Blog

This peanut-tamarind sauce is great as a dip for spring rolls, or as a marinade and dip for satay.

Cook Mode
(Keep screen awake)

• 1/2 cup shelled peanuts (3 ounces; 85g)

• 1 tablespoon palm or light brown sugar (1/2 ounce; 15g)

• 3 medium cloves garlic

• 2 tablespoons (30ml) light soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons (30ml) vegan Thai red or Massaman curry paste

• 1 tablespoon (15ml) tamarind concentrate

• 2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil

• Dry chile flakes, to taste (optional)

1. If You Have a Mortar and Pestle (Recommended): Toast peanuts on a rimmed baking sheet in a 375°F oven or toaster oven until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool. Combine sugar and garlic in the mortar and pound with the pestle into a smooth paste. Add peanuts and pound to form a chunky paste. Add soy sauce, curry paste, and tamarind concentrate and firmly stir with a circular motion until a homogeneous chunky mixture is formed. Add vegetable oil and stir to combine. Add water to thin to a pourable but still thick consistency. Adjust heat with chile flakes, if desired.

2. If You Have a Food Processor: Toast peanuts on a rimmed baking sheet in a 375°F oven or toaster oven until deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool. Combine peanuts, sugar, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until a chunky paste is formed. Add soy sauce, curry paste, tamarind concentrate, and oil and process until a chunky homogeneous mixture is formed. Pulse in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce reaches a pourable but thick consistency. Adjust heat with chile flakes, if desired.

3. Sauce can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Special equipment

Rimmed baking sheet or toaster oven, mortar and pestle or food processor

This Recipe Appears In

• Make These Easy Crispy Tofu Spring Rolls With Peanut-Tamarind Sauce

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
111	Calories
9g	Fat
6g	Carbs
3g	Protein

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Confession: I’m not a huge creamed spinach fan. Delicious? Absolutely! But when done the traditional way (with heaps of heavy cream and butter) it’s too rich for my taste. So when tasked with developing a vegan spin on standard creamed spinach, I was eager to explore. 

The result is a plate of creamy greens that I will add to my side dish repertoire any day of the week. It has that luscious quality you look for in creamed spinach, just without the dairy. 

What Makes It Creamy?

The spinach starts with a “cream” sauce built on a base of cashews soaked in oat milk. Cashews are naturally a bit sweet, not unlike heavy cream. When blended in liquid, the result is a lovely sauce that does a bang-up job swapping in for dairy. 

A Lighter Take On Creamed Spinach

This unconventional creamed spinach has a couple of notable upsides:

• Because the recipe doesn’t have any butter, milk, or cream, it’s suitable for folks following a vegan, dairy-free, or paleo diet. 
• Using cashews instead of cream significantly cuts the amount of saturated fat and increases the unsaturated fat. Plus, the nuts deliver protein, magnesium, zinc, and iron. When combined with fresh spinach, the dish becomes a nutritional powerhouse. 

Can I Make This with Frozen Spinach?

You’ll get the best results if you use fresh spinach sold in bunches, which means washing and stemming the greens. If you need a good shortcut, use frozen spinach instead. Here are a few tips to make it work:

• Use bagged frozen spinach, not spinach sold in a solid frozen block.
• Defrost the spinach completely and drain (you can do this in a microwave using the defrost setting to expedite the process).
• Instead of wilting the spinach in the pan, just cook the spinach for about 2 minutes to release any additional liquid. 
• After wilting, squeeze out the liquid thoroughly (the same as with fresh spinach).
• Skip chopping the spinach if your frozen spinach is already chopped.

Make-Ahead Tips

Here are a few make-ahead tips—especially handy if you’re serving vegan creamed spinach for a dinner party or a holiday meal:

• Wash, stem, and dry the spinach up to 3 days ahead. Wrap in paper towels and store in plastic bags in the produce drawer. When it’s time to cook, put the spinach in a colander and run it under the tap so it’s lightly wet when it hits the skillet. 
• Make the cashew cream sauce up to 1 day ahead and store it in the fridge. You may want to add a little more water to the pan when you add the sauce since it will have thickened overnight.
• Dice the shallot and mince the garlic up to 1 day ahead and store in a covered container in the fridge. 
• You can cook this spinach up to 2 hours before serving, cover it loosely, and leave it on the back of the stove. Reheat gently just before serving. 

You can easily double or even triple the recipe. You will have to cook the spinach in several batches and may find you don’t need all the cream sauce. Save any extra to enjoy the next day tossed with pasta and a shower of vegan Parmesan cheese. Consider it vegan alfredo!

