We love onion with our sauteed greens. Try our Sauteed kale with onion and cider vinegar ! You can do the same here in this recipe, just cook the onion until it is nice and golden brown first over medium heat . Once the onion is soft, follow the instructions for the rest of the recipe by increasing to medium high and adding the garlic and crushed red pepper (step 1.)

Should I chop the spinach?

No need! The baby spinach will wilt considerably. Hiwever, if you are using home-grown mature spinach from your garden or a farmers market and the leaves are very large, you can roughly chop them, and remove the stems. Then wash and spin dry.

Why is my spinach watery?

The spinach can get watery for three reasons: 1. Make sure the spinach is spun dry before cooking. There will be a trace of water on the leaves but they should not be dripping wet. 2. The skillet should be hot! Use medium-high heat to sear the spinach in the hot skillet. This way it wilts immediately and does not weep and get watery. 3. Don't overcook it. Once the spinach is wilted, and cooked down, take it out of the skillet to stop it from getting watery.

How do I avoid bitter spinach?

Spinach is high in vitamins, minerals and a compound known as oxalic acid which can taste bitter. Look for spinach with small fresh looking leaves without flowers (more mature spinach will have a stronger bitter taste .) For cooked spinach, you can counteract bitter taste by balancing it with a little sour taste. In this recipe we add a squeeze of lemon juice for this effect. If you are particularly sensitive to bitter, add caramelized onions to the spinach for a little natural sweetness. (See above FAQ about onion.)

Can I use sauteed fresh spinach when a recipe calls for frozen spinach?

Yes you can. 10 ounces of raw spinach makes 2 cups of cooked spinach. Just omit the garlic and red pepper flakes in step one and do not drizzle with lemon at the end. Make sure that any excess moisture is drained away so that your recipe does not become watery.

Easy Sautéed Spinach with Garlic

Name: Easy Sautéed Spinach with Garlic
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 3 cloves garlic, minced; Pinch crushed red pepper, or to taste; 10 ounces fresh spinach, washed and spun dry; ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt or ¼ teaspoon table salt, or to taste; Freshly ground pepper to taste; For serving: lemon wedges, optional

Description

Learn how to cook spinach in only 10 minutes! This easy sautéed spinach side dish recipe is seasoned simply with olive oil and garlic.

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch crushed red pepper, or to taste
10 ounces fresh spinach, washed and spun dry
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon table salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
For serving: lemon wedges, optional

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Instructions

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a very large skillet, saute pan or Dutch oven. Add garlic and red pepper and cook stirring until fragrant, about 20 to 30 seconds.
Add spinach if it will fit into the skillet at once. It is okay if it is piled up!
Working quickly use tongs to turn the mass of spinach over with tongs until the spinach has almost wilted down, 1 to 2 minutes.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and continue cooking until the spinach is completely wilted but not starting to weep, another 1 to 2 minutes.
Serve hot with lemon wedges if desired.

Notes

Storage: Transfer leftovers to a resealable container or air tight storage container. Refrigerate up to three days.

Reheating: Reheat the cooked spinach in the microwave for 2 minutes on high for a full batch (stir after 90 seconds.) You can also reheat in a small non-stick skillet with a little olive oil until it is steaming hot.

Freezing: You can freeze cooked spinach by spreading it on a parchment lined sheet pan. {For best results try not to let any of the liquid pool on the parchment} Freeze until the clumps of spinach are frozen solid, then transfer it to a resealable freezer bag.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Category: Side Dish
Method: Stove Top
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Calories: 86
Sugar: 0 g
Fat: 7 g
Carbohydrates: 4 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 2 g