What are spinach tortillas made of?

Spinach tortillas are a healthy and versatile alternative to traditional flour or corn tortillas. As the name suggests, spinach is a primary ingredient in spinach tortillas, giving them their distinctive green color and packed with nutrients like iron, vitamin A, and calcium. But what else goes into making these nutritious tortillas? Here we’ll take a look at the main ingredients and how they come together to create the spinach tortilla.

Table of Contents

The Main Ingredients

While recipes can vary, most spinach tortillas contain some combination of the following core ingredients:

Spinach – Either fresh or frozen spinach is used to provide color, nutrients, and flavor. Spinach is typically cooked down first to reduce moisture before being added to the dough.

Flour – Most recipes use a blend of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. The all-purpose flour provides structure and flexibility, while the whole wheat adds fiber, protein, and nutrients.
Fat – Small amounts of fat, like canola or olive oil, help keep the tortillas supple and aid in browning when cooked.
Baking powder – A small amount of baking powder helps the tortillas puff up slightly and stay soft.

Salt – A pinch of salt enhances overall flavor.
Water – Water hydrates the dough and enables the ingredients to come together into a pliable mass.

Some recipes may also include optional ingredients like garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and chili powder to add extra flavor. But the core ingredients listed above provide the bulk of what goes into basic spinach tortillas.

The Spinach

Let’s take a closer look at the star ingredient – the spinach. Spinach contains:

Vitamin A – This vitamin is essential for healthy eyesight and also acts as an antioxidant. Just 1/2 cup of cooked spinach provides over 50% of the recommended daily amount.
Vitamin K – Important for blood clotting and bone health. 1/2 cup cooked spinach provides almost 200% of the recommended daily vitamin K.

Folate – Crucial for new cell production and DNA synthesis. 1/2 cup of cooked spinach provides about 25% of the daily folate requirement.
Iron – Vital for oxygen transport in the blood. Spinach is an excellent source, with a 1/2 cup cooked providing 3.2mg or 20% of the daily iron requirement for men and women under 50.
Magnesium – Helps regulate muscle and nerve function. Spinach provides 40mg per 1/2 cooked cup, or 10% of the daily requirement.

Vitamin C – An antioxidant that supports immune function. 1/2 cup cooked spinach has about 9% of the daily Vitamin C requirement.
Calcium – Needed for bone health, muscle contractions, and enzyme reactions. 1/2 cup cooked spinach provides 120mg or 10% of the daily requirement.

This nutrient density makes spinach an excellent addition to tortillas, ramping up their overall nutritional quality. The vitamins and minerals also provide health benefits ranging from better immune function and eyesight to bone strength and red blood cell formation.

Preparing the Spinach

To unlock all that goodness and incorporate the spinach into tortillas, there are a couple steps in the preparation process:

Chopping – The spinach is washed thoroughly and then chopped into smaller pieces to make it easier to cook down.
Cooking – The chopped spinach is then cooked on the stove, typically with a small amount of olive oil or water. Cooking helps wilt down and soften the spinach leaves.

Draining and squeezing – Once cooked, the spinach is drained of excess liquid and thoroughly squeezed to remove as much moisture as possible. This helps prevent the tortillas from becoming soggy.
Cooling – Finally, the cooked and squeezed spinach is cooled before mixing into the dough. Adding cooled spinach helps prevent premature dough rising and makes it easier to fully incorporate.

This quick pre-cooking gives the spinach a texture and moisture level ideal for combining into the tortilla dough.

Assembling the Dough

To assemble the actual dough, the process typically goes like this:

Mixing dry ingredients – In a medium bowl, the dry ingredients like flour, baking powder, and salt are whisked together by hand.
Adding wet ingredients – The spinach, oil, and water are then mixed in until a shaggy dough forms.

Kneading – The dough is turned out and kneaded briefly to fully incorporate everything. Kneading helps develop the gluten structure.
Resting – The dough is covered and allowed to rest for at least 30 minutes. This allows the flour to fully hydrate and the ingredients to marry.

The resulting pliable, smooth dough is now ready to be rolled out into tortillas!

Shaping the Tortillas

To shape the tortilla dough:

Divide – The dough is divided into equal sized rounds, depending on desired tortilla size.
Flattening – Each dough ball is flattened between the palms into a disc shape.

Rolling – A rolling pin is used to roll out the disc into a thin, flat tortilla shape.
Cooking – Finally, the raw tortillas are cooked either over a hot skillet or griddle until lightly speckled and browned on each side.

And that’s the basic process for transforming the nutritious ingredients into round, flattened spinach tortillas! The cooked tortillas will be pliable and soft with a lovely speckled appearance from the bits of spinach.

Ingredient Variations

While the ingredients above provide the foundation for most standard spinach tortillas, there are some variations on ingredients to alter the nutrition, flavor, and texture:

Flours – Instead of all-purpose, you can use all whole wheat flour for added nutrition. Or try substituting in alternate grains like spelt or amaranth flour.
Fats – Olive, avocado, coconut, and grapeseed oil provide different flavor profiles. Butter can also be substituted in for a richer tortilla.

Extras – Ingredients like garlic, onions, spices, seeds, cheese, and herbs can be mixed into the dough or sprinkled on top for extra flavor and texture.
Binders – Some recipes use egg or yogurt to help bind the dough and add moisture. Others rely on the starch in the spinach for binding instead.

So feel free to experiment with alternate ingredients to put your own spin on homemade spinach tortillas!

