What Can You Use Instead of Spinach?

If you do not have spinach, chard or arugula comes closest; chard cooks to a tenderness similar to spinach, while arugula replaces spinach in raw salads with a slightly bitter flavor.

What Role Does Spinach Play in a Recipe?
Because spinach is a versatile leafy green that can be used raw as well as cooked, it appears in many different recipes, such as salads, savory pastries, and sautés. It loses a noticeable amount of volume when cooked, so recipes usually use much more spinach than it looks like. Its mildly earthy flavor does not overpower other ingredients, so it fits easily into many recipes. This versatility means that a substitute should be similar to spinach in cooking behavior and flavor intensity.

Which Greens Can Replace Spinach?
Chard leaves cook to a tenderness similar to spinach, but the stems are tougher, so separate them and cook them for longer; chard is almost a one-to-one replacement for spinach in savory pastries and sautés. Arugula is a good option for uncooked salads, but it has a distinct bitter, peppery flavor that needs to be balanced with the other ingredients in the recipe. Collard greens can also replace spinach, especially in soups, but because they leave a more fibrous texture, they need to cook for a long time and should not be used in recipes that need to cook quickly.

What Should You Keep in Mind?
Whichever greens you choose, dry them thoroughly after washing; excess water transferred to the pan makes the sauté release liquid and prevents the desired browning. If you use a thicker-leaved alternative such as chard, extend the cooking time by one or two minutes compared with spinach. Since the flavor intensity differs, try a small amount of an alternative the first time and adjust the amount to the recipe; adding too much of a sharp-tasting option such as arugula can throw off the overall balance. Chard stems can be used separately too; finely chop them and sauté them with onion to avoid waste. If frozen versions of these greens are not available as a substitute for frozen spinach, fresh greens briefly boiled and squeezed dry can produce a similar result; this method is especially practical for savory pastry fillings.

What Can You Use Instead of Frozen Spinach?
If frozen spinach is unavailable, fresh spinach briefly boiled and squeezed dry serves almost exactly the same purpose; this method is especially useful for recipes such as savory pastries and dumpling fillings, where the spinach needs to be cooked and drained beforehand. Do not discard the boiling water; if you like, you can add it to soups. The same method can be used with chard and arugula: both are briefly boiled and squeezed dry, which gives a texture and color close to frozen spinach, though chard’s mildly earthy flavor is a little more pronounced than spinach’s. In salads, whichever green you choose instead of spinach, squeezing a little lemon juice over it makes the leaves’ dark green color look more vibrant and helps them stay fresh until serving. Whatever green you choose, selecting the freshest-looking bunch when shopping affects the result; wilted leaves have noticeably poorer flavor and texture than fresh ones.