How do you make creamed spinach without cream?

Thicken plant milk with a little flour and vegan butter, and add blended cashews for richness.

Can I use frozen spinach?

Yes. Two 10-ounce packages, thawed and squeezed dry, replace 2 pounds of fresh.

Vegan Creamed Spinach

Steakhouse-style creamed spinach made with a cashew and oat milk cream sauce, shallot, garlic, nutmeg and nutritional yeast. Serves 4.

Vegan Vegetarian Dairy-free Low-carb

A vegan version of our Steakhouse Creamed Spinach, from the Steak and Seafood kitchen.

A skillet of vegan creamed spinach in a smooth cream sauce

Prep 10 min
Cook 15 min
Total 25 min
Yield 4 servings

Steakhouse creamed spinach is usually heavy cream and Parmesan. This one gets its body from a quick roux made with vegan butter and oat milk, enriched with blended cashews and seasoned with nutmeg and nutritional yeast for that savory, cheesy note.

It is just as good beside a portobello steak or a plate of roasted potatoes.

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh spinach, or 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen spinach, thawed
2 tablespoons vegan butter
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened oat milk
1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked and blended with 1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Flour for this recipeKing Arthur Baking Company makes all-purpose, bread, whole wheat and gluten-free flours.

Shop King Arthur flour

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Instructions

Wilt the spinach. Wilt fresh spinach in a large pot with a splash of water, then squeeze it very dry and chop. Squeeze thawed frozen spinach dry.
Make the sauce. Melt the vegan butter in a skillet and cook the shallot and garlic for 2 minutes. Whisk in the flour, then the oat milk, and simmer until thick, about 3 minutes.
Finish. Stir in the cashew cream, nutritional yeast, nutmeg, salt and pepper, then the spinach. Cook 2 minutes until hot.

Nutrition per serving (estimated)

210Calories

20 gCarbohydrates

7 gFiber

14 gNet carbs

10 gProtein

12 gFat

Estimated per serving, based on 4 servings, using USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient. Net carbs are carbohydrates minus fiber. Optional ingredients, garnishes and anything served on the side are not included, and marinades are counted at about a third because most is discarded. Brands and portion sizes change the numbers.

Low-carb Vegetarian Vegan Dairy-free

Tips

Squeezing out the water is the key step; wet spinach thins the sauce.
For a nut-free version, skip the cashews and use 1 1/4 cups oat milk.

Questions about this recipe

How do you make creamed spinach without cream?: Thicken plant milk with a little flour and vegan butter, and add blended cashews for richness.
Can I use frozen spinach?: Yes. Two 10-ounce packages, thawed and squeezed dry, replace 2 pounds of fresh.

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