Spinach

Dan dan noodles are a popular Sichuan street snack, named after the bamboo shoulder pole used to carry it.

These gozleme are stuffed with a mixture of three different cheeses to mimic the feta-like Turkish white cheese that’s often used for these flatbreads.

The fillings for plachinda often include a salted fresh cheese, as well as spring onions and dill.

A Korean classic of bouncy noodles, julienned vegetables, and a sweet-and-salty sauce—and this version only takes about 20 minutes.

Sometimes all you need is just a couple of fresh ingredients thrown into a pan of simply seasoned dal to create a warming and comforting dish. The spinach along with a little yogurt makes this soothing yet deeply delicious.

The subtle aromatic flavor of azafrán (also known as safflower tea) is wonderful in this nutritious soup with fresh sweet vegetables.

No chopping required for this weeknight dinner. Just blend spinach, kale, basil, and garlic with feta, cream cheese, and olive oil to make a fresh, rich sauce that wraps itself around pasta.

Rice cakes are available sliced, marble-shaped, and in batons. There are dried versions, but the refrigerated version is widely available and easier to work with. You can use any combination of vegetables and seasonings here, so feel free to experiment with flavors.

Want showstopping presentation? Make homemade dumpling wrappers to stuff with a filling of spinach, hearty tofu, vermicelli, and fruity Sichuan peppercorns.

These pillowy biscuits are stuffed with spinach and cheese, but they work equally well with any other vegetable you care to throw at them. Swap the spinach for up to a cup of roasted squash, charred poblanos, or other cooked vegetable, and sub the Gruyère with any other cheese you like (if you choose a more intense cheese like feta or blue cheese, use ¾ cup instead of the full cup). 

Precooked, compact, and way more flavorful than store-bought frozen spinach, these portioned greens are ready to be thrown into soups and stews straight from the freezer or thawed in the fridge and tossed into omelets and pastas. Even simple side dishes of garlicky greens become infinitely faster when virtually all the prep work is done ahead of time.

This turkey-based Sloppy Joe-inspired sauce uses carrots and deeply caramelized onions to add a bit of sweetness. Adding eggs and garlicky spinach turns it into a meal.

This zesty dish sits between a stew and a soup and is flavored with garlic, cumin, chile flakes, and tons of fresh herbs. Serve it with rice or crusty bread for a hearty, comforting dinner.

Based on a Middle Eastern mujaddara, a homey mix of spiced simmered lentils and rice, this easy, meatless dish is rich with allspice, cinnamon, and sweet browned leeks. The handful of baby spinach stirred in toward the end turns it into a one-pot meal, and adds a bit of welcome color, too. If you don’t have leeks, use an onion or two instead.

This Northern Iranian dish traditionally features wild greens. This version is made with braised spinach, herbs, and eggs—and gets a vibrant boost of flavor from lime juice.

These turkey burgers are my nod to the Mediterranean, packed with fresh herbs, lemon, and red onion.