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Spinach ice cream is real and it's made with leafy greens, olive oil and salt

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream has launched a limited-edition, bright-green treat that's sweet and savory.
/ Source: TODAY

Packed with a plethora of vitamins and filling fiber, spinach is one of the most popular veggies that's recognized as a superfood. Added to pasta or simply sautéed with garlic, spinach is also an incredibly versatile green.

But it's not usually treated as a dessert. That is, until now.

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, an artisanal frozen treats shop based in Brooklyn, New York, has just launched a spinach-flavored ice cream in honor of Popeye’s 90th birthday (yes, the cartoon sailor who couldn't get enough spinach) and Fleet Week — an annual New York City event that honors members of the United States Navy, Coast Guard and Marine Corps with events throughout the city.

This spinach ice cream doesn't just contain the leafy green, however. It's also a dairy-free ice cream so vegans can enjoy it, too.

"When we were presented with the opportunity to collaborate with an icon like Popeye, we wanted to make a special flavor that was plant-based since everyone knows he gets his strength from eating lots and lots of spinach," Ellie Zitsman, head of research and development at Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, told TODAY Food via email. "Our vegan ice cream base is rich in nutrients and packed with protein since it’s made with house-made raw cashew milk, coconut cream, raw organic coconut oil, pure cocoa butter and organic cane sugar. "

The ice cream's official name is "Popeye’s Fleet Treat" and, in addition to the vegan base, contains organic spinach leaves, extra virgin olive oil, turmeric and sea salt. The result is "a sweet and savory summertime treat that packs a flavorful punch," Van Leeuwen said in a release.

Popeye fans and spinach lovers will have to act fast to taste this new delicacy because this limited-edition flavor is only going to be around for two weeks, starting now through June 2 at select locations in New York City.

For a long time now, ice cream has lived in a food arena where flavors get pretty creative, from goth to unicorn, but folks on social media aren't quite sure what to make of these bright-green scoops.

Whether you love inventive ice cream flavors or just want to add more greens into your diet, take note that this new treat isn't cheap. Expect to pay $5.75 for a single scoop, a double scoop goes for $7.75 and a triple scoop will set you back $9.75.