Garlicky Vegan Creamed Spinach
Garlicky vegan creamed spinach is perfect for the holiday table or "everyday"! Just 20 minutes and 8 ingredients required for this mega flavorful greens dish.
Servings 4 (~1/2-cup servings)
Ingredients
CREAM SAUCE
- 1/2 cup raw cashews*
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp white miso paste (or sub chickpea miso // find our guide to miso here)
- 1/2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp each sea salt and black pepper
SPINACH
- 2 Tbsp vegan butter (or olive oil)
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (5 cloves garlic yield ~3 Tbsp)
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 16-20 oz. fresh baby spinach (or loosely chopped if using bunches)
FOR SERVING optional
- Crispy fried onions or shallots (or store-bought)
Instructions
- CREAM SAUCE: In a high-speed blender, blend together all the ingredients for the sauce until completely smooth. It will be liquidy, that’s okay — it will thicken when cooked!
- SPINACH: Add the vegan butter (or olive oil), garlic, and red pepper flakes (optional) to a Dutch oven (or large pot) and bring to low-medium heat. Cook until the butter is melted and the garlic is fragrant — about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the spinach, a few handfuls at a time, stirring occasionally. As it starts to wilt it will shrink and make space to keep adding more.
- Once all the spinach is wilted, add in the cream sauce and bring to a simmer. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and the spinach is very tender — about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust as needed, adding more lemon juice for brightness or salt to taste.
- Serve warm, garnished with crispy fried onions or shallots (optional). It’s delicious served with mashed potatoes and Vegan Lentil Nut “Meatloaf.” If not vegan, it would pair nicely with turkey or salmon.
- Leftover spinach will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat, adding a little water as needed to thin.
Video
Notes
*If nut-free, you can sub 10-oz. (283 g) silken tofu + 2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil in place of the cashews and water.
*We didn’t find soaking the cashews necessary. If not using a powerful blender, you can soak the cashews to help them break down better.
*We haven't tested with frozen spinach, but it should work. We'd suggest one 10-ounce bag of frozen spinach, adding it after sautéing the garlic. Once it loosens up and is warm, you can add in the cream sauce. Let us know if the comments if you try it!
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.
*We didn’t find soaking the cashews necessary. If not using a powerful blender, you can soak the cashews to help them break down better.
*We haven't tested with frozen spinach, but it should work. We'd suggest one 10-ounce bag of frozen spinach, adding it after sautéing the garlic. Once it loosens up and is warm, you can add in the cream sauce. Let us know if the comments if you try it!
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.
Nutrition (1 of 4 servings)
Serving: 1 serving Calories: 174 Carbohydrates: 11.4 g Protein: 7.1 g Fat: 12.6 g Saturated Fat: 5.3 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.5 g Monounsaturated Fat: 3.9 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 310 mg Potassium: 783 mg Fiber: 3.5 g Sugar: 1.8 g Vitamin A: 10620 IU Vitamin C: 35 mg Calcium: 127 mg Iron: 4.3 mg