Midweek Meals: You don't have to be Popeye to get the best of these 5 spinach meals

Spinach is in season - stacked with iron, vitamin C and E, potassium, and magnesium.

Pic: iStock

Sea Spinach and Rosemary Soup

recipe by:Darina Allen

The trick with these green soups is not to add the greens until the last minute, otherwise they will overcook, and the soup will lose its fresh taste and bright green colour.

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 45 mins

Cooking Time

 5 mins

Total Time

 50 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 50g (2oz) butter

• 110g (4oz) onion, peeled and chopped

• 150g (5oz) potatoes, peeled and chopped

• 600ml (1 pint) homemade chicken stock, vegetable stock or water

• 425-600ml (15fl oz - 1 pint) creamy milk (1/4 cream and 3/4 milk)

• salt and freshly ground pepper

• 225-350g (8-12oz) sea spinach or sea beet, destalked and chopped

• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

• To garnish:

• 2 tbsp whipped cream (optional)

• sprig of rosemary or rosemary flowers

Method

1. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. When it foams add the onions and potatoes and turn them until well coated. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and sweat on a gentle heat for 10 minutes.

2. Add the boiling stock and milk, bring back to the boil and simmer until the potatoes and onions are fully cooked. Add the sea spinach and boil with the lid off for about 4-5 minutes, until the sea spinach is tender. Do not overcook or the soup will lose its fresh green colour. Add the chopped rosemary.

3. Liquidise and taste. Serve in warm bowls garnished with a blob of whipped cream and a sprig of rosemary. If you have a pretty rosemary bush in bloom, sprinkle a few flowers over the top for extra pzazz.

Spinach salad with fried spiced tofu

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

This spicy vegan salad with juicy cherry tomatoes and baby spinach is light and perfect for summer, ready in just twenty minutes

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Starter

Ingredients

• dash of sesame oil

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped

• 2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes, sliced

• ½ red chilli, finely chopped

• 500g firm tofu, thinly sliced

• 4 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tbsp honey

• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

• handful of sesame seeds, toasted

• 4 large handfuls of baby spinach

• bunch of spring onions, sliced

Method

1. Heat some oil add the tomatoes to the pan and fry until they are soft and charred. Set them aside.

2. Heat the sesame oil and fry the chilli and garlic until the garlic is about to change colour, add the strips of tofu and fry until they are turing golden. Stir in the soy sauce, honey and vinegar. Add the tomatoes back to the pan along with the toasted seeds and stir everything together.

3. Divide the spinach between four bowls. Spoon the tofu mixture over. Pour the juices from the pan over so it dresses the leaves.

4. Eat straight away as the spinach will start to wilt.