Sauteed Spinach – WellPlated.com

When it comes to the fast and wild side dishes of this world, Sauteed Spinach wins the race. A versatile, healthy side that cooks with you protocolit goes with any protein and can also be added to vegetarian recipes.

My experience with spinach as a kid was watching Popeye cans of it on TV, which my parents used to (unsuccessfully) persuade me to eat my veg.

No offense to Popeye (the spinach clearly worked for him), but until you’ve eaten sautéed fresh Spinach misses the delicious potential of this powerhouse.

Sautéed vegetables like sautéed Brussels sprouts, sautéed carrots, and sautéed mushrooms make excellent, healthy additions to weeknight dinners.

You can serve them with almost anything, and since they sauté on the stove, they leave the oven free for you to cook your mains if you wish.

Of course, as with any cooked vegetable recipe, much of the flavor is in the preparation (why roasted cauliflower is yummy but cooked cauli is bleh).

This post has the best tips for making delicious (not mushy!) sautéed spinach, as well as an easy sautéed spinach with garlic parmesan recipe that you can serve right next to what you’re cooking for dinner tonight.

Tips for the best sautéed spinach

Follow these tips to prepare sautéed spinach that’s tender but not mushy and flavorful, and will hold its own on the plate.

• Use fresh spinach. While I LOVE canned frozen spinach to stir into pasta and casseroles, if you’re serving spinach on its own, it needs to be fresh. Frozen or canned spinach tastes mushy and off.
• Remove any large stems if you are worried about the presentation. While the stems of the spinach leaves soften during cooking, they can be distracting in the finished dish. If you go for a nice presentation, they aren’t the prettiest either. If you’re not concerned about appearance and don’t mind the stems, you can leave the stems on.
• Use more spinach than you think. If you’ve ever cooked spinach, you know that huge handfuls of fresh spinach seem to be cooked to nothing. A good rule of thumb is 4 to 6 ounces (or 4 to 6 lightly packed cups or handfuls) of fresh spinach per person.
• Use a large skillet. Even for a small group, you need to cook LOTS of spinach. Using a large, wide pan gives the leaves room to cook.
• Spice it up. Spinach is ultra mild and therefore versatile. It also means that seasoning it well is important. Some great flavors to add to spinach are garlic, parmesan, lemon, and red pepper flakes.
• DO NOT OVER COOK. Overcooked spinach is mushy spinach. The spinach will be soft and wilted, but it shouldn’t be a watery mess. It’s best to cook spinach right before serving so it tastes fresh.

How to make sautéed spinach

Fresh spinach doesn’t just go well with spinach and strawberry salad with balsamic poppy seed dressing!

Sautéed until warm and wilted, spinach is the perfect quick side dish and an easy and delicious way to add nutrients to your plate.

I usually make sautéed spinach with garlic and parmesan along with red pepper flakes.

These simple, classic flavors taste classy, ​​but still make the main course shine.

Feel free to add your own favorite spices, make your sautéed spinach without garlic, or try one of the recipe variations below.

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The ingredients

• baby spinach. Fresh, tender baby spinach quickly turns into this perfectly crumpled and surprisingly delicious dish. Spinach boasts an impressive array of health benefits (hello fiber and vitamins!).
• olive oil + butter. Cooking the spinach in extra virgin olive oil and butter gives it a flavor boost and an engaging crowd appeal.
• Garlic. Adds a garlicky goodness to every bite without overpowering the other flavors.
• Salt. A pinch of salt makes a world of difference in the overall flavor of your sautéed spinach.
• Parmesan. Because everything gets better with a final pinch of parmesan.

• Red pepper flakes. Adds a touch of spiciness without making the spinach spicy. You can omit the red pepper flakes if you prefer.

The directions

1. Heat oil and butter in a Dutch Oven.

2. When the butter starts to bubble, add the garlic.

3. Add the handful of spinach.

4. Stir each time you add spinach until it starts to wilt. Cover the pot and reduce the heat. Stir again after 3 minutes.

5. Add the salt, some of the Parmesan and the red pepper flakes. Place the spinach in a bowl and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan. DIG IN!

recipe variations

• Sauteed spinach and onions. Chop 1 medium onion. Add the onion to the pan with the garlic and sauté until lightly browned. Finish the recipe as directed.
• Sauteed spinach and tomatoes. To instantly spice up your sautéed spinach, add some roasted tomatoes just before serving.
• Sauteed spinach with bacon. Crumble Air Fryer Bacon or Baked Bacon in the oven just before serving over your spinach.
• Fried spinach with cheese. Prepare this recipe as directed with Parmesan cheese or a similar nutty aged cheese. Add an extra tablespoon for ultra cheesy spinach.
• Sauteed Spinach with Lemon. A squeeze of lemon juice would be lovely on this spinach. Just before serving, stir 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice into the spinach.

storage tips

• To store. Store spinach in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• To warm up. Gently heat the spinach in the microwave until warm.
• Freeze. Pack the sautéed spinach leaves into the wells of an ice cube tray. Freeze until firm. Place the frozen diced spinach in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Thaw the cubes in the refrigerator as needed.

What to serve with sautéed spinach

Mild in flavor, sautéed spinach pairs well with a variety of proteins.

Sides that go well with sautéed spinach

Recommended tools to make this recipe

• casserole. Perfect for this sautéed spinach recipe.
• wooden spoon. One of my most used and loved kitchen tools.
• Sieve. Great for everything from washing spinach to draining pasta.

Boiled spinach can be delicious!

If Popeye (and my parents) had followed this recipe, I probably would have started eating it much younger.

Easier sautéed vegetables