In the case of the quick and livid facet dishes of the world, Sautéed Spinach wins the race. A flexible, wholesome facet that cooks in minutes, it pairs with any protein and may be added to vegetarian recipes too.

My expertise of spinach as a child was watching Popeye down cans of it on TV, which my mother and father used to influence me (unsuccessfully) to eat my greens.
No offense to Popeye (clearly, the spinach was working for him), however till you’ve eaten sautéed recent spinach, you’re lacking out on the scrumptious potential of this dietary powerhouse.
Sautéed greens, like Sautéed Brussels Sprouts, Sautéed Carrots, and Sautéed Mushrooms, are wonderful, wholesome additions to weeknight dinners.
You possibly can serve them with absolutely anything, and since they sauté on the stovetop, they depart the oven free so that you can cook dinner your essential in the event you so select.
After all, like several cooked vegetable recipe, a lot of the style lies within the preparation (why Roasted Cauliflower is scrumptious however boiled cauli is bleh).
This put up has the perfect tricks to make yummy (not mushy!) sautéed spinach, plus a simple recipe for garlicky parmesan sautéed spinach you possibly can serve proper alongside no matter you’re cooking for dinner tonight.

Ideas for the Greatest Sautéed Spinach
To make sautéed spinach that’s tender, however not soggy, well-seasoned, and may maintain its personal on the plate, observe the following pointers.
- Use Contemporary Spinach. Whereas I LOVE frozen boxed spinach for stirring into pastas and casseroles, it must be recent if you end up serving spinach by itself. Frozen or canned spinach will style mushy and off.
- Take away Any Massive Stems if You’re Apprehensive about Presentation. Whereas the stems on spinach leaves do soften throughout cooking, they are often distracting within the remaining dish. When you’re going for a ravishing presentation, they’re additionally not the prettiest. When you aren’t apprehensive about appearances and don’t thoughts the stems, you possibly can depart the stems on.
- Use Extra Spinach Than You Assume. When you’ve cooked spinach earlier than, you already know enormous handfuls of recent spinach will cook dinner right down to seemingly nothing. A very good rule of thumb is 4 to six ounces (or 4 to six evenly packed cups or handfuls) of recent spinach per particular person.
- Use a Massive Skillet. Even for a small group, it is advisable cook dinner A LOT of spinach. Utilizing a big, huge skillet provides the leaves room to cook dinner down.
- Season it Up. Spinach is extremely delicate, making it versatile. It additionally implies that it’s vital to season it properly. Some nice flavors so as to add to spinach are garlic, Parmesan, lemon, and purple pepper flakes.
- DO NOT OVERCOOK. Overcooked spinach is mushy spinach. The spinach might be smooth and wilted, however it shouldn’t be a watery mess. It’s greatest to cook dinner spinach instantly earlier than serving to maintain it tasting recent.

How one can Make Sautéed Spinach
Contemporary spinach isn’t only for Spinach Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Poppy Seed Dressing!
Sautéed till heat and wilted, spinach is the proper quick facet and a straightforward and scrumptious approach so as to add vitamin to your plate.
Most frequently, I make sauteed spinach with garlic and Parmesan, together with purple pepper flakes.
These easy, basic flavors style elevated, whereas nonetheless permitting the principle dish to shine.
Be happy so as to add your personal favourite spices, make your sautéed spinach with out garlic, or attempt one of many recipe variations beneath.
The Components
- Child Spinach. Contemporary, tender child spinach rapidly transforms into this completely wilted and surprisingly tasty dish. Spinach boasts a formidable lineup of well being advantages (hiya fiber and nutritional vitamins!).
- Olive Oil + Butter. Cooking the spinach in additional virgin olive oil and butter provides it a taste increase and crowd-pleasing enchantment.
- Garlic. Provides garlicky goodness to every chunk with out overpowering the opposite flavors.
- Salt. A pinch of salt makes a significant distinction within the general taste of your sautéed spinach.
- Parmesan. As a result of all the things is best with a ending sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
- Purple Pepper Flakes. Provides a touch of warmth with out making the spinach spicy. You possibly can skip the purple pepper flakes in the event you favor.
The Instructions

- Warmth the oil and butter in a Dutch oven.

- When the butter begins effervescent, add the garlic.

- Add the spinach by the handful.

- Stir every time you add spinach till it begins to wilt. Cowl the pot and cut back the warmth. Stir once more after 3 minutes.

