Sautéed spinach is a quick and easy side dish made with fresh baby spinach, garlic, and olive oil. With just five simple ingredients and less than 10 minutes from start to finish, it’s a delicious way to add vegetables to almost any dinner.
Sautéed spinach is one of my favorite side dishes to fall back on when I’m out of ideas and out of time. It requires almost no preparation at all, is simple to make, and it is a delicious way to get some more vegetables onto the dinner table.
Ingredients for Sautéed Spinach
- Baby spinach: This has a more mild flavor than mature spinach. It is not quite as earthy or bitter, making it perfect for a dish where it is the main flavor.
- Olive oil: In addition to being the fat that keeps the spinach from sticking and burning, it adds a subtle background flavor.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic brings a great layer of flavor to this dish without adding a lot of additional work.
- Lemon juice: A little over the dish at the end will balance out any bitterness remaining in the spinach. I suggest freshly squeezed over bottled juice.
- Salt and pepper: These simple seasonings bring out the natural flavor of the spinach. Start with a little salt and add more to taste.
How to Sauté Spinach
- Sauté the garlic. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and then sauté the garlic until just fragrant, about 30 seconds, being careful not to burn it.
- Add the spinach to the skillet. This may need to be done in batches to accommodate all of the spinach. It will reduce as it cooks.
- Continue cooking the spinach. Continue cooking until the spinach is fully wilted but still bright green. Drain off any excess liquid, taste, and adjust the seasonings as needed, and finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
Tips for the Best Sautéed Spinach
- Don’t burn the garlic: Your garlic should be very fragrant when you move on to the next step of adding the spinach. This will only take about 30 seconds. If it is dark brown or black, it is best to completely start over with a clean skillet.
- Avoid watery spinach: Spinach can produce a lot of water as it wilts. If that happens, drain off the excess liquid at the end of sautéing before serving. Additionally, it is important to dry freshly washed spinach and use a large pan when making this so that there is lots of surface area for the liquid to evaporate.
- Avoid overcooking: You know your spinach is done when it is fully wilted and tender but still bright green. Remove it from the heat at this point so that it doesn’t become overdone.
- Use a large skillet: While 10 ounces of spinach seems like a large amount, it will reduce a lot as it cooks, but a large skillet makes for easier cooking. If necessary, you can add the spinach in batches, only adding more when what you just added has begun to reduce.
- Finish with lemon: Even baby spinach can have a bitter aftertaste. A little squeeze of fresh lemon will balance this.
Variations
- Parmesan cheese: At the end of the cooking time, add in 1/4 cup of freshly shredded Parmesan cheese. Feta crumbles would be great too. Add the cheese before any seasoning, as it can be quite salty.
- Crushed red pepper flakes: For a little zip of heat, add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes when you sauté the garlic.
- Butter: Use 2 tablespoons of butter to sauté the spinach instead of olive oil. This will change up the flavor profile and lend a richness to the dish.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Leftovers should be transferred to an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheat sautéed spinach over low heat on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a small amount of olive oil or water if it seems dry.
What to Serve with Sautéed Spinach
This easy and delicious side dish pairs well with so many dinner recipes. Here are just a few that I think you will love.
If you make this sautéed spinach recipe or any of my other recipes, please rate and review the recipe. This helps others more than you could know.
Sautéed Spinach
Serves: 4 servings
(tap # to scale)
Prep: 2 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Total: 7 minutes
This sauteed spinach recipe is ready in minutes! Fresh baby spinach, garlic, and olive oil make an easy, flavorful side dish for any dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 10 ounces baby spinach
- 1/2 – 1 teaspoon kosher salt if using table salt, only start with 1/4 teaspoon
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 fresh lemon optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Ensure that you are using a skillet large enough to hold all of the spinach.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds or until fragrant, being careful that it does not burn or overbrown.2 garlic cloves
- Add the spinach, tossing it with the garlic and oil and allowing it to wilt. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking until the spinach is completely wilted, about 2 and 5 minutes.10 ounces baby spinach, 1/2 – 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- Drain off any excess liquid and taste, adding more salt and pepper as needed. If the spinach is bitter, squeeze half of a lemon over it to balance the flavors.1/2 fresh lemon
Calories: 54kcal (3%) Carbohydrates: 4g (1%) Protein: 2g (4%) Fat: 4g (6%) Saturated Fat: 1g (6%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 3g Sodium: 638mg (28%) Potassium: 421mg (12%) Fiber: 2g (8%) Sugar: 1g (1%) Vitamin A: 6649IU (133%) Vitamin C: 28mg (34%) Calcium: 77mg (8%) Iron: 2mg (11%)
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Sautéed Spinach
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