This stew recipe with squid, spinach and herbs is great all year round. You could use fresh squid or calamari, or frozen one as it’s easier to find and already cleaned. It’s a quick recipe that takes only 30 minutes to cook and enough to serve a family of four. The squid stew is also full of protein and vitamins from the squid and all the greens, healthy and tasty, the perfect combination!
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Why you should try my recipe
- A hearty dish, full of flavor and aromas.
- Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Egg-free and Keto friendly.
- Stores well in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Ingredients & How-to
The main ingredients for the squid stew are squid, spinach, leek, onion, dill, parsley, green onions, tomato paste, lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper.
01. I start with preparing the squid. I cut it into slices with about 1cm / 0.5in thickness. You could use fresh squid or frozen one, whatever it’s easier to find.
02. I continue with preparing and chopping all the vegetables and herbs. I give the spinach a good wash and cut it into big chunks. You could also get a bag with prepared spinach to save some time. I peel the onion and cut it into cubes, cut the green onions and the leeks into slices and I finely cut the dill and parsley.
03. As with most stews, I first add the oil to a big pot and sauté the onion and the leeks for a few minutes. That helps to get all the sweetness of the onion and the leek out. Then I add the tomato paste and give it a stir to get all the tomato flavor out.
04. Now, I add the squid slices to the pot along with some water, salt and freshly ground pepper and leave it to cook for 15 minutes in medium heat. Squid doesn’t need much cooking as it will become quite rubbery and chewy if overcooked.
05. Now it’s time to add the spinach and the green onions. I add first the green onion slices, then on top the spinach as it has more volume. You might think that spinach is too much, but it will lose most of its volume when cooked. I just wait a couple of minutes then give it a stir and immediately you will see that it goes down. I put the lid back and cook for another 10 minutes in medium heat.
06. Finally, I add the finely chopped dill and parsley and the juice from one lemon to the pot. I leave the squid stew to cook for 5 more minutes and it’s done! If there is lots of water in the pot you could increase the temperature a little bit and leave the pot without the lid for the last 5 minutes. Personally, I like to have a bit of sauce in my stew as I like to dip some bread in those yummy juices.
Serving suggestions
You could serve the squid stew with spinach as a main with a slice of bread to suck all the juices or some rice on the side. For some extra flavor drizzle with some olive oil and lemon juice.
Storage
If you have any leftover squid stew with spinach, I recommend storing it in the fridge for up to 2 days. It’s also freezable for up to 1 month.
FAQ
I like to add a tablespoon of tomato paste to get the tomato flavor and color in my stew but you could also use one fresh tomato that you grate and add at the same point with the squid to the pot.
Yes, you could use fresh or frozen squid. Whatever it's easier to find. If frozen and whole, thaw and cut it into slices, if it's already cut into slices then there is not need to thaw, just add it to the pot and follow the recipe.
Recipe
Mediterranean Squid Stew With Spinach
Full of flavor and yumminess, this Mediterranean squid stew with spinach and herbs is great when you want a quick comfort food. Serve it warm with a slice of bread or some rice on the side to enjoy all the juices of the stew.
4 servings
15 minutes
Ingredients
- 300gr / 10oz (7-8 pieces) squid (fresh or frozen)
- 1 onion
- 2-3 leeks
- 500gr / 17oz spinach
- 3-4 green onions
- 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons of chopped parsley
- 3 tablespoons of chopped dill
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 lemon
- salt
- ground pepper
Instructions
- Start by preparing and cutting the squid and the vegetables. Cut the squid into slices with 1cm / 0.5in thickness.
- Chop the onion, cut the leeks and green onions into slices. Finely chop the dill and the parsley. Cut the spinach into big chunks or just give it a wash if it's baby spinach.
- Add the olive oil to a pot and heat up over medium to high heat. Add the chopped onion and the leeks and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and give it a stir to incorporate. Then add the squid slices to the pot and give it a stir.
- Add 1 ½ cups of water and season with salt and pepper. Low the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid and leave it to cook for 15 minutes.
- Add the green onions and spinach to the pot. Wait for a couple of minutes for the spinach volume to go down and then cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the chopped dill and parsley and the juice of the lemon. Stir a little and cook for 5 more minutes (if there is too much water in the pot, leave it uncovered).
Notes
- You could use baby spinach or the one with big leaves that you will have to cut into smaller chunks.
- Instead of tomato paste, you could use one fresh tomato that you grate and add it at the same time with the squid to the pot.
Storage
You can store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days. Freezable for up to 1 month.
Nutrition Info (per serving)
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
