I wasn’t really planning on a new recipe last night…..especially these Crispy Potato Spinach Balls. Â
But I am SO GLAD I made these!
Crispy Crunchy on the Outside – Creamy Potato Goodness on the inside!
Absolutely PERFECT for your next get together or potluck…. or just for snackin’..
Crispy Potato Spinach Balls | Brand New Vegan
Like I said, this recipe was totally unplanned. Â But when I saw a tub of Spinach that looked like ….
Well…. Â you KNOW what Spinach can look like after you’ve forgotten it in the fridge for awhile….. Â sort of like cucumbers….
You ever reach your hand into your Veggie Drawer and accidentally discover a cucumber that had been hiding in there since last winter?  Let’s just say it’s NOT a very pleasant feeling……
{shudder}
Ok, ok – my fridge isn’t really THAT bad but still ….. I knew I had to use this Spinach soon or face the slimy consequences. Â
So making these Potato Spinach Balls was actually PERFECT timing! Â And a special bonus just for you – they are pretty darn tasty too!
And with a splash of Malt Vinegar? Â Now we’re TALKING!
And did I mention these are 100% Fat Free?
Be still my heart…..
Crispy Potato Spinach Balls
Wash and quarter about 4 medium potatoes.  I used Yukon Golds but any kind will work.
Drop these in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil, adding a pinch of salt if you’re so inclined.  Once the pot begins to boil, set your timer for 5 minutes.  We want them a little soft, but not TOO soft.  We’re not making mashed potatoes here!
In another pot, (yeah this is a 2 pot recipe but it cleans up easily), we’re going to add our spinach.
I grabbed about 2 good-sized handfuls of fresh spinach. Â It will look like a lot – but it shrinks down quite a bit so no worries. Â I suppose you could also use Kale if you’re into that sort of thing but for me…..
I had Spinach that was going to go bad if I didn’t use it up ….so Spinach it was.
Add your chopped Spinach to the pot with about 4 cloves of minced Garlic. Â Now add 2 Tbs of your favorite Veggie Broth and 1 Tbs of Apple Cider Vinegar and start that heating up.
It may not look like much liquid, but it’s plenty. Â Just keep stirring things around and the Spinach will begin to wilt. Â After about 5 minutes on Medium Heat it should have reduced down a lot.
Not TOO mushy, but soft and….. well….. Â wilted..
Crispy Potato Spinach Balls | Brand New Vegan
It’s hard to be witty at 6:00 in the morning….ok? Â
Drain your potatoes really well and put them back into the pot. Â Add your Spinach, all the seasonings, and the Nutritional Yeast and start mashing. Â The goal is to just break up the potatoes and mix everything together.
Like I said – we’re NOT going for creamy mashed potatoes here – so some small chunks are fine.
Line your favorite cookie sheet with Parchment Paper and let’s start making Potato Balls.
Here’s the thing I learned about Potato Balls…… the smaller they are  – the more they crisp up.
I used a ¼ cup measuring cup to scoop the mixture into balls and it made about 15 of them.  Looking back, I”d go a little smaller and make more of them – but that’s just me.
As you roll up your Potato Spinach Balls – roll them around in some Panko Bread Crumbs before placing them on your cookie sheet. Â This will ensure that EXTRA crunch factor we all love so much.
Now simply plop these into a 450° F oven for about 20-25 minutes or so and you’re all set for some Crispy Potato Magic.
I even turned the broiler on for an extra 5 minutes to REALLY add some crunch.
Now it’s simply a matter of finding that perfect dip.
Me? Â I’m a midwestern Ketchup guy through and through. Â But I got to tell you, a splash of Malt Vinegar on these things is simply AMAZING! Â You gotta try it.
Enjoy those carbs!
- 4 med Yukon Gold Potatoes
- 2 cups Fresh Spinach
- 4 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 2 Tbs Vegetable Broth (low sodium)
- 2 Tbs Nutritional Yeast
- 2 Tbs Fresh Basil
- 1 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Tbs Dried Parsley
- 1 Tbs Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
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Wash and quarter 4 medium potatoes and add to a large pot
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Add enough cold water to cover and bring to a boil
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Add a pinch of salt and let boil for 5 minutes
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Remove from heat
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Wash and chop 2 large handfuls of fresh spinach
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Add to a separate pot along with garlic, vinegar, and veggie broth
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Saute until wilted - about 5 minutes on medium heat - stirring often
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Drain potatoes and roughly mash them in the pot
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Add spinach and remaining seasonings and mash/mix well
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Once mixture is cool to touch, form 15-20 balls and roll in bread crumbs
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Place on parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 450 F for 20-25 minutes
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Broil an additional 5 minutes if desired for extra crispiness
rivkah30
These look amazing. What would you recommend if starting with frozen spinach?
