How to Steam Spinach Leaves

Spinach is one of those leaves which contain a lot of water. If added directly into food when cooking, there is a tendency for it to upset the balance of the meal by drastically increasing the liquid volume. It is primarily for this reason that spinach leaves are almost always steamed before being used in meals. Steaming spinach is easy. You however have to make sure that you have all your tools and utensils ready from the beginning because the process happens really fast. The most challenging part of the process is to ensure that the leaves retain their bright green colors. This can be achieved through shocking the vegetable as soon as it is taken off the heat source. While an ice bath is sometimes advised for shocking vegetables, it is not essential. All you need is some very cold water. This is how it is done:

TOOLS:

(1) 1 Large Pot with Lead

(2) 1 Colander

(3) A Pair of Kitchen Tongs

(4) 1 Large Bowl

(5) Clean Paper Towels

PROCEDURE:

(1) Fill pot 2/3 of the way with water and bring to a boil.

(2) When water starts to boil, remove lid and place colander on top of boiling water. The water level should be below the base of the colander. The colander should also be large enough for its sides to sit comfortable on the pot.

(3) Place spinach in colander and cover with lid of pot. Every minute, take off the lid and rotate the spinach in the colander using the tongs. This way all the leaves receive an equal amount of heat from the steam which will ensure that they wilt evenly.  The whole process should take a maximum of 5 minutes depending on how much spinach you are working with.

(4) When all the spinach has wilted, take if off the heat and pour spinach into very cold water to shock the leaves and stop the cooking process. Rinse spinach a couple of times, changing the water after each rinse.

(5) Squeeze as much water out of the spinach as you can with your hands and then transfer spinach to paper towel, fold and apply pressure. The towels will absorb any leftover moisture. You might need to change towels when the one you are working with becomes soaked.

(6) Transfer spinach to cutting board and chop if needed. Your steamed spinach is ready for use. Try it out in my Grilled Salmon and Dried Tomato Quiche recipe.