German Creamed Spinach Recipe | What's Cooking America (2024)

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German Creamed Spinach is absolutely wonderful! Itisa family favorite at our house for all holidays and special occasions. Even children like this spinach dish.

Cream Spinach is the perfect side dish to go with Classic Prime Ribor a Perfectly Cooked Steak. In Germany, creamed spinach is know as Rahmspinat.

This is one of those recipe where I normally buy a large amount (and I mean large amount) of spinach, and then decide how much Creamed Sauce we will need to make. Be flexible! Once you make this creamed spinach the first time, you will understand why I just do it and do not usually follow a recipe.

I was taught how to make this German recipe by my children’s German grandmother, Gertrude Zemp. Ihavemade this photo tutorial of this recipe especially for my two daughters, Nancy and Brenda.

More of Linda’s favorite Spinach Recipes.

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German Creamed Spinach Recipe:

Below aretwo versionsof this recipe. One for a small family group of 4 to 6 people and one for a large family group of 10 to 12 people.

Course:Side Dish

Cuisine:German

Keyword:German Creamed Spinach Recipe

Servings: 6 to 12 servings

Author: What's Cooking America

Ingredients

German Creamed Spinach:

  • Small Family Group of 4 to 6 people:
  • 2 to 3large bunches freshspinachleaves
  • Coarse saltand freshly-ground black pepperto taste
  • 3eggs,hard-cooked (for garnish)*
  • Large Family Group of 10 to 12 people:
  • 2(40-ounce) bags or 5 pounds freshspinachleaves
  • Coarse salt and freshly-ground black pepperto taste
  • 6eggs,hard-cooked (for garnish)*

Cream Sauce:

  • Small family group of 4 to 6 people:
  • 4tablespoonsbutter
  • 4tablespoonsonion,finely chopped
  • 4tablespoons all-purposeflour
  • Coarse saltand freshly ground black pepperto taste
  • 3 to 4cupsmilk**
  • Large family group of 10 to 12 people:
  • 1 1/4cupsbutter
  • 1 to 2largeonions,finely chopped
  • 1 1/4cups all-purposeflour
  • Coarse saltand freshly-ground black pepperto taste
  • 10 to 12cupsmilk**

Instructions

German Creamed Spinach Instructions:

  1. Wash spinach leaves thoroughly.

  2. I fill my sink with cold water and place the spinach leaves in to soak a few minutes. Punch the spinach leaves down to wet all the leaves.

  3. As you can see, it takes a lot of spinach to feed my family their favorite dish!


  4. Grab handfuls of the wet spinach (not drained) dripping with the water into a large cooking pot. This will provide enough water so that you do not need to add more. Cook spinach just until tender.


  5. As soon as spinach is thoroughly wilted and cooked, remove from heat, and let drain in a colander or strainer, pressing with the back of a kitchen spoon to squeeze out excess liquid. (This step is very important.)

  6. NOTE: From a large pot full to what seems like very little spinach! There will be enough, so do not worry!

    German Creamed Spinach Recipe | What's Cooking America (3)

  7. Transfer drained spinach to a cutting board and chop spinach very fine.

    German Creamed Spinach Recipe | What's Cooking America (4)

  8. NOTE:Up to this point, the spinach can be prepared in advanced and stored in the refrigerator, covered, 1 to 2 days.

  9. When ready to serve, prepare Cream Sauce. If spinach bunches are extra large, you probably will need to double the Cream Sauce recipe (I usually need to).

Cream Sauce Instructions:

  1. Making Cream Sauce Ahead of Time:If you are pressed for time (like I am during the holiday season), you can make this cream sauce up to two days before you plan to use it and store it, tightly covered, in the refrigerator. Before storing, press a layer of plastic wrap directly on the top surface of the cream sauce to prevent a skin from forming. If a skin does form, whisk vigorously when you reheat the cream sauceand the sauce should be as smooth as it was when you made it. Thin out if necessary with additional. When ready to use, reheat the cream sauce in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring, until not quite simmering.

    German Creamed Spinach Recipe | What's Cooking America (5)

  2. In a large frying pan or large pot over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add onions and cook until they are translucent and soft (about 10 to 15 minutes). Sauteing the onions in the butter is the secret to this delicious sauce. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP.

  3. Add flour to the butter/onion mixture and blend thoroughly. When perfectly blended, smooth, and free from lumps (but not in the least browned), add salt and pepper. Gradually stir in the milk; reduce heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce boils(may use some spinach juice in place of milk). Remove from heat.

  4. In a medium bowl, mix together the prepared Cream Sauce and the chopped spinach.

  5. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with hard-cooked egg slices. Serve warm.

Recipe Notes

* Check outHow To Boil Eggs.

** Depending on how thick you want the sauce will determine how much milk to use.

Watch this video to learn how to make German Creamed Spinach

Related Recipes

Categories:

German Side Dishes Spinach

Comments and Reviews

2 Responses to “German Creamed Spinach Recipe”

  1. Anni

    This is exactly how my Oma made it its so yummy

    Reply

    • Nancy

      It’s my Grandma’s recipe so we love it too! It’s good memory food.

