Young spinach and spring onions: three May recipes you have to try
The young vegetable season lasts only a few weeks. Three simple recipes that put the best of May to work, all ready in 20 minutes.
What do you make when you spot bunches of young spinach at the market for 80 dinars and spring onions for 50 dinars a bunch? The short answer, three dishes that come together faster than a takeaway delivery.
The season for young spinach and spring onions in Serbia is short, six to eight weeks at most, from late April to mid-June. After that the leaves get tougher and the onion loses the mild, faintly sweet flavour that makes it sought after in the first place. May is when young spinach holds the most iron and folic acid, and spring onion the most vitamin C, a combination the body welcomes in the spring change of seasons.
How much a week’s worth costs
A typical week’s supply for a family of four runs to about six bunches of spinach and three bunches of spring onions. At the markets in Belgrade and Novi Sad right now, that comes to:
- Young spinach: 80 to 120 dinars per bunch, around 0.70 to 1 euro
- Spring onions: 40 to 60 dinars per bunch, around 0.35 to 0.50 euros
- Total: around 660 dinars, around 5.60 euros for a week
In supermarkets the same set runs at almost double, so the farmers’ market stays the practical choice.
Recipe 1: Spring salad with boiled eggs
A simple meal for lunch or a light supper.
You need: one bunch of young spinach, one bunch of spring onions, four boiled eggs, three tablespoons of olive oil, two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, a pinch of salt, a piece of fresh cheese (around 100 grams).
Method: Wash and drain the spinach and spring onions. Tear the spinach by hand into smaller leaves, slice the onions thinly along with the green tops. Combine in a bowl, add the chopped eggs and crumbled cheese. Dress with the oil, vinegar and salt. Time: 12 minutes.
Recipe 2: Spinach and spring onion pie
A traditional version most Serbian families remember from childhood.
You need: a pack of ready-made pie pastry (around 500 grams, roughly 280 dinars), two bunches of young spinach, two bunches of spring onions, 200 grams of fresh cheese, three eggs, two decilitres of milk, two decilitres of oil.
Method: Finely chop the spinach and onions. Combine with the cheese and one egg. In a saucepan, whisk together two eggs with the milk and oil. Layer the pastry in a baking tray, brushing every other layer with the filling, and sprinkle each layer with the milk-and-egg mix. Bake for 35 minutes at 200 degrees. Time: 20 minutes prep, 35 minutes baking.
Recipe 3: Quick young spinach soup
A light meal for dinner, especially worth it after a heavy lunch.
You need: one bunch of young spinach, two bunches of spring onions, one medium potato, two decilitres of milk, a teaspoon of flour, a tablespoon of butter, salt, pepper.
Method: Cut the potato into small cubes and boil in 800 ml of water for 12 minutes. Add the spinach and spring onion and boil for another five minutes. Separately in a pan, melt the butter, add the flour and five to six millilitres of milk, stir until you have a smooth roux. Combine with the soup and cook for another three minutes. Time: 22 minutes.
Tips for storing it fresh
Young spinach keeps in the fridge for three to four days in a sealed bag with a couple of bits of kitchen paper to absorb moisture. Spring onions last a little longer, up to a week, if the green tops are wrapped in a dry towel and placed in the bottom drawer.
To freeze young spinach, first blanch it for two minutes in boiling water, cool it under running water and drain thoroughly. Bag in portions. In the freezer it keeps for six months, although it loses some texture for raw dishes, but works well in cooked preparations.
Our weekend recommendation
If you are picking only one of the three recipes, go for the pie. It is a meal for the whole family, packs enough energy for the day, and the leftovers go straight into the fridge for tomorrow. The salad with eggs is the better light option on hot days, and the soup is therapy for the cold that always seems to sneak in on a May evening.
What do you usually make from young spinach? Share your recipe in the comments.
