Spinach jibn is a traditional Syrian way to prepare vegetables, akin to a crustless quiche. It’s most common to find it with spinach, but you can also make it with zucchini or other vegetables you may have around. It’s healthy and kid-friendly, though I assure you that adults enjoy it just as much. I learned to make this from my mom and grandmas and it’s very near and dear to my heart.
Jibn is adaptable. It’s freezable. It’s make-aheadable! I am sharing the recipe in its most basic form, but feel free to experiment from here: Mix it up by grating an onion into the spinach, or adding cumin and garlic powder, or topping with sesame seeds before baking. Bake it in a pie crust or muffin tins, or even in a thin layer on top of pizza dough.
It may not be the prettiest dish or the fanciest, but it’s the kind of dish you will make again and again.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs frozen chopped spinach, thawed
- 6 eggs
- 1 16 oz container cottage cheese
- 2 cups shredded Muenster or mozzarella cheese
- 1 tsp salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350º and grease a 9×13” pan or two 9” pie pans.
- Squeeze as much water as possible out of the spinach.
- In a large bowl, mix spinach, eggs, cheese, and salt.
- Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish(es) and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is golden brown and the inside is cooked through.
