Steakhouse-Style Vegan Creamed Spinach

I grew up during peak diet culture, in a time when we thought that diet soda and trans-fat-laden margarine were healthy lifestyle choices. People didn’t talk about superfoods back then, but if we had, the most super of all of the foods would have been spinach. I used to microwave a brick of the stuff, eat it with a little sprinkle of salt, and call that “lunch.”

There were a lot of things that we got wrong, but at least we were right about the spinach. 

(Not the part where one package of spinach is an adequate lunch. I mean the fact that it’s super healthy.)

But while creamed spinach is a classic dish, it’s one that wasn’t part of my life until recently. I suspect that my health-conscious parents viewed it as a nutritional wash, with its high-fat creaminess negating the benefits of the spinach. And somewhere along the line, I must have developed the belief that it didn’t taste good. 

Fortunately, I share a kitchen with someone who knows better. 

The first time Jacob suggested making creamed spinach for dinner, I was skeptical — but now I am a convert. And that’s what relationships are all about: making sure our loved ones don’t miss out on good food. 

An Easy Weeknight Recipe

This is one of my favorite dishes for both special occasions and hasty weeknight dinners. And that’s not just because it’s incredibly easy to make and requires a few ingredients that I always have on hand.

It’s also a favorite because it’s just so darned delicious, and it goes with absolutely everything.

So, the main things you will need are some plain non-dairy yogurt and a few packs of frozen spinach. Then, just grab a saucepan, a spoon, and a few basic pantry ingredients to make this deliciousness happen.

Is Vegan Creamed Spinach Healthy?

I can’t speak for every single vegan creamed spinach recipe, but I can tell you that this one has a lot going for it, nutritionally speaking.

For one thing, it uses plain, greek-style soy yogurt instead of the heavy cream or cheese you’d find in the traditional version. As a result, you’ll get less fat and more protein than you would at a steakhouse. But you won’t be giving up a bit of creamy texture or luxurious flavor.

But the real star of the show here is the spinach, which offers a variety of important nutrients:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin K
• Folic acid
• Iron 
• Calcium
• Flavonoids like kaempferol and quercetin