Liat Marmur
In my experience using frozen spinach for this dish leaves too much liquid even if you drain it well.
Seonaid Anderson
When you say “2 tbsp vegetable broth” do you mean the powder, or powder plus water?
Chuck Underwood
Liquid broth
Janet K
Where do you get vegan Panko breadcrumbs? All the ones I found have milk.
Chuck Underwood
Our local Fred Meyer has some (Kroger). I think it was the Kroger brand – but they were oil and dairy free. You could also just use your own, or a light dusting of flour, or even corn flakes….
Janet K
Thanks.
Jodi
Hi! I just made these. They turned out so well! I made a couple of tweaks based on what i had – included white and sweet potato and used water instead of stock, as I didn’t have any. Thank you so much. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!!!
Sarah
this recipe was pretty decent but it really needs salt, in my opinion.
Teresa
This are really good. I especially like the crunch! I was looking for a recipe for spinach and found this recipe because I needed to incorporate more greens into my diet. Next time I will add more spinach! And ketchup and malt vinegar are a great combination for them!
Rachel
What is the best way to store these after you make them?
Chuck Underwood
In the fridge for 3-5 days.
Kaye
Can’t wait to try these
Beverley
These are AMAZING!! Even my non-vegan meat eating son LOVED them, he said they are epic! It’s now my everyday breakfast, and I’m going to try other combos (eg sweet potato, peas, jalapeno, maybe one batch with curry powder etc). Thank you Chuck!! All your recipes are sooo good, and your instructions are the best, 🙂
Andrea
So we don’t peel the potatoes?
Chuck Underwood
You can if you want to – the peel has lots of vitamins and fiber so I usually try to avoid it
Cindi Little
These sound delicious! Could you air fry them instead of the oven? Timing and temp suggestions?
Chuck Underwood
Yes – people have used an air fryer. I would start at 375 for 10 min and adjust as needed.
Janis E
So I just made these! I, too, tweaked and I used canned spinach (this time), and added paprika, turmeric, chives and CHEESE. I didn’t have basil tonite…but I had the Mexican blend of Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Colby and Mozzerella. I also added Tony’s cause I need just a lil more flavor…I’m not sure what sauce I will do with these. But oh, I can’t wait to eat these. I actually had enough to freeze for another time. Thanks for sparking my cooking creativity!
Mary Eastman
I just finished making these and had two so far! They are really great! I used hot sauce for dipping! Will make again! Thank you so much! I had a lot of spinach that needed to be used 😉
Jackie noor
I just made these , but in the picture it shows orange pieces, mine dont look that way, did you make these with carrots? I have them cooking right now in air fryer, i didnt have fresh basil so used 1 teaspoon of dry basil, also didnt have yukon potatoes so used 2 large baker potatoes also used whole wheat panko
Penny McGuire
I believe the panko bread crumbs have just toasted on the outside, that’s where the orange color may be coming from.
Jackie noor
I just made these , but in the picture it shows orange pieces, mine dont look that way, did you make these with carrots? I have them cooking right now in air fryer, i didnt have fresh basil so used 1 teaspoon of dry basil, also didnt have yukon potatoes so used 2 large baker potatoes also used whole wheat panko just ate one and very good
Melanie
I bet these would be good with your horseradish dip that you use for fried pickles.
Jenna Jensen
Can’t wait to try these, they sound very delicious.
Mary Miller
I doubled the recipe, peeled the potatoes after boiling. Used frozen spinach after draining well.I also added some Tabasco. Cooked in the air fryer at 400 for 19 min. For the panko, a bagle in the food grinder worked great! Wonderful!
Naomi
These are a game changer! I had them for lunch and again for dinner. Made a plant based garlic dipping sauce…YUM!
Sharon
Wonderful! I made them smaller and cooked the.m in the air fryer. Great idea! Thanks!
Elizabeth
Not bad, but the apple cider vinegar and Italian seasoning were too strong in my opinion. For the second batch, I added salt and used fresh parsley and basil, and omitted the vinegar and Italian seasoning. I did like that this recipe is forgiving enough that adding different herbs and spices didn’t affect the final outcome and texture.
Kim
I found this recipe while searching for a way to use up some spinach, and this did the trick! It’s a sneaky way to get some spinach in too since it’s really not noticable in the final product. Thanks for sharing!