manage your weight without compromising your nutrient intake.
And the good news is that making spinach part of your diet doesn’t have to look like eating salads or green smoothies 24/7!
Here are 15 incredible vegan spinach recipes to try right now if you’re looking to optimize your health, wellbeing, and cooking skills.
Crepes are often thought of as a dessert option, but if you’re looking for a tasty way to incorporate spinach into your diet, these savory lentil (Check out How To Cook Red Lentils) and spinach crepes are amazing.
This is the perfect high-protein vegan breakfast.
The plant-based protein from the lentils and the micronutrients in the spinach will set you up for a productive, energetic day.
The great thing about these crepes is that you can top them with your favorite ingredients.
For example, for extra protein, add some scrambled tofu (we have a great scrambled tofu recipe coming up)!
Quinoa: In a small pot, add quinoa and water, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove lid and let rest for 10 minutes, fluff with a fork. In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients and mix well.
Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the citrus dressing. Set aside until ready to serve.
Salad: In a large bowl add the spinach, quinoa, blueberries, strawberries and slivered almonds. Pour dressing over top and toss well to coat.
Serve at room temperature or chilled in individual bowls with optional sliced avocado and a little extra slivered almonds on top.
We mentioned earlier that you don’t have to stick to salads to get plenty of spinach in your diet, but if you do love a good salad, we recommend this berry, spinach and quinoa salad recipe. this is one of the best vegan spinach recipes.
This salad contains baby spinach, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, quinoa, almonds, Dijon mustard, orange juice, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar.
The flavor combination is incredible, especially on a hot summer’s day, and the nutritional value of the dish is amazing.
a generous amount of grated nutmeg, adjust to taste
100g100approx. 2 cups coarse
oil for baking or frying
Directions
Place ground up flax / chia seeds in a small bowl with 2 tbsp of lemon juice and 60 ml / ¼ cup of water. Set aside to thicken.
Blanch spinach in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, drain and immediately plunge into a bowl of iced water or rinse under cold water to preserve the colour.
Squeeze all of the water out of the spinach with your hands, be very thorough. Chop dry spinach finely.
Place all of the ingredients apart from breadcrumbs (and oil) in a mixing bowl. Add breadcrumbs gradually making sure that the mixture isn’t too dry or too wet. There is a chance you won’t need all of the breadcrumbs or that you will need a touch more if your mixture is too wet. Go by feel.
Form small, walnut-size balls out of the mixture with your hands. Chill in the fridge for about 2 hours.
Optionally, coat the balls in more breadcrumbs (they should stick to the surface easily) – this is especially nice if you intend to fry your spinach balls.
You can bake them on an oiled baking tray for about 20 minutes at 180° C / 355° F, flipping them once half way through or you can also fry them in a generous amount of oil until browned on all sides.
These vegan spinach balls are quick and easy to make, and they’re incredibly versatile.
You can incorporate them into so many different dishes, but our favorite way to use them is adding them to a creamy pasta.
We love that the vegan spinach recipes balls by Lazy Cat Kitchen are full of protein and healthy fats from the chia or flax seeds and nutritional yeast in addition to all the nutrients in the spinach.
Combine the flaxseeds and water in a bowl and set aside to form a gel.
Finely slice your onion, and roughly chop your red pepper into small cubes. Add the onion into a pan over high heat with the sunflower oil, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and cardamom pods. Fry for 3-5 minutes, until golden.
Then, add in your red pepper, ground ginger, chili, ground cumin, ground coriander, garlic puree, tomato purée and lemon juice. Fry for another 3-5 minutes, until soft. Then, set aside briefly to cool down. When this is done, add the mixture into a blender, and blend into a smooth paste.
Next, transfer the paste into a food processor, and add in the chickpeas, spinach, flaxseed mixture and a pinch of salt. Blend briefly until fairly smooth, but still has the odd piece/whole chickpea in it. Then, add in the chickpea flour, and stir together until evenly mixed.
Now, divide the mixture into 6 evenly sized sections. Place a pan on a high heat and drizzle with some oil. Press 1/6 of the mixture into a burger shape, and place onto the pan. Fry for 3-5 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through. Then repeat until all of your burgers have been made, and serve.
