Spinach with White Wine and Dried Cranberries

Whether you have fresh spinach sprouting in your garden or a frozen block in your freezer, this is a simple side dish recipe that’s easy to throw together as part of a more complicated (or just as easy) meal. The dried cranberries add a touch of sweetness and the wine lets just enough of the spinach flavour through.

Tips:
1. If you use fresh spinach, remove the tough stems first. That way, the leaves will become silky when you cook them. The photo above includes some stems because I don’t care, and it’s good fibre, but if you have picky eaters who are scared of spinach, a silkier texture might help.
2. Don’t use baby spinach that comes in a box. There’s zero flavour when you cook it. If that’s all you can find fresh, frozen is better.
3. Large leaf fresh spinach is often sold in bunches wrapped with twist ties, similar to rainbow chard or kale. You’ll need one or two depending on the size.
4. You can play around with the kind of white wine you use, but any type works.
5. Chop the cranberries finely so that you get a little sweetness with each bite. You don’t need to chop them one by one if you stack them on top of each other.
6. Double or triple this recipe for a crowd. You’ll be surprised how fast the greens disappear. They reduce a lot in volume when you cook them.

Spinach with White Wine and Dried Cranberries

1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
Optional pinch to 1/2 tsp salt (if the sodium in your broth is already over 200 mg/cup, skip adding the salt)
About 6 cups fresh spinach, stems removed and chopped into 1″ or 2″ squares (or one 10-oz box frozen spinach)
1/4 cup any white wine
2 tbsp organic dried cranberries, finely chopped

For fresh spinach:

Bring the broth and optional salt to a boil in a large pot. Add the greens all at once and return to a boil. Stir the fresh spinach into the water until they turn dark green and wilt (about 30 seconds for fresh). Once the broth has almost all evaporated, add the white wine and cranberries. Simmer gently for 3 minutes. Taste and add salt as necessary.

For frozen spinach:

Bring the broth and optional salt to a boil in a large pot. Add the greens all at once and return to a boil. Cover the spinach and steam for 3 minutes. Uncover and stir to break apart the frozen spinach. Once the broth has almost all evaporated, add the white wine and cranberries. Simmer 3 minutes. Taste and add salt as necessary.