Serves: 4–6 as a side | Prep: 10 min | Cook: 15 min
This creamy spinach is the side dish your family will actually fight over! Rich, garlicky mushrooms in a velvety sauce, loaded with tender spinach and finished with salty feta — it turns humble greens into pure comfort food.
Perfect with roast chicken, steak, pap, or even spooned over baked potatoes. Ready in under 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 garlic clove, finely diced
- 200 g mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tbsp cake flour (or all-purpose)
- 500 ml milk (full cream works best, or half cream/half milk)
- 1 large bunch fresh spinach, washed and roughly shredded (or 1 packet baby spinach)
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Feta cheese, crumbled (optional but highly recommended)
Method
- Sauté the base: Melt butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and mushrooms. Fry for 4–5 minutes until mushrooms soften and turn golden.
- Make the roux: Sprinkle flour over the mushrooms and stir well for 1 minute to cook out the raw taste.
- Add milk slowly: Gradually pour in the milk while stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Keep stirring until the sauce thickens and starts to bubble gently.
- Wilt the spinach: Add spinach in handfuls, stirring after each addition until it wilts and gets coated in the creamy sauce. (It will seem like too much at first — it shrinks!)
- Season & simmer: Add salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until spinach is tender.
- Serve: Spoon into a serving dish and crumble feta over the top while hot. The feta melts slightly into salty, creamy pockets — perfection!
Serving Ideas
- Sunday roast with crispy chicken
- Steak & pap night upgrade
- Spooned into baked sweet potatoes
- As a luxurious base for poached eggs
Pro Tips
- No feta? Try grated cheddar or parmesan.
- Make it richer: Replace 200 ml milk with cream.
- Vegan version: Use olive oil, plant milk + 1 tbsp nutritional yeast.
- Meal prep: Reheats beautifully — add a splash of milk when warming.