After caramelizing onions to a sweet, golden brown and wilting the spinach with minced garlic, the vegetables are mixed into a savory quick bread batter.
Spring has most decidedly not sprung. It is almost June and yet Persephone, the goddess of spring, seems to playing a mischievous game of “drive the mortals mad”. Each morning I pull on capri pants, slip my feet into a pair of sandals, and step outside, ready to be greeted by the warmth of the day. Then reality slaps my windburn face and I skitter back inside to pull on my jeans and fleece top. In case you think that I am being overly dramatic, I swear on a wheel of Brie (it does not get any more sacred than that) that it is currently snowing.
Despite the seasonally-challenged weather, flowers continue to bloom, hummingbirds continue to grace our feeder, and seeds continue to germinate. Spring is the time for asparagus, rhubarb, and leafy greens. We are happy to indulge in some of our seasonal favorites, such as Asparagus Frittata with Smoked Paprika, Thyme & Feta Cheese and Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars with Gingersnap Crust. With the harvest date of lettuce and spinach drawing near, it seemed fitting to feature one here. After caramelizing onions to a sweet, golden brown and wilting the spinach with minced garlic, the vegetables are mixed into a savory quick bread batter. The only fat in this easy bread is extra-virgin olive oil, which lends a slightly fruity taste, along with an abundance of moisture.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Cut one large yellow onion in half through the root, peel, and thinly slice into half-circles. Add the onion to the pan. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Cook for 10 minutes, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the onions are golden brown, about 10 additional minutes.
Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to the onions, then stir in 2 cloves minced garlic and 2 cups (packed) fresh spinach leaves. Stir until the spinach is wilted and bright green, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
In a large bowl, combine 2 eggs, lightly beaten, 3/4 cup 2% milk, and 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Whisk well until combined.
Pour the flour mixture into the eggs mixture and stir until just combined. Do not overmix or the bread will become tough. Add the spinach mixture and 1 ounce crumbled myzithra (or feta) cheese, and stir until just combined.
Butter a loaf pan. Spoon 1 tablespoon flour into the pan and tap the flour around the pan. Shake out the excess. Scoop the batter into the pan and smooth the top.
Bake until the top is light golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out dry, 35 to 40 minutes.
Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan, and cool on a wire rack. Slice and serve.
Caramelized Onion & Spinach Olive Oil Quick Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 teaspoons olive oil divided
- 1 large yellow onion cut in half through the root, and thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups packed fresh spinach leaves
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 3/4 cup 2% milk
- 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ounces crumbled myzithra or feta cheese
- Butter and flour for pan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the onion to the pan. Season with ½ teaspoon salt. Cook for 10 minutes, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the onions are golden brown, about 10 additional minutes.
- Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to the onions, then stir in garlic and spinach leaves. Stir until the spinach is wilted and bright green, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, combine eggs, lightly beaten, milk, and extra-virgin olive oil. Whisk well until combined.
- Pour the flour mixture into the eggs mixture and stir until just combined. Do not overmix or the bread will become tough. Add the spinach mixture and myzithra cheese, and stir until just combined.
- Butter a loaf pan. Spoon 1 tablespoon flour into the pan and tap the flour around the pan. Shake out the excess. Scoop the batter into the pan and smooth the top.
- Bake until the top is light golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out dry, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan, and cool on a wire rack. Slice and serve.
Nutrition
Lys
I just made this and I have to say it is delicious! GREAT taste! I had to stop myself from eating the entire loaf. I managed to abide to reason by the 4th slice XD
I would like to ask how you would make the loaf less crumbly and drier: I mean, while it doesn’t completely fall apart, it is so moist and disintegrates a little bit (and I wanted to use this bread for sandwiches… I don’t think that would work). Would you add more flour? Or just reduce the amount of olive oil? (any idea about how much you would add / reduce, if so?)
Thanks a lot in advance!
Sheryl
edit: it is several hours since I last tasted the bread when it came out of the oven. wow! it tastes soooo goood!! It does not need an extra onion, as I previously thought. The bread even tastes delicious room temperature plain. The world needs to taste the deliciousness that is this bread! I change my review to 5 stars!
