Turkish cuisine · Salads & Mezze

Spinach with Garlic Yogurt

Blanched spinach with onions in olive oil, folded into garlic yogurt and served cold.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 800 g spinach
• 500 g yogurt (10%)
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pul biber (Turkish chili flakes)
• 1 flatbread

Instructions

1. Wash the spinach several times in standing water, remove the coarse stems and roughly chop the leaves; finely dice the onion, crush the garlic with a pinch of salt into a paste.
2. Bring plenty of salted water to a boil, blanch the spinach for 1–2 min. until it just wilts, immediately rinse in cold water and squeeze out firmly.
3. Warm 3 tbsp olive oil in a pan and sauté the diced onion over medium heat for 5–6 min. until soft and sweet-smelling.
4. Add the squeezed spinach, season with salt and cook for 3–4 min., turning, until no more liquid remains in the pan; then let cool completely.
5. Stir the yogurt with the garlic paste until smooth and gently fold in the cold spinach until the mixture is marbled light green.
6. Chill for at least 30 min., arrange in a shallow dish, drizzle with the remaining olive oil, sprinkle with pul biber and serve with flatbread.