These Healthy Vegetarian Spinach Rolls are easy to make and perfect for meal prep. They’re savory, filling, and have just a touch of spice for a delicious meal you can eat on the go.
Sometimes, I like to create new recipes from scratch based on what I have in the fridge. I call this my test kitchen!
It’s a great way to find fun new recipes while using up ingredients or leftovers.
As you would expect, the results aren’t always great. But sometimes, I come up with a real winner, like these vegetarian spinach rolls!
Why you should make this recipe
These healthy spinach rolls are so yummy – they’ll quickly become one of your favorite vegetarian meals. After all, they are savory, filling, and just a little bit spicy.
And while these rolls may look fancy, they only take about 20 minutes to prep. They also keep very well, so go ahead and double the recipe!
Most spinach rolls are made with puff pastry and while those are good too, they’re not always the best for our bodies. But these spinach rolls have it all: the texture, the flavor. And most importantly the protein.
You can easily use them as your main source of protein in a meal. Just add a light salad and you have a well-balanced meal.
Ingredients
With 10 simple ingredients plus salt and pepper, you’ll be on your way to the best-tasting healthy spinach rolls in no time.
For the spinach layer:
- frozen chopped spinach: a standard package of 16 ounces is needed
- eggs: this will act as the binder
- low-fat mozzarella cheese: shredded mozzarella cheese adds flavor, and texture, and also aids in holding the spinach together
- garlic: one fresh garlic clove is enough for amazing flavor
- salt and pepper
For the filling:
- yellow onion: finely chopped
- carrot: grated
- parsley: curly or flat-leaf (Italian) parsley will work
- low-fat cottage cheese: small curds or large curds are both okay
- egg: just one egg will be sufficient to bind the filling ingredients
- curry powder
- chili flakes
- salt and pepper
Step-by-step instructions
This recipe has a few steps to come together, but each one is very straightforward. And believe me, the result is well worth it!
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking oil.
Step 2: First, thaw the spinach and squeeze out as much liquid as you can using a strainer. To speed up the thawing process, you can microwave the spinach for a few minutes.
Step 3: In a medium bowl, combine the thawed spinach, two eggs, shredded mozzarella, minced garlic, and salt and pepper.
Step 4: Then, transfer the spinach mixture to the prepared baking sheet and press it flat, using your hands to shape it to 10×12 inches in size and roughly ½ -inch thick.
Step 5: Bake for 15 minutes, then set aside to cool on a rack. Don’t turn off the oven.
Step 6: While the spinach layer is baking, prepare the filling. Finely dice onion, grate carrots, and finely chop parsley.
Step 7: Coat a medium skillet with a little cooking spray. Add onions and saute on medium heat for about a minute or until slightly softened. Then, add carrots and parsley and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 8: Add cottage cheese, curry powder, and chili flakes, and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine and remove from heat.
Step 9: Finally, add the egg to the onion-carrot mixture and mix thoroughly.
Step 10: Spread the filling evenly over the cooled spinach. Don’t spread it all the way to the corners, or it will spill out when you roll it up.
Step 11: Carefully pick up the long side of the spinach layer rolling it inward tightly to create a log. Center it on the baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes.
Step 12: Once the time is up, take out the roll and let it cool for 5-10 min before cutting it into 1-inch thick slices and serving.
Expert tips
Whenever I see a recipe for any kind of roll, I always assume that it will be complicated and time-consuming to make. Thankfully, this is not one of them.
Follow these simple suggestions to make these healthy vegetarian spinach rolls:
- For the best flavor in the spinach layer: remove as much excess liquid as possible. You want the spinach to cook not steam.
- For the spinach mixture to combine well, it may help to whisk the eggs first in a small bowl. You may do the same for the onion-carrot mixture.
- To get a tight roll, finely grate the carrot and use small curd cottage cheese. Generally, the finer the filling ingredients, the easier it will be to roll.
Variations
These cheese spinach rolls are already packed with so much flavor. But if you want to change things up, check out these fun suggestions:
- Sub ranch dressing mix for curry powder.
- Add a few bacon bits (if you don’t care about them being vegetarian) and green onions for a healthy game-day snack.
- You can also toss in some chopped sundried tomatoes for extra flavor and texture.
- For more of an indulgent treat, use cream cheese instead of cottage cheese for a creamier filling.
Serving suggestion
Serve these spinach rolls as the main entree with a side salad – they are packed with so much protein.