Serving Suggestions

Here are some delicious ways to serve your freshly made spinach tortillas:

Breakfast tacos or burritos filled with eggs, cheese, potatoes, beans, etc.
Lunch or dinner fajitas with grilled veggies and meat.

Soft tacos loaded with fish, shredded chicken, or slow-cooked pork.
Enchiladas or rolled tacos with cheese, salsa, beans, rice, etc.
Quesadillas filled with cheese, spinach, and other goodies.

Taco salad bowls loaded on top of the tortilla strips.
Chips or strips for dipping in guacamole, salsa, hummus, or bean dip.

And so much more! Spinach tortillas are tasty and sturdy enough to hold just about any taco, quesadilla, or Tex-Mex filling you love. Their extra nutrition also makes them ideal for both savory and sweet applications.

Storage Tips

To maximize freshness, here are some spinach tortilla storage tips:

Store cooked, cooled tortillas between layers of parchment or wax paper in an airtight container. Plastic wrap can also stick to the tortillas.
Refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Freeze for long-term storage, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before using.
Reheat leftover tortillas wrapped in a damp paper towel for 30 sec bursts in the microwave until warm and pliable again.
Avoid excessive moisture or the tortillas will become soggy. Use paper towel if condensation builds up in storage.

With proper storage, your fresh spinach tortillas will stay soft and lightly speckled with spinach for days after baking!

The Nutritional Benefits

Compared to traditional white flour tortillas, spinach tortillas provide superior nutrition in several ways:

Higher protein – From using whole wheat flour and spinach, which contains 2-3g protein per cooked cup.

More fiber – The whole grains and spinach provide up to 5-8g fiber per tortilla.
Higher vitamin content – Particularly vitamins A, C, K from the spinach as well as B vitamins from the whole grains.
More minerals – Spinach tortillas contain a wider range of minerals including iron, magnesium, potassium, and calcium.

Lower carbs – Using less white flour and subbing in spinach reduces the glycemic load compared to white tortillas.

Here’s a nutrition comparison of 100g portions:

Nutrient	Spinach Tortilla	White Flour Tortilla
Calories	330	300
Fat	3g	1g
Protein	13g	8g
Carbs	60g	62g
Fiber	7g	2g
Sugar	2g	1g

As you can see, spinach tortillas pack higher protein, fiber, and vitamins into less carbohydrates and calories. The added nutrition makes them a great regular substitute for traditional tortillas in any meal.

Benefits for Gluten-Free Diets

In addition to being more nutritious, spinach tortillas are also a tasty option for those following a gluten-free diet, since they can be made without any glutenous grains like wheat. Here are some benefits of using spinach tortillas on a gluten-free diet:

No modifications needed – Unlike many baked gluten-free products, naturally gluten-free spinach tortillas don’t rely on complicated ingredient swaps and mimic traditional tortillas.
Uses gluten-free grains – Teff, sorghum, millet, and cassava flour can sub in for wheat with little change to taste or texture.

High fiber – Gluten-free diets often lack adequate fiber, which spinach tortillas can help provide.
Adds nutrients – The vitamin and mineral boost from the spinach is especially beneficial if nutritional deficiencies are present.
Easy to make fresh – Avoiding processed foods is easier with simple homemade spinach tortillas using real ingredients.

So for those avoiding gluten, spinach tortillas provide a versatile and nutritious alternative to enjoy Tex-Mex flavors and taco nights again!

Troubleshooting Common Issues

While spinach tortillas are relatively easy to make, there are some common issues that can come up:

Not pliable enough – The dough may need more water or oil. Letting it rest longer can also improve pliability.

Too sticky – Too much moisture produces a tacky dough. Try adding a bit more flour and kneading vigorously to incorporate it.
Won’t puff up – Insufficient baking powder or overmixing the dough can prevent rising. Make sure to gently mix just until combined.
Crack easily – Tortillas cracking can happen if the dough is too dry or rolled too thin. Add a tsp more water and avoid over-rolling.

Soggy texture – Excess moisture from under-squeezed spinach or wet storage causes sogginess. Ensure spinach is squeezed dry and store tortillas properly.
Bland flavor – If the tortillas are lacking in flavor, try adding a pinch more salt or spices like garlic/onion powder.

Adjusting the ingredient ratios and technique as needed will help resolve any issues and result in perfect spinach tortillas.

Common FAQs

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about spinach tortillas:

Can I make them without a tortilla press?

Yes, a rolling pin works fine to roll out the dough into tortillas. You can roll between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap if it sticks.

Do I need to cook the spinach first?

It’s highly recommended to squeeze and cook raw spinach before adding it to the dough. This removes excess moisture that can make the tortillas gummy.

How long do the tortillas take to cook?

On a hot skillet, they take about 1-2 minutes per side. Watch for lightly browned speckled spots to appear when they are ready.

Can I make a big batch and freeze them?

Absolutely! Cooked and cooled tortillas can be frozen between parchment layers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before using.

What is the best way to reheat them?

Wrapping in a damp paper towel and microwaving in 30 second bursts is best to restore softness and pliability without drying them out.

Conclusion

When you want a flavorful, nutritious twist on taco night, try making your own spinach tortillas! Packed with protein, fiber, and vitamins from whole grains and fresh spinach, they provide a healthy upgrade over regular white flour tortillas. From the step-by-step preparation process to troubleshooting tips, storage guidelines, and serving ideas, you now have all the information needed to start baking these amazing green tortillas at home. So get ready to wow your family and friends with homemade spinach tortillas!