Sometimes I like to create new recipes from scratch based on what I have in the fridge, or I try to recreate dishes I remember from my childhood. I call this my test kitchen 😀 . As you would expect, the results aren’t always great, but sometimes I come up with a real winner, like these vegetarian spinach rolls. They are savory, filling, and just a little bit spicy!
Easy rolls!
Whenever I see a recipe called “something-roll”, I always assume that it will be complicated and time-consuming to make. I mean, how often do you make any type of roll on a Thursday evening after getting home from work?
Well, these spinach rolls are the exception! They look fancy, but you can make enough to feed your family for several days in less than an hour. And of that hour, almost 40 minutes is time spent in the oven, so you can do something else.
I can spend an hour making spinach rolls on a Sunday if it means that my Monday and Tuesday dinners are taken care off as well.
How to make vegetarian spinach rolls
It’s a really easy process and you don’t need a lot of equipment. You can see the main steps here, or jump to the end of the post to read the detailed recipe.
Step 1
Mix spinach, eggs, mozzarella, garlic, salt, and pepper and spread the mixture evenly on a sheet of parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes at 400° F (200° C).
Step 2
Fry the rest of the veggies in a pan.
Step 3
After about 3 minutes, mix in the cottage cheese and spices.
Take the pan off the heat and quickly mix in an egg (do it quickly so it doesn’t turn into a lump of scrambled egg). Spread the filling over the baked spinach mixture and roll it up.
Step 4
Bake the spinach roll in the oven at 400° F (200° C) for 25 minutes. The filling is REALLY hot when it comes out of the oven, so let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Healthy spinach rolls
The best thing about this recipe (besides how great it tastes and how easy it is to make – so really the third best thing, I guess) is how high it is in protein. You can easily use the spinach rolls as the main source of protein in your meal. I would suggest just adding a salad and perhaps a light sour cream dressing.
These spinach rolls are perfect for vegetarians (who don’t mind eggs or cheese), people with gluten intolerance or anyone following a low carb diet.
They’re also great if you are simply looking for a tasty and healthy meal!
More healthy vegetarian recipes
We have a lot of great healthy vegetarian recipes on Diabetes Strong. Here are some of them:
When you’ve tried these healthy vegetarian spinach rolls, please don’t forget to let me know how you liked them and rate the recipe in the comments below!
You can also sign up for my diabetes newsletter (and get a sign-up bonus) in the form below the recipe description. I send out a weekly newsletter with the latest posts and recipes from Diabetes Strong.
Spinach Rolls
Ingredients
- 16 oz. frozen spinach leaves
- 3 eggs
- 2½ oz. onion
- 2 oz. carrot
- 1 oz. low-fat mozzarella cheese
- 4 oz. fat-free cottage cheese
- ¾ cup parsley
- 1 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp. curry powder
- ¼ tsp. chili flakes
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F (200° C).
- Thaw the spinach and squeeze out the water (you can use a strainer). To speed up the thawing process, you can microwave the spinach for a few minutes.
- Mix spinach, 2 eggs, mozzarella, garlic, half the salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl.
- Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Move the spinach mixture to the sheet and press it flat, about 10x12 inches in size and roughly ½ an inch thick.
- Bake for 15 minutes. When done, set aside to cool on a rack. It will get the texture/look of a really thick seaweed mat (if you ever have sushi, you know what I’m talking about). Don’t turn off the oven! You’ll need it again in a bit.
- Finely chop onion and parsley. Grate the carrots.
- Fry the onions for about a minute in a skillet with a little cooking spray. Add carrots and parsley to the pan and let it simmer for about 2 min. Add cottage cheese, curry, chili, the other half of the salt, and pepper and mix briefly.
- Take the skillet off the heat and add an egg. Mix it all together and spread the filling over the now cool spinach mat. Don’t spread it all the way to the corners, or it will spill out when you roll it up.
- Carefully roll up the spinach mat and filling. Bake for 25 minutes.
- Take out the roll and let it cool for 5-10 min before cutting it into slices and serving.
Nutrition Info Per Serving
I used fresh Spinach, only 9 ounces which was plenty. I also used a 1/4 cup dried Parsley, it turned out excellent.
The only suggestion i have is to half the pepper.
Will definitely make again.
I made this roll, but without the curry. It was very delicious! Time-consuming, but well worth it!
It does take time to make, but I’m glad you enjoyed it
what is there for people who doesn’t take cheese? am see mozzarella cheese
Two of the main ingredients in this dish is cheese, so this might not be the best recipe for you. Check out our other recipes, I’m sure you can find something you’d like https://diabetesstrong.com/recipes/
Made this tonight, sooooo good. Thank you!!!
This looks great! But can I use something other than eggs to bind it? We are complete vegetarians and eggs aren’t an option. Thanks!!
You’d need to find substitutes for both the egg and cheese. Those are the major components of this recipe so it might not be the best for you
Hi Karina,
Perhaps try binding both the spinach layer, & filling layer with one of these seasoned items of your choice: puréed cannellini or other beans, or lentils (but dry the cooked items up in a pan to get extra moisture out), or cooked quinoa mixed with mashed cauliflower, or puréed butternut squash, sweet potatoes, or other “mushy type” veggies in between layers. Perhaps add a layer of flavored chopped nuts, or crispy onions/jalapeño/charred roasted bell peppers on one layer for added texture. Experimentation using what you’re able to eat is the key. Hope it helps!
Very pretty and tasty.
Spinach roll -you eat them hot or cold?
Either way. They are good fresh but also really good the day after
The spinach mat tends to stick to the butter paper and is difficult to remove once baked…how to make it come off easily
I’ve never had it stick to the paper. Do you roll it out on parchment paper? Maybe if you let it cool on the paper the moisture will make it easier to get off
I have several vegetarians and diabetics coming to a dinner party, so I wanted to make these the night before the dinner. Should I make them, store in fridge, and not bake until right before the party? OR cook them, slice and reheat in oven or microwave right before party? Thank you for your help!
I think they’ll fall apart if you make them the night before and don’t bake them. So baking them in advance and reheat might be the best option. Only downside is that you risk them becoming a little dry.
I reheat them in tinfoil and they stay moist.
How many slices will this make? Or alternatively, how many slices are a serving?
Thank you!
If you use all the ingredients listed in the recipe you’ll have 2 servings. I cut the roll up into 8 slices, so one serving would have 4 slices
It’s amazing & super hit …
Turn out perfect only i have added mushrooms in the filling.
Thank you
I want to try this! Just starting to get into a low carb diet. I don’t eat cottage cheese though. Any alternative I can use??
You could try mozzarella but it will change the macronutrients some and it’s not a variation I have tried
Thank you!
I switched cottage cheese with cheddar, and it was divine!
These are amazing! They are just a little dry though. Can you think of a sauce that would compliment the rolls?
They shouldn’t be dry. Maybe reduce the cooking time slightly or don’t spread the filling as thinly next time
I find a plum sauce goes real well. I also add a few Indian spices to it which gives it a flavour hit and goes with plum sauce too. Obviously that would up the sugar content however.