Because of the flavors and ingredients, they could also be a leisurely breakfast on the go. However, don’t limit these rolls to just that; they also make an excellent satiating and tasty snack between meals.
Lastly, these spinach rolls can also go for a very balanced appetizer.
Storage
After the taste, how easy they are to make, and the high protein content, the next best thing about these rolls is how well they keep!
I love meal prepping with spinach rolls. Since they take a bit of prep work, it’s nice to know that I’m going to have lunch or dinner taken care of for a few days.
I recommend storing your rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator. However, these rolls are best if eaten within 3-4 days.
Nutrition
These rolls are perfect for vegetarians (who don’t mind eggs or cheese), people with gluten intolerance, or anyone following a low-carb diet.
A serving of vegetarian spinach rolls contains just 310 calories, 14.5 grams of net carbs, and a whopping 27.3 grams of protein!
You can omit the carrots if you want to reduce the carb count even more. And to keep calories low, make sure you use low-fat mozzarella and fat-free cottage cheese.
More healthy vegetarian recipes
We love creating delicious, healthy vegetarian recipes. If you enjoyed this recipe, here are a few more I know you’ll like:
You can also check out this roundup of my favorite low-carb vegan recipes for even more inspiration!
When you’ve tried this recipe, please don’t forget to let me know how you liked them and rate the recipe in the comments below!
Spinach Rolls
Ingredients
Spinach Layer
- 16 ounces frozen spinach
- 2 eggs
- 1 ounce low-fat mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Filling
- 1 ¼ cup yellow onion finely diced, approximately 1 small onion
- 1 cup carrot shredded, approximately 2 small carrots
- ¾ cup curly or flat-leaf parsley chopped
- 4 ounces low-fat cottage cheese
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 egg
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F (200° C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking oil.
- Thaw the spinach and squeeze out as much liquid as you can using a strainer. To speed up the thawing process, you can microwave the spinach for a few minutes.16 ounces frozen spinach
- In a medium bowl, combine the thawed spinach, two eggs, shredded mozzarella, minced garlic, and salt and pepper.2 eggs, 1 ounce low-fat mozzarella cheese, 1 clove garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
- Transfer the spinach mixture to the prepared baking sheet and press it flat, using your hands to shape it to 10×12 inches in size and roughly ½ -inch thick.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then set aside to cool on a rack. Don’t turn off the oven.
- While the spinach layer is baking, coat a medium skillet with a little cooking spray. Add onions and saute on medium heat for about a minute or until slightly softened. Add carrots and parsley and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.1 ¼ cup yellow onion, 1 cup carrot, ¾ cup curly or flat-leaf parsley, cooking spray
- Add cottage cheese, curry powder, chili flakes, and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine and remove from heat.4 ounces low-fat cottage cheese, 1 teaspoon curry powder, ¼ teaspoon chili flakes, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
- Add egg to the onion-carrot mixture and mix thoroughly.1 egg
- Spread the filling evenly over the cooled spinach. Don’t spread it all the way to the corners, or it will spill out when you roll it up.
- Carefully pick up the long side of the spinach layer rolling it inward tightly to create a log. Center on the baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.
- When cooking time is up, take out the spinach roll and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting it into 1-inch thick slices and serving.
Wow – these are really yummy. I pretty much followed the recipe as is, but my spinach got extra dry as I put the two frozen boxes of spinach in a colander lined with cheesecloth and then craziness ensued in the household. Next thing I know, it is late night and I am squeezing out the water and leaving the ball of spinach wrapped in cheesecloth in the colander and a bowl and put in the fridge. Was two days until life returned to normal and I could make this. Assembly was super easy. I did cut back a bit on the chili flakes and it still was a bit too spicy for me. But the curry flavor was so good. I am not thinking off all kinds of variations – butternut squash, sweet potato, apple, and then all the non-vegetarian options. Definitely doing this one again with all different kinds of flavors.
Yummy, i must try this recipe thanks for sharing.
Is it possible to use fresh spinach instead of frozen?
If you use fresh spinach you need to cook it and then squeeze out as much liquid as possible. It will become to wet and hard to roll up if you add the spinach leaves fresh
Have you made and froze these?
No, I haven’t. I think they’d fall apart if frozen
If i wanted to make 4 servings would i just double the ingredients?
I’d suggest just making two rolls (2 servings in each). I think it will be too difficult to handle and roll up if you double the ingredients
Is it possible to use fresh spinach instead of frozen?
Yes, you just have to steam it so that you can squeeze as much liquid out as possible before assembling