What Can I Substitute for English Spinach?

You're making spanakopita, a spinach-and-ricotta filling or a quiche, and the greens need to be cooked, squeezed and folded into cheese or egg.

• silverbeet — 250 g leaves (stalks removed) for every 250 g English spinach
• frozen spinach — 125 g for every 250 g fresh English spinach
• warrigal greens — 250 g leaves and tips for every 250 g English spinach

Here the spinach is providing green bulk and colour, and its tender texture is lost once it is cooked and chopped into cheese, so sturdier leaves like silverbeet and warrigal greens do the same job once they are cooked longer and squeezed dry. Frozen spinach is the same plant already blanched, so it covers flavour too as long as the water is wrung out.

You're making palak paneer, a creamy spinach dip or a lasagne layer where the greens are chopped fine or blended into a sauce.

• frozen spinach — 125 g for every 250 g fresh English spinach
• silverbeet — 250 g leaves (stalks removed) for every 250 g English spinach

Blending or fine chopping hides any difference in leaf texture, so what matters is green bulk, colour and a mild flavour that lets the spices or cheese lead. Frozen spinach gives the closest taste, and silverbeet's slightly earthier note disappears under garam masala or garlic.

You're stirring a few handfuls of greens into a soup, stew, stir-fry or pasta sauce to wilt just before serving.

• silverbeet — 250 g leaves (stalks removed) for every 250 g English spinach
• kale — 250 g leaves (ribs removed) for every 250 g English spinach
• rocket — 250 g for every 250 g English spinach

In a brothy or saucy dish the greens are there for bulk and colour, and the liquid gives tougher leaves time to soften, so silverbeet and kale work if added a few minutes earlier than spinach would be. Rocket wilts just as fast as spinach and suits pasta or risotto when you want a peppery edge, but it goes in right at the end.

You're making a salad or sandwich where raw baby spinach leaves are the base.

• rocket — 250 g for every 250 g English spinach
• watercress — 200 g leaves and tender stems for every 250 g English spinach

Raw, only the tender texture role matters, and silverbeet, kale and warrigal greens are too tough or need cooking, so the only options are other soft salad leaves. Rocket and watercress both have that tenderness but bring a hot, peppery flavour, so pair them with sweeter elements like roast pumpkin, pear or a honey dressing.

You're making a bright green blended soup where colour is a big part of the appeal.

• watercress — 200 g leaves and tender stems for every 250 g English spinach
• frozen spinach — 125 g for every 250 g fresh English spinach

Watercress keeps a vivid green when added in the last minute before blending and its pepperiness suits potato or pea soups. Frozen spinach gives the mild flavour and bulk, though its colour leans more olive than fresh leaves.

You're serving a simple side of buttered wilted spinach or creamed spinach, where the soft, mild leaves are the whole dish.

• frozen spinach — 125 g for every 250 g fresh English spinach

Nothing really replaces it here.

When spinach is the dish, its silky texture and mild mineral flavour are the point, and every other green either stays chewier, tastes stronger or turns watery. Frozen spinach is still spinach and works well for creamed spinach, but for a plate of glossy wilted leaves only fresh English spinach gives that result.

The base of your spinach pie or quiche came out wet and soggy.

Why: The cooked or frozen greens still held water, which leaked into the pastry during baking; silverbeet and frozen spinach release a lot more than people expect.

Can't be fixed — next time: A baked soggy base can't be dried out, though returning the pie to a hot oven directly on the lowest rack for 10 minutes can crisp the edges. Next time squeeze the cooled greens in a clean tea towel until no liquid runs out, and scatter 20–30 g of dry breadcrumbs over the pastry before adding the filling.

Your dip, curry or pasta sauce has gone thin and watery after adding the greens.

Why: Frozen spinach or silverbeet went in without being squeezed, so its water diluted the sauce.

Fix: Simmer a curry or sauce uncovered for a few minutes, stirring, until it thickens again. For a cold dip, tip it into a sieve to drain briefly, then stir in a little extra cream cheese or sour cream to firm it up.

The kale or silverbeet is still chewy and squeaky when the rest of the dish is ready.

Why: These leaves are thicker and more fibrous than English spinach and were given spinach cooking times.

Fix: Add a splash of water, cover the pan and cook for another 3–5 minutes until the leaves are tender, then take the lid off to let the liquid evaporate.

The greens have turned a dull khaki or grey-green instead of bright green.

Why: Long cooking or cooking with acid like lemon juice or tomato breaks down chlorophyll and turns leafy greens olive.

Can't be fixed — next time: The colour can't be brought back. Next time add the greens in the last few minutes, add any lemon juice just before serving, or blanch them separately, cool them in iced water and stir them in at the end.

Is English spinach the same as silverbeet?

No, they are different plants, although silverbeet is often called spinach in Australia. Silverbeet, known as Swiss chard in the UK, US and Canada, has larger, tougher leaves and thick white stalks, and it needs a few more minutes of cooking. It works well in place of English spinach in cooked dishes such as pies and soups, but not raw.

Is baby spinach the same as English spinach?

Yes, baby spinach is English spinach picked young. The leaves are smaller and more tender with fine stems, which makes them better for salads, while mature bunches have larger leaves and thicker stems that are better cooked. Both can be used weight for weight in cooked recipes.

How much frozen spinach equals fresh spinach?

Use about 125 g of thawed, well-squeezed frozen spinach for every 250 g of fresh English spinach. Fresh spinach shrinks dramatically as it wilts, and frozen spinach has already been blanched, so less is needed by weight. A US recipe calling for a 10 oz box of frozen spinach is asking for roughly 285 g before squeezing.

How many grams is a cup of spinach?

A loosely filled cup of raw spinach leaves weighs about 30 g, though this varies a lot with how firmly the leaves are pressed down. Because raw leaves pack so unevenly, it is more reliable to weigh spinach than to measure it in cups. Cooked spinach is much denser, and a large 450 g pile of raw leaves wilts down to about one cup.

Do I need to remove spinach stems before cooking?

No, the stems of baby spinach are thin and tender enough to cook and eat with the leaves. On mature bunches of English spinach, trim off the pinkish root end and any stems thicker than a pencil, which stay stringy. Wash bunched spinach well, as grit collects near the base of the stems.

Why is it called English spinach in Australia?

The name separates true spinach from silverbeet, which many Australians have long called spinach. Outside Australia the plant is simply called spinach, so recipes from the UK, New Zealand, the US and Canada mean English spinach when they say spinach.