More Fun With Spinach

• Spinach With Sesame and Garlic
• Spinach Tofu Scramble
• Green Cauliflower Rice
• Pressure Cooker Saag Tofu (Indian Spinach and Tofu)
• Sigeumchi Namul (Spinach Banchan)
  
  

Cook Mode
(Keep screen awake)

• 1 cup oat milk (or unsweetened nut milk)

• 1/4 cup water

• 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews

• 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more if needed

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 pinch ground nutmeg, optional

• 2 1/2 pounds (4 to 5 bunches) fresh spinach, large stems trimmed off and discarded

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/2 cup diced shallot

• 1 large clove garlic, minced

1. Soak the cashews:

   In a small bowl, pour the oat milk and water over the cashews, ensuring they are submerged. Soak for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours (refrigerate if soaking for longer than an hour or so).

2. Make the sauce:

   Transfer the soaked cashews and soaking liquid to a blender along with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and the salt, black pepper, and nutmeg (if using). Purée until smooth.

3. Wash and wilt the spinach:

   Wash the spinach and drain in a colander. Don’t spin dry (you want some water clinging to the spinach). 

   Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the spinach and use tongs to turn it in the pan until wilted. This will take just a minute or two. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with remaining spinach.

4. Squeeze and chop the spinach:

   When cool enough to handle, take up handfuls of spinach and squeeze out as much of the liquid as possible. Be aggressive here. 

   Set the squeezed-out spinach on a cutting board and roughly chop.

5. Sauté the shallots, garlic, and spinach:

   Heat the olive oil in the same large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and sauté until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, making sure it doesn’t brown. Add the spinach and stir just until warm.

6. Add the sauce:

   Pour the cashew cream sauce over the spinach and stir well to blend. Taste and add more lemon juice and/or salt as desired. Serve warm.

   Store leftover creamed spinach in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

   Love the recipe? Leave us stars below!
   
   

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
228	Calories
14g	Fat
22g	Carbs
10g	Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories	228
% Daily Value*
14g	18%
Saturated Fat 3g	13%
0mg	0%
368mg	16%
22g	8%
Dietary Fiber 6g	20%
Total Sugars 6g
10g
Vitamin C 55mg	277%
Calcium 208mg	16%
Iron 7mg	38%
Potassium 1250mg	27%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Thanksgiving for vegetarians, and specifically vegans, can be a tricky affair, but it needn’t be! There are so many vegetables and plant-based sides to choose from, almost everyone around the table should be happy.

Be careful. You might want to make more of this gravy than you think you need because once vegans and omnivores alike taste it, you will want to lick your plate clean.

How to Make Vegan Gravy With Mushrooms

Oven-roasted onions and cremini mushrooms (also called baby bellas because they are actually baby Portobello mushrooms) give the gravy a fantastic depth of flavor. Roasting actually intensifies the flavor of most vegetables, and mushrooms are no exception.

You could get fancy and add a mix of mushroom varieties like shiitake or oyster mushrooms, but if you want to keep it simple, cremini are the way to go. Miso and soy sauce add umami to the gravy, imparting another layer of flavor.

If you have homemade mushroom or vegetable stock on hand, this is the time to use it, but no need to stress about it. Store-bought broth offers great results.

Troubleshooting Vegan Gravy

I get a lot of calls from friends about rescuing gravy over the holidays, but the main advice is: Do not stress. These are easy fixes! You know how you like your gravy, so trust in that.

• Too thick? Gradually whisk in stock, a little at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.
• Too thin? Whisk together a slurry of flour or cornstarch and cold water (strain it if it has lumps). It should be soupy, not thick. Then whisk a small amount—about one tablespoon—into the simmering gravy. Stir and simmer the gravy for a couple of minutes to cook the starch. Repeat the process until the gravy achieves the consistency you like.

How to Get the Best Gravy Texture

You have two good options for this gravy. Once it comes together, you could serve it as is with the mushroom slices intact, or if you want smooth gravy, puree it in a blender or with an immersion blender.

The gravy tends to thicken if you puree it, so you will probably need to add more stock to bring it to the consistency you prefer.

How to Store and Freeze Vegan Gravy

The gravy will keep for up to five days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it for up to three months. Defrost it in the refrigerator overnight, or simply reheat it from frozen over low heat in a saucepan. It may look curdled at first, so give it a good workout with a whisk when it is hot, and it will smooth out.

Cook Mode
(Keep screen awake)

• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick

• 1/4 medium onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 3 to 4 cups unsalted vegetable or mushroom stock

• 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

• 2 teaspoons red, yellow, or white miso, optional

1. Preheat the oven:

   Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Roast the mushrooms and onions:

   On the baking sheet, mound the mushrooms in one pile and the onions in another, keeping the piles separate from one another. Sprinkle with the oil, salt, and pepper and toss to coat them.

