Easy Sautéed Spinach Recipe (simplyrecipes.com)
Easy Sautéed Spinach
This easy spinach recipe is one of the best ways to cook spinach! Sauté spinach, olive oil, and garlic for a nutritious and delicious side in just minutes. Popeye would approve!
By
ELISE BAUER
Updated January 03, 2022
47 Ratings
169 Comments
JUMP TO RECIPE
Simply Recipes / Natalia Vela
10 Ways to Top a Baked Potato
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Popeye was the best thing that ever hit the spinach industry. When I was a kid you couldn't pay me to eat lima beans or peas, but spinach? I begged for it; we all did.
Especially if it came from a can.
We wanted to be cool like Popeye, who could knock Bluto to Kingdom Come just by downing a can of spinach, which always conveniently found its way to Popeye's mouth when his situation was most dire.
Our parents worked hard to convince us that cooked fresh spinach was just as good, if not better than the canned stuff.
How to Cook Spinach
My father prepares spinach this way at least once or twice a week, usually with fresh spinach from the farmer's market. According to dad, he overcooked it for years, until he learned that you shouldn't cook spinach beyond the point that it just wilts.
Spinach releases a lot of water as it cooks. So my father's trick is to drain and dry the spinach leaves as well as you can, using a salad spinner if need be, before cooking them.
Then, sauté some garlic in olive oil in a large wide pan, and add the cleaned, drained, and dried spinach leaves to the pan. Pack the pan with spinach; cover and cook for only a minute or two tops.
Simply Recipes / Natalia Vela
More Great Spinach Recipes
How to Wash, Dry and Prep Spinach
SAVE ITPRINT
Easy Sautéed Spinach
PREP TIME10 mins
COOK TIME5 mins
TOTAL TIME15 mins
SERVINGS4 servings
Ingredients
Method
Show Full Nutrition Label
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
Easy Sautéed Spinach
This easy spinach recipe is one of the best ways to cook spinach! Sauté spinach, olive oil, and garlic for a nutritious and delicious side in just minutes. Popeye would approve!
By
ELISE BAUER
Updated January 03, 2022
47 Ratings
169 Comments
JUMP TO RECIPE
- Pin
- Share
Simply Recipes / Natalia Vela
10 Ways to Top a Baked Potato
FEATURED IN:
Popeye was the best thing that ever hit the spinach industry. When I was a kid you couldn't pay me to eat lima beans or peas, but spinach? I begged for it; we all did.
Especially if it came from a can.
We wanted to be cool like Popeye, who could knock Bluto to Kingdom Come just by downing a can of spinach, which always conveniently found its way to Popeye's mouth when his situation was most dire.
Our parents worked hard to convince us that cooked fresh spinach was just as good, if not better than the canned stuff.
How to Cook Spinach
My father prepares spinach this way at least once or twice a week, usually with fresh spinach from the farmer's market. According to dad, he overcooked it for years, until he learned that you shouldn't cook spinach beyond the point that it just wilts.
Spinach releases a lot of water as it cooks. So my father's trick is to drain and dry the spinach leaves as well as you can, using a salad spinner if need be, before cooking them.
Then, sauté some garlic in olive oil in a large wide pan, and add the cleaned, drained, and dried spinach leaves to the pan. Pack the pan with spinach; cover and cook for only a minute or two tops.
Simply Recipes / Natalia Vela
More Great Spinach Recipes
How to Wash, Dry and Prep Spinach
- Most baby spinach in pre-packaged bags comes pre-washed, but we recommend washing and drying it anyway.
- Mature spinach that are sold in bundles are not pre-washed and can be gritty. Best to trim or de-stem them and at least double wash them by dunking them in a sink full of cold water.
- No need to de-stem baby spinach. You can cook the bunches stems and all. However, with more mature spinach, you'll want to trim off most of the large stems, since they can be stringy.
- A salad spinner makes quick work of drying spinach, but you can also leaves dry by placing them between two clean kitchen towels. Cloth towels absorb more water than paper ones.
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SAVE ITPRINT
Easy Sautéed Spinach
PREP TIME10 mins
COOK TIME5 mins
TOTAL TIME15 mins
SERVINGS4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 large bunches spinach, about 1 pound
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- Salt to taste
Method
- Clean and prep the spinach:
Cut off the thick stems of the spinach and discard. Clean the spinach by filling up your sink with water and soaking the spinach to loosen any sand or dirt. Drain the spinach and then repeat, soaking and draining. Put the spinach in a salad spinner to remove any excess moisture.
- Sauté the garlic:
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds, until the garlic just begins to brown.
- Add the spinach to the pan and cook:
Add the spinach to the pan, packing it down a bit if you need to with your hand. Use a couple of spatulas (or tongs) to lift the spinach and turn it over in the pan, so you coat more of it with the olive oil and garlic. Do this a couple of times. Cover the pan and cook for 1 minute. Uncover and turn the spinach over again. Cover the pan and cook for an additional minute.
- Remove from heat and drain the excess liquid:
After 2 minutes of covered cooking the spinach should be completely wilted. Remove from heat.
Drain any excess liquid from the pan. Add a little more olive oil, if you wish. Then, sprinkle with salt to taste. Serve immediately.
| NUTRITION FACTS(PER SERVING) | |
|---|---|
| 89 | CALORIES |
| 7g | FAT |
| 5g | CARBS |
| 4g | PROTEIN |
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