Are you looking for a healthy and delicious vegan spinach recipes meat replacement that you can make from home?
Try this chickpea and spinach burger today!
One Green Planet’s chickpea and spinach burger isn’t designed to replicate the taste or texture of meat, but in our opinion, it’s even more satisfying, just as proteinous, and certainly higher in micronutrients.
The main ingredients in this plant-based patty are chickpeas, flaxseeds, and spinach.
Extra flavor comes from seasonings such as garlic, cumin, chili, ginger, and onion, to name just a few of the other ingredients.
2cups2vegan ricotta (Cashew Ricotta or Tofu Ricotta)
1010oz. frozen spinach, thawed and drained or 5 oz. box of fresh spinach, steamed
11jar (25oz) pasta sauce (or homemade Marinara Sauce)
fresh chopped oregano or basil
almond parmesan
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Pasta: Cook pasta shells according to package directions.
Ricotta Stuffing: Combine the cashew ricotta with the spinach, set aside.
Prep the baking dish: Pour the entire jar of pasta sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, spreading evenly to all edges. Alternately, pour half the pasta sauce, fill with stuffed shells, and pour the other half over top.
Stuff Shells: Scoop out rounded tablespoon of the spinach-ricotta and stuff each of the pasta shells, placing them in the baking dish.
Bake: Place baking dish, covered, in the center of the oven for 15 minutes, sauce should be bubbly. Remove cover, reduce heat to 375 degrees F. and cook for 10 – 15 minutes more.
Serve with fresh chopped herbs of choice and a good dusting of almond parmesan.
Serves 6 (3 shells per serving)
Store: Cooked, or leftover, stuffed pasta shells can be stored in the refrigerator, in an air-tight container, for up to 5 days.
Vegan pasta lovers will be obsessed with this spinach and ‘ricotta’ vegan spinach recipes. We know we are!
You’ll need jumbo pasta (Find out Is Pasta Vegan?) shells, vegan ricotta, spinach, and your choice of store-bought or homemade marinara sauce to make this recipe.
All you need to do is add the sauce to a baking dish, stuff the cooked pasta shells with the ricotta and spinach mix, and bake it all together in the oven, adding your choice of toppings.
This avocado spinach smoothie is a great quick breakfast option, but you can also have it alongside a meal or as a snack at any point in the day.
With almost 10 grams of protein per serving as well as plenty of healthy fats, energizing carbohydrates, and essential nutrients, this smoothie is one of the best ways to ensure you’re nourishing your body on a plant-based diet.
Best of all, the avocado and spinach smoothie literally takes minutes to prepare, so it’s perfect for when you’re pressed for time.
Here's a colorful, veggie-filled tofu scramble that you can enjoy at any meal of the day. You can vary the veggies here according to mood and season. Replace spinach with arugula, kale or chard; substitute zucchini or cauliflower for the broccoli. Sliced mushrooms are always a good addition to scrambles, as well. Serve with fresh fruit and bread for a simple brunch or even an easy dinner. For a heartier meal, add a simple potato dish or baked sweet potato.
Ingredients
14-1614-16ounce tub firm or extra-firm tofu
2tsp2olive oil or vegan buttery spread
11broccoli crown, cut into small florets (about 1 ½ to 2 cups)
1tsp1good-quality curry powder, to taste
Pinch of turmeric
3-43-4scallions, sliced
22medium firm, ripe tomatoes, diced
2-3tbsp2-3nutritional yeast, optional but highly recommended
Sriracha or other hot sauce to taste
3-43-4baby spinach
Minced fresh parsley and/or dill to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
Drain the tofu well and cut into 6 slabs crosswise. Blot gently between paper towels or clean tea towel.
Heat the oil in a medium-large skillet. Add the broccoli and a small amount of water (just enough to keep the pan moist) and sauté over medium heat, stirring frequently, until bright green.
Either cut the tofu into small dice, or crumble (with your hands, or a fork). Add to the skillet. Sprinkle in the curry powder and turmeric and stir until well blended in with the tofu.