- Add the salt, a part of the Parmesan, and the purple pepper flakes. Switch the spinach to a bowl, topping it with the remaining Parmesan. DIG IN!
Recipe Variations
- Sautéed Spinach and Onions. Chop 1 medium onion. Add the onion to the pot with the garlic, cooking till evenly browned. End the recipe as directed.
- Sautéed Spinach and Tomatoes. To immediately elevate your sautéed spinach, add some Roasted Tomatoes simply earlier than serving.
- Sautéed Spinach with Bacon. Crumble Air Fryer Bacon or Baked Bacon within the Oven over your spinach simply earlier than serving.
- Sautéed Spinach with Cheese. Put together this recipe as directed with the Parmesan cheese or an identical nutty aged cheese. Add an additional tablespoon for extremely tacky spinach.
- Sautéed Spinach with Lemon. A squeeze of lemon juice can be pleasant on this spinach. Stir 1 tablespoon of recent lemon juice into the spinach simply earlier than serving.

Storage Ideas
- To Retailer. Refrigerate spinach in an hermetic storage container for as much as 4 days.
- To Reheat. Gently reheat spinach within the microwave till heat.
- To Freeze. Pack the sautéed spinach leaves into the wells of an ice dice tray. Freeze till stable. Switch the frozen spinach cubes to an hermetic, freezer-safe storage container for as much as 3 months. Thaw the cubes within the fridge as wanted.
Storage Ideas
Whereas frozen sautéed spinach isn’t ideally suited for thawing and having fun with by itself, it really works superbly as an addition to different recipes. Strive incorporating it into your favourite soups, pastas, and pizzas.
What to Serve with Sautéed Spinach
Gentle in taste, sautéed spinach goes properly with a variety of proteins.
Sides that Pair Properly with sautéed Spinach
Really useful Instruments to Make this Recipe
- Dutch Oven. Good for making this sautéed spinach recipe.
- Wood Spoon. One in all my most-used and liked kitchen instruments.
- Colander. Supreme for all the things from washing spinach or draining pasta.
The Greatest Dutch Oven
With a myriad of lovely colours and high quality that’ll final a lifetime, this Dutch oven is a worthy funding piece. It really works properly on the stovetop and within the oven.
Cooked spinach may be scrumptious!
If Popeye (and my mother and father) had adopted this recipe, I most likely would have began consuming it at a a lot youthful age.
Often Requested Questions
Sure, sautéed spinach is a wholesome and nutritious facet dish. Spinach is low in energy however excessive in nutritional vitamins A and C, in addition to iron, calcium, and fiber.
Whereas recent child spinach is your best option for sautéed spinach, you should use frozen spinach in a pinch. You should definitely thaw and drain the spinach earlier than cooking it within the skillet.
Sautéed spinach is greatest when served recent, however you can also make it forward of time and reheat it earlier than serving. To reheat, merely place it in a microwave-safe dish and warmth it for 1 to 2 minutes or till sizzling.
Whereas recent garlic is your best option for this recipe, you possibly can swap garlic powder in a pinch. Use 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 clove garlic minced (about 1 teaspoon); add as much as 3 teaspoons relying upon how garlicky you’d prefer it
- 12 ounces child spinach
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
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In a Dutch oven or related giant, deep pot, add the oil and butter over medium warmth.
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As quickly because the butter begins to bubble and foam, stir within the garlic.
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Add the spinach by huge handfuls, stirring as you go in order that it begins to wilt down and you’ll match extra within the pot.
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As soon as the entire spinach has been added, cowl the pot and cut back the warmth to medium low. Let cook dinner 3 minutes. Uncover and stir. The spinach must be pretty wilted, but when it’s not, proceed to stir till it’s.
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Stir within the salt, 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan, and the purple pepper flakes. Style and modify the seasoning as desired. With a slotted spoon, take away it to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Take pleasure in instantly.
- TO STORE: Refrigerate spinach in an hermetic storage container for as much as 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Gently reheat spinach within the microwave till heat.
- TO FREEZE: Pack the spinach leaves into the wells of an ice dice tray. Freeze till stable. Switch the frozen spinach cubes to an hermetic freezer-safe storage container for as much as 3 months. Thaw the cubes within the fridge. Whereas frozen sautéed spinach isn’t ideally suited for thawing and having fun with by itself, it really works superbly as an addition to different recipes. Strive incorporating it into your favourite soups, pastas, pizzas, sandwiches, and extra.
Serving: 1 (of 4)Energy: 59kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 3gFats: 4gSaturated Fats: 2gPolyunsaturated Fats: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fats: 2gTrans Fats: 0.1gLdl cholesterol: 6mgPotassium: 483mgFiber: 2gSugar: 0.4gVitamin A: 8040IUVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 108mgIron: 2mg
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