Turkish Spinach Stew: 'The Iron Bowl'

If you’ve been looking for a way to make a whole kilogram of spinach disappear in one sitting, this is it. This traditional Turkish stew is the perfect "girl dinner". It’s low-effort, budget-friendly, and a total lifesaver for anyone struggling with low iron. The secret is the tomato paste, which helps your body absorb all that plant-based goodness!

If we're really gonna nerd out here: the vitamin C in the tomato paste also helps the body absorb the 'non-heme' iron which is iron that our body can't properly absorb on their own. So by adding tomato paste you're basically 'unlocking' that iron and converting it into a form that's much easier for your gut to soak up. 

On a sad note: calcium can block iron absorption, so if you want to maximise the absorption, eat it without the yogurt or eat the yogurt 30 min-ish later!

Ingredients

✿ 500 grams - 1kg fresh spinach

✿ 1 medium onion, finely chopped

✿ 1–2 tbsp rice (about half a small Turkish tea glass)

✿ 2 tbsp olive oil

✿ 1-2 tbsp tomato paste

✿ 1 cup (200 ml) boiling water

✿ Salt, to taste

✿ Black pepper, to taste

✿ Red pepper flakes (Turkish chili flakes), to taste

Instructions

1. Thoroughly wash the spinach to remove any dirt or sand. Drain well & roughly chop.

2. In a medium pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until soft and golden

3. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for about 1 minute, mixing well so it blends with the onions and oil

4. Add the spinach to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach completely wilts and reduces in volume

5. Add the washed rice, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine everything evenly

6. Pour in 1 cup (200 ml) of boiling water. Cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to low

7. Let the soup simmer gently until the rice is tender, about 15–20 minutes. Stir occasionally and add a little more hot water if it becomes too thick

8. Serve with a massive dollop of yogurt! (But avoid the yogurt if you want to maximise iron absorption.) Enjoy!!