Broccoli and spinach veggie scrambled tofu recipe
Add the scallions and tomatoes; continue to cook over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes have softened and everything is well heated through. Str in the optional nutritional yeast, and if you’d like a spicier scramble, some red pepper flakes or sriracha sauce.
Add the spinach, cover, and cook until wilted. Stir the spinach into the tofu mixture. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley or dill. Season with salt and pepper, and serve from the skillet.
We mentioned we had a scrambled tofu vegan spinach recipes to share with you earlier in this article, and here it is!
This spinach, broccoli and tomato scrambled tofu is nutritious and flavorsome enough to enjoy by itself, but it’s even better on toast or, as we recommended, with some plant-based protein crepes.
You’ll need extra-firm tofu, broccoli, tomatoes, scallions, nutritional yeast, hot sauce, turmeric, curry powder, olive oil, baby spinach, and parsley.
33pounds fresh spinach, or 20 ounces thawed frozen chopped spinach
1/2cup 1/2soy milk, or other non-dairy beverage
Directions
Gather the ingredients.
In a medium-size saucepan, bring the water to a simmer.
Add the entire packet of onion soup mix, stirring well to combine.
Once the onion mix is completely dissolved, add the spinach.
Lower the heat to medium and continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is almost cooked. Make sure not to overcook the spinach; it should be simmered until almost done but not mushy.
Adjust the heat to low, add the soy milk, and simmer for a few more minutes until the mixture has thickened.
This vegan creamed spinach recipe makes the perfect side for a variety of dishes.
Despite being vegan spinach recipes, dairy-free, it’s super creamy and a great comfort food option.
The only ingredients you need for vegan creamed spinach are spinach, soy milk, onion soup mix and water, and it can be ready to eat in as little as 15 minutes, so if you need to whip something up quickly, this recipe is a life-saver.
A comforting vegan one-pot recipe that counts for 3 of your 5-a-day! You can't go wrong with this iron-rich, low-fat, low-calorie supper
Ingredients
1tbsp1sesame oil
11red onion, finely chopped
11garlic clove, crushed
thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
11red chilli, finely chopped
1½tsp1½ground turmeric
1½tsp1½ground cumin
22sweet potatoes (about 400g/14oz), cut into even chunks
250g250red split lentils
600600ml vegetable stock
80g80bag of spinach
44spring onions, sliced on the diagonal, to serve
½½small pack of Thai basil, leaves torn, to serve
Directions
Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a wide-based pan with a tight-fitting lid.
Add 1 finely chopped red onion and cook over a low heat for 10 mins, stirring occasionally, until softened.
Add 1 crushed garlic clove, a finely chopped thumb-sized piece of ginger and 1 finely chopped red chilli, cook for 1 min, then add 1½ tsp ground turmeric and 1½ tsp ground cumin and cook for 1 min more.
Turn up the heat to medium, add 2 sweet potatoes, cut into even chunks, and stir everything together so the potato is coated in the spice mixture.
Tip in 250g red split lentils, 600ml vegetable stock and some seasoning.
Bring the liquid to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and cook for 20 mins until the lentils are tender and the potato is just holding its shape.
Taste and adjust the seasoning, then gently stir in the 80g spinach. Once wilted, top with the 4 diagonally sliced spring onions and ½ small pack torn basil leaves to serve.
Alternatively, allow to cool completely, then divide between airtight containers and store in the fridge for a healthy lunchbox.
Spinach works really well in curry recipes, and we especially love the flavor combinations and nutritional stats of this spinach, sweet potato and lentil dahl.
This recipe is packed with fiber and micronutrients from the spinach and sweet potato. The lentils make this a healthy, high-protein option for when you’re craving a curry.
While curries often take a while to make, you won’t need to spend more than 45 minutes on this recipe.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook the onions for about 5-7 minutes, or until they are translucent and start to brown.
Add the garlic, ¼ cup of dill, and ¼ cup of chives. Sauté everything for another minute or two.
Add the spinach and cook for 3-4 minutes, just until it wilts down.
