We’ve all been there. You buy a bag of spinach with the best intentions of making healthy lunches, adding a handful to smoothies, or whipping up a nourishing dinner. Fast-forward a few days, and that once-crisp bag is sitting in the fridge looking a little worse for wear.
Spinach is one of the most versatile ingredients you can keep in your kitchen. Whether it’s fresh, slightly wilted, or nearing the end of its life, there are plenty of ways to use it up before it ends up in the bin.
Here’s how to make the most of every last leaf.
First things first: Is your spinach still safe to eat?
Before you start cooking, check your spinach carefully. If it has become slimy, smells sour, or shows signs of mould, it’s time to throw it away. No recipe is worth risking food poisoning.
However, if the leaves are simply a little wilted, soft, or less vibrant than when you bought them, they’re usually still perfectly fine to cook with.
Blend it into smoothies
One of the easiest ways to use up large amounts of spinach is by adding it to smoothies. Spinach has a mild flavour that blends seamlessly with fruit.
Try combining spinach with:
- Banana and peanut butter
- Mango and pineapple
- Apple and cucumber
- Berries and yoghurt
A handful here and there quickly adds up, helping you get through an entire bag in no time.
ALSO SEE: The best homemade smoothies for healthy skin
Stir it into soups
Wilted spinach is practically made for soup. Simply stir a few handfuls into:
- Vegetable soup
- Tomato soup
- Lentil soup
- Chicken soup
- Minestrone
The leaves soften almost instantly and add colour, nutrients, and flavour without requiring any extra effort.
ALSO SEE: Vegetable, beef and barley soup
Make spinach pesto
Move over basil. Spinach makes an excellent pesto and is often more affordable.
Blend together:
- Spinach
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Parmesan cheese
- Nuts such as almonds, walnuts, or pine nuts
Use it as a pasta sauce, sandwich spread, pizza topping, or dip.
Add it to pasta dishes
Spinach and pasta are a match made in heaven.
Toss spinach into:
- Creamy pasta sauces
- Lasagne
- Macaroni and cheese
- Pasta bakes
- Ravioli fillings
The heat wilts the leaves quickly, making it an easy way to sneak extra greens into dinner.
ALSO SEE: Beef Lasagne
Freeze it for later
Not ready to use it immediately? Freeze it.
Simply blanch spinach for a minute, cool it in ice water, squeeze out excess moisture, and freeze in portions.
Frozen spinach works beautifully in:
- Smoothies
- Soups
- Curries
- Pasta sauces
- Stews
You can even freeze spinach in ice cube trays with a little water for convenient portions.
Turn it into a dip
A spinach dip is always a crowd-pleaser.
Combine cooked spinach with:
- Cream cheese
- Greek yoghurt
- Sour cream
- Garlic
- Herbs
Serve with crackers, bread, or vegetable sticks.
Add it to eggs
Egg-based dishes are excellent for using up spinach.
Try adding it to:
- Omelettes
- Frittatas
- Quiches
- Scrambled eggs
- Egg muffins
The spinach cooks down dramatically, meaning you can use much more than you think.
Make a green pasta sauce
For a vibrant, nutrient-packed sauce, blend cooked spinach with garlic, olive oil, herbs, and a little cream or cream cheese.
The result is a rich green sauce that coats pasta beautifully.
Stir it into curries and stews
Many curries benefit from the addition of spinach.
Add it to:
- Chickpea curries
- Lentil dahl
- Butter chicken
- Vegetable stews
- Bean dishes
The leaves wilt into the sauce, adding both texture and nutrition.
ALSO SEE: Six-hour beef shin stew
Bake it into savoury treats
Spinach works wonderfully in baked dishes such as:
- Muffins
- Scones
- Savoury tarts
- Puff pastry pinwheels
- Spanakopita-inspired pastries
It’s a simple way to transform leftover greens into something special.
Make spinach pancakes
For a fun twist, blend spinach into pancake batter. The result is naturally green pancakes that are particularly popular with children and make a colourful addition to breakfast or brunch.
Create a flavour-packed salad dressing
Blend spinach with olive oil, lemon juice, herbs, garlic, and a touch of honey to create a vibrant homemade dressing.
It’s a clever way to use up leaves that are no longer crisp enough for salads.
Use it in homemade bread
If you enjoy baking, finely chop or purée spinach and add it to bread dough, focaccia, or savoury rolls for extra colour and flavour.
Feed your compost heap
When spinach is truly past its prime, composting is one of the best options.
Spinach breaks down relatively quickly and adds valuable nutrients to compost, helping to create healthy soil for your garden.
Give garden worms a treat
If you have a worm farm, spinach leaves can be added in moderation. The worms help turn food scraps into nutrient-rich compost that benefits your plants.
Use it as a natural garden mulch
Wilted spinach can be chopped and added around garden beds. As it decomposes, it helps return nutrients to the soil.
ALSO SEE: Spinach & corn dhaltjies
Feature image: Pexels
