Sweet Spinach Tart

A sweet spinach dessert sounds impossible until you realize it has roots in medieval European and Middle Eastern confections where greens were regularly sweetened with rosewater, sugar, and spices. This tart takes that tradition and wraps it in a modern pie shell topped with fresh strawberries.

The spinach gets steamed in white wine until wilted, drained, minced fine, then simmered in a syrup of rosewater, sugar, cinnamon, and salt until all the liquid evaporates. What’s left is a dark green, fragrant filling that tastes nothing like salad. It’s sweet, floral, and warmly spiced, with the spinach providing an earthy base that grounds the rosewater.

Half a cup of rosewater is generous and intentional. It perfumes the spinach thoroughly, and the floral quality is the whole point of the dish. Combined with cinnamon and a touch of wine, it creates a filling that’s sophisticated and unusual.

Sliced strawberries arranged on top after chilling add color and a fresh, tart contrast to the sweet, dense spinach filling. A light dusting of confectioners’ sugar ties it all together.

Chef Tips

• Mince the steamed spinach very fine. Visible leaf pieces in a dessert tart look unappealing. You want a smooth, jam-like filling.
• Simmer the spinach filling until truly dry. Any remaining liquid will make the pie shell soggy.
• Chill for a full 2 hours before serving. The filling needs to set completely.
• Bake the pie shell fully before filling. An underbaked crust goes soft under the moist filling.

Variations

• Top with whipped cream instead of strawberries for a more traditional presentation.
• Add a tablespoon of honey alongside the sugar for a more complex sweetness.
• Use phyllo dough instead of a pie shell for a flakier, lighter base.