Add the basmati rice and vegetable broth, then stir. Check if it needs some salt (my broth is fully seasoned). Bring it to a boil, cover the pot with a lid, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Open the lid and place the butter on top. Cover again, and let it rest for 5 minutes, allowing the butter to melt and the rice to finish cooking.
Now add the 2 tbsp. of dill, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Stir everything well and serve.
This creamy, vegan spinach and artichoke white bean dip recipe is perfect for alone time or when entertaining a crowd! Scoop it up with pita chips, crackers or spread on your favorite crusty bread.
Ingredients
1/4cup1/4cup bread crumbs, optional
2tbsp.2olive oil, divided
11large shallot or medium onion, finely diced
33garlic cloves, minced or 1/2 – 1 teaspoon garlic powder
11jar/can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
55oz. baby spinach or 1 bunch spinach, roughly chopped
11can (15 oz) white beans (cannellini, navy or great northern beans), drained and rinsed
11small lemon, juice of
1/2cup1/2water or vegetable broth
2 – 3tbsp2 – 3nutritional yeast, optional
1tsp1dried thyme, basil or oregano
mineral salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste
1/2tsp1/2red pepper flakes
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Panko: In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs with 1 tablespoon olive oil, mix well using your fingers, set aside. Add a little extra oil if you feel you need it.
Saute: Heat the remaining oil in a skillet/pan over medium heat, add onions and saute for about 5 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add in garlic and cook 1 minute more, add artichoke and spinach, cook until spinach wilts.
White Bean Base: In food processor, add beans, lemon juice, water, nutritional yeast, herbs of choice, salt and red pepper flakes. Process until creamy scraping down the sides as needed. Add the puree to the sauteed artichoke and spinach mixture and mix well.
Assemble: Fill a small baking dish with mixture, add a layer of the olive oil bread crumbs over top.
Bake: Place in the oven and bake, covered for 10 minutes (I don’t use foil anymore and covered my dish with a small silpat, worked well). After 10 minutes, remove cover and cook an additional 10 minutes. If top doesn’t turn golden, place the dip in the broiler to brown, about a minute or two should do. Just be careful it doesn’t burn. Let cool a few minutes before serving.
Serve: Pair with with toasted sour bread, pita chips or crackers. You can also serve this with fresh slices of colored bell peppers.
We’ve demonstrated how you can use spinach to make delicious vegan spinach recipes sides. You can also incorporate this leafy green superfood into a dip.
Personally, we think this spinach and artichoke (Check out How Long To Steam Artichokes) white bean dip is one of the best we’ve tried, and it’s incredibly versatile.
You can use it for dipping any of your favorite carbs, from tortilla chips (Also check out Are Doritos Vegan?) to sourdough.
As well as being easy to make, this recipe is low-fat and gluten-free!
1cup1raw cashews, soaked 3 to 4 hours, preferably overnight, and drained
3tbsp3extra-virgin olive oil
½cup½water, more as needed
¼cup¼nutritional yeast
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1tsp1turmeric, optional
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1212ounces macaroni or small shell pasta
4cups4packed spinach
Directions
In a small skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the shallot and garlic and sauté until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the paprika and balsamic vinegar and cook another 30 seconds.
In a high speed blender, puree the sautéed shallot mixture with the cashews, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the water, nutritional yeast, cayenne and turmeric (if using). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes about 1 ¾ cups of sauce.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare the pasta according to the instructions on the package, cooking until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain and return the pasta to the pot. Stir in the sauce, adding the pasta water as needed to thin the sauce and make it creamy. Add the spinach, stir until wilted, season to taste, and serve.
If you want to elevate the nutritional value of your favorite comfort food, why not give this vegan spinach mac and cheese a try?
The sauce for this dish is creamy, cheesy, and nutty thanks to the combination of soaked cashews and nutritional yeast.
The spinach gives it some added micronutrients while the balsamic vinegar, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika. It makes this one of the most flavorsome vegan mac and cheese recipes we’ve ever tried.
Make the dough by combining the flour, water, softened coconut oil (make sure it’s not melted) and salt in a medium sized bowl.
