Spinach with Eggs (Ispanakli Yumurta) is a delicious, healthy, and filling one-pot dish you can serve for brunch, lunch, or a quick weeknight dinner. Same as Cilbir - Turkish Poached Eggs, Kaygana (Turkish Omelette), and Menemen - Turkish Scrambled Eggs, all you need is 20 minutes and a few fresh Mediterranean ingredients to make this simple egg dish.
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The secret to this healthy Turkish recipe for spinach and eggs is using good quality ingredients such as fresh spinach leaves, free-range eggs, and extra virgin olive oil. You can turn this nutritious and flavorsome dish into a vegetarian meal by omitting the mince!
Why This Recipe Works?
- You can serve this delicious Spinach with Eggs dish at any time of the day.
- This is the perfect low-calorie & healthy breakfast dish with eggs! One portion contains only 288 kcal.
- You can cook the spinach base a couple of days in advance and add the eggs last minute, just before serving.
- Spinach and eggs are really ideal for busy mornings when you want a hot filling breakfast.
- You can customize this dish by adding more vegetables such as mushrooms, peppers, or tomatoes. Also, you can substitute mince with sucuk (a type of Turkish spicy sausage) or chorizo, or omit it and make this dish vegetarian.
Is Spinach With Eggs Healthy?
Both spinach and eggs are healthy ingredients. Spinach is full of vitamins, iron, calcium, and magnesium.
Eggs are a great source of protein, improve levels of good cholesterol, and keep you full for longer.
Also, it is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and low in calories. One portion of this delicious dish has only 288 kcal!
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Spinach - I use fresh baby spinach leaves as they are sweeter in taste. You can also use chopped spinach leaves instead. Wash the spinach leaves thoroughly and dry them before cooking.
- Minced meat - You can use minced beef, lamb, or even a mixture of both for this recipe. Omit it for the vegetarian option and add an extra chopped onion.
- Wild garlic pesto - I prefer using homemade Wild Garlic Pesto as I always have some in my freezer and it tastes amazing. Any pesto would work with a bit of extra garlic addition!
- Garlic - Fresh garlic is a great flavoring that adds sweetness and nuttiness to dishes. Turn it into a paste with a Mortar and Pestle or grate it using a Microplane Zester Grater. Omit it if using wild garlic pesto.
- Nutmeg - I use freshly grated instead of powder nutmeg for a more intense flavor and freshness.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Making this delicious Spinach and Egg recipe is quite simple. However, to achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps and tips:
Put a wok or a large pan on medium heat and add the mince. Brown the mince, breaking it down into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
Add olive oil if needed and sauté the onions until soft and translucent without browning them. Stir in the garlic and sauté for another minute before adding the flaked chili, salt, nutmeg, wild garlic pesto, and pepper. Skip the garlic if using wild garlic pesto.
Add the spinach to the pan. Don’t worry if it’s all piled up as it will wilt quickly. When the spinach wilts, stir it around to mix with the onions and mince.
Simmer for a couple of minutes over low heat and then make 4 wells in your mixture.
Crack the eggs into the wells, cover the pan and leave to simmer for a few minutes, until the egg whites have set. Cook for a few more minutes if you want the yolks set as well.
Top Tips From the Chef
- It might look like it is a lot of spinach going in this dish but once they are wilted, they will lose most of their volume. Add the spinach in two batches if you can't fit it all in your pan.
- You can experiment with this simple Spinach with Eggs dish by adding different flavorings such as tomato paste, smoked paprika, harissa, cumin, or lemon juice!
Serving Suggestions
We enjoy our spinach with eggs dish with a dollop of yogurt on the side.
If I am serving it for lunch or dinner, I serve it with some nice bread on the side such as Tawa Naan With Garlic, Turkish Pide Bread - Ramazan Pidesi, or Bazlama (Turkish Flatbread).
Recipe FAQs
You can keep the leftovers refrigerated for up to three days. Unfortunately, this dish is not suitable for freezing because of the egg content. However, you can freeze the spinach mixture without adding the eggs and keep it for up to three months in the freezer.
Yes, this dish is suitable for using frozen spinach. However, you need to make sure you thaw it and squeeze the excess water before using it.
You can prepare the spinach base up to 3 days in advance and add the eggs just before serving the dish.
Related Recipes
For more delicious and healthy Mediterranean dishes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this easy, healthy yet scrumptious Spinach With Eggs as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!
Spinach With Eggs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 300 g minced beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 500 g spinach (washed and chopped)
- ½ teaspoon flaked chilli (pul biber)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon wild garlic pesto
- 4 eggs
Instructions
- Put a wok or a large pan on medium heat and add the mince.
- Brown the mince, breaking it down into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
- Add olive oil if needed and sauté the onions until soft and translucent without browning them.
- Stir in the garlic and sauté for another minute before adding the flaked chili, salt, nutmeg, wild garlic pesto, and pepper. Skip the garlic if using wild garlic pesto.
- Add the spinach to the pan. Don’t worry if it’s all piled up as it will wilt quickly. When the spinach wilts, stir it around to mix with the onions and mince.
- Simmer for a couple of minutes over low heat and then make 4 wells in your mixture.
- Crack the eggs into the wells, cover the pan and leave to simmer for a few minutes, until the egg whites have set. Cook for a few more minutes if you want the yolks set as well.
Notes
- It might look like it is a lot of spinach going in this dish but once they are wilted, they will lose most of their volume. Add the spinach in two batches if you can't fit it all in your pan.
- You can experiment with this simple dish by adding different flavorings such as tomato paste, smoked paprika, harissa, cumin, or lemon juice!
- Unfortunately, this dish is not suitable for freezing because of the egg content.
- You can prepare the spinach base up to 3 days in advance and add the eggs just before serving the dish.
- The leftovers would keep refrigerated for up to three days.
Nutrition
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Dilay
I’ve done it yesterday, and it was AMAZING! The easiest dish I have ever cooked.