So I kind of agonized about whether or not to post this recipe. It’s one of those things that I love to eat, but is hard to photograph. It seems too simple. That little voice inside me is like, you’re a freak, Kate, no one else eats cooked spinach.
And then I was like, NEW YEAR NEW ME I don’t care what people think about me and my sautéed spinach.
There’s a little restaurant where I live that serves one of my most favorite things to eat in this entire world, and it also happens to be very New Year’s Resolution friendly. And whether or not I’m watching my carbs, if I eat there, I always order this as the side dish. That’s right. would rather eat this than all the other side dishes that they offer, including all manner of potatoes and other glorious carbohydrates.
There are a lot of reasons to love this recipe. Like:
- It’s a FAST side dish–about 5 minutes. With minimal prep.
- You can use all that spinach that made you feel really good to buy last week and now you feel really guilty because you’re about to throw it away.
- It’s a nice way to mix things up if you’re tired of salads.
- It cooks down so much that a v. intimidating bowl of spinach is now a tiny portion of cooked, garlicky spinach.
- You can easily make it ahead for meal prep bowls, omelets, etc.
If the texture of cooked spinach ooks you out, I have a few tips. First, use baby spinach instead of mature spinach–it won’t be as stringy. Also, you can always try not cooking it not quite as long–remove it from heat before it gets slimy. If that’s still not doing it for you, you can always try kale. No matter how cool it would make me (or would have made me 4 years ago), I still think eating raw kale is kind of like eating yard trimmings, but cooked kale holds up beautifully.
You’re going to need 2 tablespoons of your favorite fat (that sounds kind of like a TV show title. But seriously. Flavored olive oils work great here, especially if you’re not eating this right away because it won’t congeal. But butter and rendered bacon grease are also delicious.) You’ll also need 10 ounces of baby spinach and 10 (yes, ten. Some things never change.) cloves of minced garlic,
kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and 1-2 teaspoons of Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the spinach and most of the garlic (save about 1 tablespoon of garlic to add near the end. Also, you might need to add about half the spinach and allow it to wilt a little before adding the rest.) When the spinach has cooked to where it’s about at the top of the pan, add the remaining garlic and cook, stirring very frequently, until the spinach is almost completely cooked down and most of the liquid has evaporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper and vinegar or lemon juice. Serve immediately or save for meal prep bowls, omelets, etc.
Sautéed Garlic Spinach
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil*
- 10 ounces baby spinach
- 10 cloves garlic minced
- Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1-2 teaspoons Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar or lemon juice
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the spinach and most of the garlic (save about 1 tablespoon of garlic to add near the end. Also, you might need to add about half the spinach and allow it to wilt a little before adding the rest.) When the spinach has cooked to where it's about at the top of the pan, add the remaining garlic and cook, stirring very frequently, until the spinach is almost completely cooked down and most of the liquid has evaporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper and vinegar or lemon juice. Serve immediately or save for meal prep bowls, omelets, etc.
Questions & Reviews
From one Kate to another, you’re not weird at all!! I grew up eating cooked spinach – it was one of the handful of dishes my mom could always make well (and not burned). We always had ours with hard boiled egg pieces (just the whites) and chopped bacon! Bonus points if you sauté the spinach in the bacon grease.
Alright so that’s a little less good for you than yours. But it’s delish.
This is me, this week, ….
You can use all that spinach that made you feel really good to buy last week and now you feel really guilty because you’re about to throw it away. …..
I’m adding 5 leaves a day to breakfast sandwich but the bag is big!
Have you tried the super greens at Panda Express? I had it a few days ago and it is so good. This spinach reminds me of that, so I will for sure be trying it.
I haven’t tried them yet, but I’ve been meaning to! Glad to hear they’re tasty!
Ooh! I have some coconut vinegar in my pantry I haven’t opened yet! I’m adding spinach to my grocery list right now.
As the only person in my household on the Mediterranean diet, because of heart attack and heart surgery, could frozen spinach be used in place of fresh spinach.
Yep! You can also freeze individual servings to reheat later if you use fresh spinach
I LOVE spinach! I eat it every morning with my egg. Thanks for a new idea! I will be trying.
I have to say I will be excited to try this! We used to eat something similar when we lived in China and I loved it then.
I am crazy too! Hahaha! I love spinach! I have just added some to my toasted ham and cheese sandwich because I actually prefer spinach instead of lettuce in my hot sandwiches! I also love garlic so I will definitely try this recipe. Thanks for the simple recipes. I don’t have a lot of time to cook.
I absolutely love spinach, and as you say this is a great way to use it up. It is a delicious recipe. I could eat the whole batch????
How can a reminder to eat more greens be a bad thing??
Kate,
You are not alone! I Love spinach…sauteed, creamed, in a pasta sauce, as a salad, in eggs, in bone broth…yum! If you’re doing low carb try making a cheese “tortilla” in the oven & mix together some cream cheese, ham or bacon, spinach, black olives. Slather that concoction onto your cheese tortilla & roll up to cut little pinwheels. It’s so good!
SUCH a good idea!! Thank you!!
As a vegetable junkie, I have to admit that sautéed spinach with garlic is at the top of my list. The only think I do different is just a personal preference and that is to sprinkle fresh Parmesan over the top before serving.
Yes!! ??
With only 10 oz of spinach and 10 cloves of garlic, how bad is your breath after eating this? My husband says when I eat garlic I smell for days! I LOVE spinach, but the garlic makes me nervous. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!
Ha! I’m a garlic junkie, so I’m probably the wrong person to ask ???
I got to make the sauteed spinach with the acid that you added.
I jusr ‘happen’ to have about 9oz of baby spinach sitting on the kitchen counter, waiting to meet a fried egg.
Thank you, for sharing a great recipe.
??❤️
Good spanish sherry vinegar is what I use.
Great idea! I’ll have to try it!
Not crazy at all, I love cooked spinach and I can’t wait to try this!