Baby spinach is easier to cook with than it looks. Here's how to choose, use, and store it, what to substitute, and 73 recipes to get you started.

What is baby spinach?

Baby spinach is just regular spinach picked young, before the leaves toughen up.

The leaves are small and tender, sweet rather than mineral, with stems thin enough that you never have to trim them. Most of what you buy comes triple-washed in a bag or clamshell, ready to eat straight from the package. That convenience is the whole point.

Where mature spinach can be gritty and needs stemming, baby spinach goes from bag to bowl with no prep at all. The flavor is sweeter and grassier, without the bite older leaves develop. For everything else about the green, see spinach.

Putting It to Work

Raw is where baby spinach earns its keep. It holds up better than soft lettuces, so it works as a sturdy salad base that won't collapse under a warm dressing.

The Baby Spinach & Strawberry Salad with Maple Dressing leans on exactly that, and the Baby Spinach Salad with Asian Ginger Dressing does the same with a sharper edge.

When you cook it, speed is everything. A few handfuls wilt down to almost nothing in under a minute, so add it at the very end.

Stir it into a finished curry like the Butternut, Chickpea & Lentil Curry. Or fold it into eggs the way the Breakfast Spinach & Tomato Cheese Omelet does, off heat or nearly so.

One thing to plan for: spinach loses about 90 percent of its volume when it wilts. A box that looks like far too much shrinks to a couple of servings, so buy more than seems reasonable.

Pairing and Pitfalls

Baby spinach has a faint earthiness that wants acid and fat alongside it. A squeeze of lemon or a sharp vinaigrette pulls it forward, and so does a hit of garlic.

It sits naturally beside eggs and soft cheeses like ricotta, which is why it shows up in tarts, frittatas, and quick weeknight pasta.

The classic mistake is overcooking. Spinach goes from bright to gray and slimy in seconds, and it weeps a lot of water once heated. Wilt it fast, then either serve it right away or squeeze the liquid out before it dilutes your dish.

The second mistake is salting raw spinach too early. Salt draws water out of the leaves and wilts your salad before it reaches the table, so dress baby spinach at the last possible moment.

Swaps That Work

Mature spinach is the obvious stand-in. Use the same weight, but stem it first and give it a slightly longer cook. For raw use, chop it smaller, since the leaves are bigger and chewier.

Arugula brings a peppery kick instead of the mild sweetness, good in salads but a different flavor entirely. Baby kale is closer in spirit and holds up to heat better, though it needs a minute or two longer to soften.

For cooking, Swiss chard or tatsoi both wilt down nicely and carry a similar mineral note. None of these come pre-washed the way bagged baby spinach does, so plan on rinsing.

Choosing and Keeping It

Look for leaves that are deep green and perky, with no moisture pooling in the bag.

Pass on any package with yellow leaves or dark, wet spots, since spinach turns fast once it starts to go.

Keep it cold and dry. Stored in its original bag, or a container lined with a dry paper towel, it holds 5 to 7 days in the fridge.

Moisture is the enemy, so don't wash it until you're ready to use it, even if the bag says pre-washed and you want a second rinse.

If it starts to wilt but hasn't turned slimy, it's still fine for cooking. You can also freeze it: pack clean leaves into a bag and press the air out, then use within a couple of months in cooked dishes, never in salad.

Quick facts

Where to find baby spinach: Baby spinach is usually found in the produce section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

In Chinese

菠菜

British (UK) term

Baby spinach

en français

épinards

en español

bebé espinacas

Recipes using baby spinach

There are 73 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 73 recipes

More baby spinach recipes

• Asparagus, Red Bell Pepper & Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese
• Coconut & Pineapple Smoothie
• Creamy Italian Spinach Soup with Pasta
• Crustless Feta Spinach Quiche
• Figs, Walnuts, & Spinach Salad
• Grilled Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich
• Grilled Portobello Sandwich with Goat Cheese & Green Sauce
• Pumpkin & Spinach Salad
• Sausage & bean pasta salad
• Spinach & Feta Pilo Pie with Salads
• Spinach & Fresh Fruit Salad
• Spinach, Blue Cheese, Pecan, & Cranberry Wraps
• Spring Green Salad with Rouille Dressing
• Tomato & Spinach Couscous Salad
• Warm Beet & Baby Spinach Salad