Flourless Spinach Soufflé
An elegant edition to any meal, visually arresting but deceptively simple to prepare.
I love Stouffer Spinach Soufflé, which isn't really a soufflé at all; that's just marketing. But this recipe is a flourless version of the classic French Soufflé that gets its “rise” from whipped eggs whites and cream.
Creation of the soufflé is attributed to French Chef Vincent de la Chapelle around 1740. Further development and popularization of the soufflé is traced to French Chef Marie-Antoine Carême in early 19th Century and codified by the great Auguste Escoffier in the early 1900s.
The word soufflé is from the French verb souffler which means “to breathe” or “to puff,” and has been made from a wide variety of ingredients to the basic components of whipped eggs and cream, both savory and sweet.
Spinach was brought to Italy in the 9th Century and to Spain in the 11th. By the Middle Ages, this leafy green was widespread in Europe. It was just a matter of time before the French learned to make a soufflé out it.
A Soufflé Cup or Ramekin is Needed
I created this after being extremely frustrated in trying to find a spinach soufflé recipe online that did not contain flour. After some trial and error, this has become a standard in my kitchen. It is simple, and comes out perfect every time.
You will need 5 oz ramekins that you can pick up at any kitchen supply store or buy online. There's a line of demarcation in a 5 ounce ramekin to fill it with just 4-1/2 ounces. The remaining space in the ramekin is for the "lift" in the soufflé.
Flourless Spinach Soufflé
Ingredients
- 16-oz packaged pre-washed baby spinach
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 2 eggs, separated
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (like, Kraft)
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/6 oz fine sea salt
- 7-8 grinds freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a skillet and add the garlic and spinach.
- Cover and wilt the spinach, about 5 minutes.
- When the spinach has collapsed thoroughly, remove the lid and cook off all the water, about 10 minutes.
- When done, remove the spinach to a plate and pat dry with a paper towel. You want the spinach as dry as possible. Allow it to cool before going to the next step.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
- In a small mixing bowl using a cake mixer, whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.
- In another mixing bowl, add the cream and egg yolks, and blend well with a wire whisk or using the egg beater.
- Add the Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper to the cream and egg yolk mixture and blend well.
- Fold in the spinach and carefully mix so as to not masticate the greens.
- Fold in the the egg whites and then gently blend everything together.
- Pour the mixture into 4 ramekins, leaving enough room for the mixture to expand.
- Place the four ramekins in the oven for 35 minutes until the soufflé expands and rises slightly, and browns on top.
Notes
- You might find it easier to put the souffle cups on a sheet pan so you can put them in and take them out of the oven easily.
- Serve immediately, although if allowed to cool, properly covered and held in the refrigerator, the soufflé will heat up nicely in a microwave by zapping for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes (although it will lose some of its "lift").
