Creamed spinach is an old-fashioned delight especially when served on tasty toasted bread and garnished with a grating of nutmeg. Such a simple lunch but packed with wholesome creamy and savoury flavours.So vegan and so good!
Melt the vegan margarine in the non-stick pan over a medium heat.
Tip in the plain flour and whisk to incorporate. Cook the roux for 1 minute. Stir often.
Slowly add the plant milk a little at a time and whisk each time, until a smooth sauce is achieved.
Sprinkle in the garlic and onion powders, whisk.
Cook the sauce for 3 minutes over a low-medium heat, whisk frequently.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Add the fresh spinach, it will look like a lot but will wilt down. (keep a small handful of spinach back, and shred into thin slices to garnish after the creamed spinach is cooked. (However this is optional).
Pop a lid over the pan and cook over a low heat for 2-3 minutes.
Remove the lid and stir the spinach through the sauce. Cook for another minute or two.Season with extra salt and pepper if necessary.
Chuck over the fresh sliced spinach and grate some nutmeg over the finished creamed spinach.
Serve ladled over toasted wholemeal or wholewheat bread, optional.
Notes
Nutritional data is provided for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients vary.
Data is for two portions and includes 2 slices of wholemeal bread.
Calories minus the bread for half the recipe is 271 calories.
Dividing the recipe into 4 smaller serving portions (minus the bread) results in roughly 136 calories per portion.
Leftover creamed spinach can be stored in the refrigerator within a covered food container or bowl.
Or frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost before reheating.
To reheat add the creamed spinach to a non-stick pan along with a few extra splashes of plant milk and bring to a simmer. Stir and reheat over a gentle heat for a few minutes until piping hot.
For gluten-free creamed spinach, use a gluten-free plain flour blend and check that your vegan margarine and plant milk is free from gluten, especially oat milk.
The spinach can be replaced with leeks, fennel, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, field beans, asparagus, kale, chard, collard greens, spring greens, cabbage, peas and sweetcorn, etc. Although these veggies will likely need pre-cooking as they take longer to cook compared with spinach. So leftover cooked veggies are perfect.
Serve creamed spinach along with any meal as a side-dish, in which this recipe will be enough for 4 servings.
Or serve ladled over toast for a tasty lunch or light dinner which will yield 2 servings.
Fancy a cream of spinach soup? Simply use an immersion/hand blender/ smoothie maker or food processer along with extra plant milk and/or veggie stock. Just add enough liquid to get the soup to your desired consistency. Serve with a drizzle of plant cream and a few toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds for a soup tasty enough for a special meal.