      Reply

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FAQs

What is the healthiest way to cook spinach? ›

According to Food Revolution Network, “Steaming spinach has been shown to cut the oxalic acid by 5-53%. Steaming also allows the spinach to retain its folate content, a B-vitamin that helps your body produce DNA.” There are a few more reasons to eat your spinach cooked.

How do you saute spinach so it's not bitter? ›

To prevent spinach from becoming bitter during the sautéing process, it's important to avoid overcooking. Overcooking can cause the natural compounds in spinach to break down, leading to a bitter taste. By sautéing the spinach just until it wilts, you can preserve its delicate flavor and avoid bitterness.

What is creamed spinach made of? ›

Wilted spinach is mixed through a silky smooth white sauce, flavoured with sautéed onion and garlic, then served with parmesan cheese. This is the side dish of your dreams! Creamed spinach can be mistaken for just a bunch of spinach and heavy cream thrown together — like abracadabra — and you have creamed spinach.

Is frozen spinach cooked? ›

If you want to extend the life of fresh spinach, store it in the freezer until you're ready to use it. However, when you buy frozen spinach from the store it is already cooked, which is how it gets its texture. For that reason, you'll need to cook the fresh spinach before storing it in the freezer.

Is it healthy to eat cooked spinach everyday? ›

Boosts brain health

Spinach can keep your mind sharp. One study found that eating a half-cup serving of cooked spinach or other leafy greens every day slows age-related memory changes. The high levels of antioxidants, folate and phylloquinone (a form of vitamin K found in leafy greens) help protect brain cells.

How to get the most iron out of spinach? ›

Combination eating

Knowing what foods to eat and not eat with spinach can help maximise your iron absorption. Spinach should be eaten in combination with iron facilitators such as Vitamin C. Eating non heme iron rich foods along with heme iron rich foods such as meat can also help increase absorption [8].

What brings out the flavour of spinach? ›

Season it Up.

Spinach is ultra mild, making it versatile. It also means that it's important to season it well. Some great flavors to add to spinach are garlic, Parmesan, lemon, and red pepper flakes.

How do you make creamed spinach less bitter? ›

Use baby spinach with stems removed, or smaller, lighter-colored leaves rather than more mature leaves. Use olive oil or any kind of oil. Oil will reduce the bitterness. Don't over-cook it (most common culprit).

What cancels out the taste of spinach? ›

Either some variety of vinegar (rice wine, white wine, champagne) or a healthy squeeze of lemon juice. Also, it's easy to overcook spinach. It should be cooked until just wilted, but not mushy. Spinach has an organic compound called oxalic acid that along with tannins in leafy greens causes them to taste bitter.

How long does cooked creamed spinach last in the fridge? ›

Serve it as an easy veggie side at your holiday dinner to really add some fancy factor alongside your Thanksgiving turkey. Storage and reheating. If you have any leftovers, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can also freeze your creamed spinach for around 3 months.

What are the ingredients in Stouffer's creamed spinach? ›

SPINACH, SKIM MILK, SOYBEAN OIL, WATER, 2% OR LESS OF BLEACHED ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, DRIED ONIONS, SALT, SEASONING (CORN MALTODEXTRIN, NONFAT DRY MILK, SALT, NATURAL FLAVOR, BUTTER [CREAM, ANNATTO], WHEY PROTEIN ...

What is the white stuff in spinach? ›

These are not spores, insects, or eggs, as many people believe. They are trichomes. Trichomes are hair-like outgrowths from the epidermis of the leaf, and many plants (including spinach) produce them. Trichomes come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and have different purposes.

How many cups of frozen spinach equal fresh? ›

Let's get into it. Frozen spinach is mechanically chopped, boiled or blanched, and then flash frozen. A single ten ounce package of frozen spinach usually equals one cup of greens once it's thawed and drained. To get that same cup with fresh spinach, you'd have to cook down about a full pound.

Which is better, frozen spinach or fresh spinach? ›

We prefer frozen spinach over canned because it has better flavor and is lower in sodium. Plus, 1 cup of frozen spinach has more than four times the amount of nutrients—including fiber, folate, iron and calcium—compared to a cup of fresh spinach, so if you want to power up, do it with frozen spinach.

How much does 1 cup of spinach cook down to? ›

Perhaps the most impressive thing about spinach is the magic trick it pulls when you cook it. When cooked, spinach reduces to less than 10% of its original volume when fresh. That means over ten cups of fresh spinach will cook down to one cup.

What is the best way to eat spinach for health? ›

The researchers concluded that the best way to get the most lutein from spinach is to not cook it. While eating raw spinach is good, it's better to chop it in a blender — for instance, by making a smoothie — or in a juicer, as this releases more lutein from the leaves, according to the researchers.

Is it better to eat spinach raw or boiled? ›

Spinach. The leafy green is packed with nutrients, but you'll absorb more calcium and iron if you eat it cooked. The reason: Spinach is loaded with oxalic acid, which blocks the absorption of iron and calcium but breaks down under high temperatures. What Do You Really Get When You Buy Organic?

Does spinach lose its nutrients if you boil it? ›

Vegetables are generally a great source of vitamin C, but a large amount of it is lost when they're cooked in water. In fact, boiling reduces vitamin C content more than any other cooking method. Broccoli, spinach, and lettuce may lose up to 50% or more of their vitamin C when boiled ( 4 , 5).

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