Knead the mixture into a smooth dough (you can use a hand mixer for help) and form a ball. Let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, covered with a kitchen towel.
In the meantime, cut the green onions into thin rings and chops up the spinach and sun dried tomatoes.
In a medium bowl, combine the tofu, oil, starch, spices, and black Himalayan salt, if you desire. Whisk together and add in the sun-dried tomatoes, green onions, and spinach one after another. Combine well and let rest in the refrigerator.
Divide the dough into 12 equally-sized small portions and place baking cups into a muffin tray. Use one portion per cup and evenly press the dough into the cups and make sure to press it up the sides as well.
Preheat the oven to 355°F.
Pour in the tofu mix evenly into the cups, top with half a cherry tomato, and sprinkle vegan Parmesan on top if you'd like.
Place the whole tray in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes at 355°F.
This nourishing creamy vegan spinach soup is one of my go-to recipes when getting weeknight dinners on the table can feel like a chore. It takes just 20 minutes to make, I always have these basic ingredients on hand and there's barely any clean up!
Ingredients
11lb (450 grams) (16-oz) bag of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/21/2lb (220 grams) potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
3cups3(720 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth
11garlic clove, sliced
11medium white onion, sliced
¾tbsp.¾olive oil or extra virgin olive oil
11lemon, juice
11a handful of basil leaves
salt and black pepper, to taste
Directions
In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil for 3 minutes or until soft.
Add potatoes, vegetable broth, a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
Add spinach and cook for a further 5 minutes until spinach is tender.
Turn off the heat and add a handful of basil leaves (optional).
Using an immersion blender, puree the soup to a smooth consistency. Taste it, you might want to adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve with a good drizzle of olive oil, black pepper, and a wedge of lemon juice on the side (1 tsp of lemon juice per serving is perfect).
Remove dough from refrigerator and let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes minimum.
Preheat oven to 425°F.
For the béchamel, combine the vegan butter, onion, and garlic over medium heat and sauté, until the onion begins to become translucent.
Add cornstarch and stir until a paste forms.
Add almond milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and bring heat down to low, whisking until thickened. Turn heat off and let sauce continue to thicken. Adjust seasonings.
Combine tofu ricotta ingredients and set aside.
Roll out dough on a well floured surface and transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheet.
To assemble, ladle bechamel over top. Next, add some spinach and tofu ricotta and top with lots of vegan mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 8-10 minutes and cool on wire rack before topping with fresh basil and serving.
Just because you’re making nutrient-based food choices doesn’t mean pizza has to be off the table!
In fact, we love that this spinach and basil white pizza recipe tastes. So it indulgent while providing so many benefits in terms of diet.
If you’re nervous about making your own vegan pizza, don’t be!
You can use a pre-made pizza base, so all you need to do is make the bechamel sauce and tofu ricotta before preparing the toppings.
Spinach, vegan mozzarella and basil is a simple but classic flavor combination, and the tofu and nutritional yeast ensure that each bite of this pizza increases your protein consumption for the day.
Final Thoughts
Spinach may have a reputation in some circles for being a boring ‘health food’ choice, but while it’s true that spinach is extremely good for your health, it can also be used to make some of the most delicious and satisfying vegan dishes.
From smoothies and salads to pasta and pizza, spinach has a place in every area of vegan cuisine, so try out some of these recipes as soon as possible!
Hi, my name is Clara Howie and I have been a vegan since I was 22 years old. Now, ten years later, I’d like to think that I’ve learned a few things about this way of life!
I can’t lie, when I first began my vegan journey, the majority of my diet did consist of just vegetables and fruit with the occasional piece of tofu thrown in.
I got back on my feet, though, and I vowed to never make that same mistake again! I spent my free time learning about how to nourish my body properly without the use of meat and animal products. It actually turned out to be pretty easy!
Now I am healthier than ever and working alongside a nutritionist to ensure that I don’t slip up again.
That’s what this website is all about! Helping more people turn to the vegan lifestyle in a healthy and happy manner. I’ve got recipes, advice, tricks, tips, and more coming your way, so don’t miss it!