Sheryl
Thank you for this recipe. I followed the recipe as described, adding about 3-5 teaspoons of feta cheese and wasn’t disappointed! The bread had the consistency and flavor of a moist biscuit! From hence forward I will call it “Biscuit Bread.” The next time I make it, I will try adding an extra onion, since the bites of bread that had the onion in it were divine. The feta flavor didn’t come through much, even though I added extra. Will make again, thanks!
Tina
Does this freeze well?
Deepti
I’ve made it once before and loved the flavour. Was wondering if it will be ok to leave the eggs out. Any alternative that can be suggested
felicia
I made this for a potluck yesterday, to rave reviews! What a great recipe, lots of flavor and a good texture too. Thanks for sharing!
Alany
Hi,
Thanks for the recipe, I love it!
I would like to know how it should be stored and for how long? Thank you!
felicia
I’m thinking of making this for a party but would have to do it the day before. I figure this would keep ok to the next day if I covered it in foil – do you think that’d be ok?
Dara
Hi Felicia, that should be absolutely fine. I hope you enjoy it!
jane watterson
I made the bread yesterday, i had some visitors coming and i served the bread to them and they really loved it. i served it like an italian bread, with sundried tomatoes and olives. Its a very very nice bread.
Dara
I’m glad to hear that, Jane! What a wonderful way to serve the bread.
Debbie
Good Evening, I am very intrigued by your recipe for the caramelized onion/spinach bread! I have in the oven now and I would like to serve for dinner tomorrow night! Should I not cook fully thru and finish tomorrow or cook thru and reheat and if so how long?
I appreciate all the hard work that goes into cooking!
Sincerely, Debbie
Angela
I made this for my VERY picky family. My sister hates onions with a passion so I made one batch as you had it and on the second I omitted the onions and added oven dried tomatoes. It was wonderful, almost everyone loved it- being as this is a hard to please group of about 10 people, and I had only one complainer, this was a success for me! Thank you so much for your recipe!
Sharon Maxwell-Yamamoto
Thanks so much for the gorgeous recipe! I just made it and it’s cooling, so haven’t tasted it yet, but had to thank you. I didn’t have spinach and so I used sliced black olives to go along with the herb feta cheese I had on hand. I always have sweet onions because we’re big fans of that, so this was going to be a winner, no matter what. I had JUST enough flour and olive oil to make it. Whew!
OMG I JUST WENT AND TASTED IT AND WOW!!! LOL, My husband is going to love this. Thanks a million!
sarah
hi .. i was thinking of making a spinach and onion bread and came across your website while researching about it… however, i am allergic to eggs and cheese.. i am sure this recipe is alright minus the cheese, but what about the eggs? any ideas?
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Hi Sarah, it would be fine without the cheese, but I don’t know about omitting the eggs. You might want to look up substitutions for eggs on Google.
Megan
I was sooooo looking forward to this. Made everything exactly as the recipe says, but after 1 hr and 15 min of baking, it was still not done throughout, and burning on the top. : (
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Megan, I’m sorry to hear that this didn’t work out for you! I know how disappointing that can be when you are looking forward to trying a new recipe and it doesn’t turn out. Quite honestly, I’m not sure what wrong. I’ve made this several times and, as you might have read in the comments, several other people have made it as well, with great success. My only suggestions would be 1) double-check the measurements that you used and 2) be sure that your oven is callibrated correctly (easily done with the use of an oven thermometer).
Rachel
I just baked this. I didn’t have any spinach on hand so I substituted it with brown mushrooms instead. I sliced and sauteed them in a little butter and followed the rest of the recipe as it is. The end result was really yummy. I can’t wait to try the original version. Thank you for posting this amazing recipe!
Amanda
OMG Dara this looks amazing, I really want to try this! Will be pinning it for later 🙂 🙂
Kristy K
I just made this and it is so good and different! I doubled the feta because… well, it’s feta. 🙂 Thanks so much for the idea and instruction!
darlene
Drooling…
Megan
Just made this with basil rather than spinach, (don’t care for spinach), and no feta, as I don’t care for it either, and it was SO GOOD. It took a little longer for me to bake it, but it was soooo very yummy!