   Spread into an even layer on the baking sheet, still keeping the onions and the mushrooms separate, and sprinkle with thyme.

   Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until deep brown. If the mushrooms are done before the onions, remove them from the pan, return the pan to the oven, and continue to bake until the onions are golden brown.

3. Finish cooking the gravy:

   Transfer the mushrooms and onions to a saucepan. Over medium heat, add the flour and cook while stirring for 2 to 3 minutes or until the flour browns lightly.

   Add the stock, 1/2 cup at a time, until you’ve used 3 cups of the stock. Stir well after each 1/2 cup addition. Whisk in the soy sauce and miso (if using). Bring the gravy to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. Adjust the consistency by adding more stock if it is thicker than you like. Taste and add more salt and pepper to taste. (If you’re not using miso, you’ll need to season the gravy more heavily with salt.)

   Gravy can be served as is or pureed in a blender. The gravy will thicken slightly when you puree it. After it is smooth, add more stock until the gravy reaches your preferred consistency.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
40	Calories
3g	Fat
4g	Carbs
1g	Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories	40
% Daily Value*
3g	3%
Saturated Fat 0g	2%
0mg	0%
235mg	10%
4g	1%
Dietary Fiber 0g	1%
Total Sugars 1g
1g
Vitamin C 0mg	2%
Calcium 9mg	1%
Iron 0mg	2%
Potassium 146mg	3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Did you try making the vegan saag paneer recipe I published? You did? And you liked it? Woohoo! I was so darned happy with the results, it struck me that adapting the technique to make a vegan version of creamed spinach was the logical next thing to do, so that’s what I did.

The Creamy Key

To get my saag paneer truly creamy, I bound the wilted greens with a creamy cauliflower purée. Turns out I like cauliflower-creamed spinach even more than I like dairy-based creamed spinach. It has all the same creaminess and richness, but because dairy can mute flavors, cauliflower-creamed spinach actually tastes more spinach-y than regular creamed spinach.

How do you like that!

To make it, I start by steaming some cauliflower florets in a pot with a little nut or grain milk (almond, cashew, rice, and soy all work fine) before puréeing into a smooth, creamy liquid. Next, I rinse the pot and sauté some onions in it.

One of the keys to really rich creamed spinach is to use the right fat. Vegetable oil works okay, but coconut oil, with its higher saturated fat content, produces a richer-tasting result.

Go Curly If You Can

Once the onions are tender, I hit the pot with a little garlic and a big shower of nutmeg before adding well-washed spinach a handful at a time, letting each handful wilt before adding the next. Mature curly spinach works best for creamed spinach, but if you can’t find it (as I often can’t out here on the West Coast), then mature flat-leaf spinach will do just fine. Avoid baby spinach, which turns mushy and papery when cooked.

Once the spinach is wilted down, I add the puréed cauliflower back to the pot and let the whole thing simmer until the spinach is completely tender and the sauce is thick and creamy.

Finally! A celebratory side dish worthy of a space next to your vegetables Wellington!

No matter how many times I cook it, I’m always shocked by the extent to which spinach wilts down. You start with a pile bigger than your head, and you end up with enough spinach for only four to six people. Oh, well, I guess that just means you’ll have to make more.

Soup Up Your Spinach

P.S.: Quick bonus recipe I devised when trying to deal with an excess of creamed spinach: Add three cups of water or vegetable stock to the creamed spinach, then hit it with the hand blender and season with salt and pepper to make a deliciously creamy spinach soup.

March 2017

Cook Mode
(Keep screen awake)

• 6 ounces cauliflower florets (170g; about 1/3 of a small head)

• 6 ounces almond, soy, rice, or cashew milk (2/3 cup; 170ml)

• 2 tablespoons (30ml) coconut oil

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 8 ounces; 225g)

• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• 1 pound (450g) mature curly or flat-leaf spinach, washed well and roughly chopped

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine cauliflower and milk of choice in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, cover, reduce heat to lowest setting, and let cook until cauliflower is completely tender, about 10 minutes. Using an immersion blender or countertop blender, blend into a smooth purée. Set aside.

2. Heat coconut oil over medium heat in a large saucepan until melted. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add nutmeg and stir to combine. Add spinach one handful at a time, stirring and folding until each handful of spinach is wilted, before adding the next.

3. Add cauliflower purée to spinach mixture and stir to combine. Bring to a bare simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is completely tender and mixture is creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Special Equipment

Immersion blender or countertop blender

Notes

Avoid baby spinach, which turns mushy and papery when cooked.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
592	Calories
14g	Fat
88g	Carbs
66g	Protein

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)