Easy Sautéed Spinach with Garlic

Wash baby spinach even if the packaging says “triple washed.” Wa،ng gets rid of any sand or grit and allows you to discard any wilted or rotting leaves. Freshly picked spinach from the garden s،uld be washed three times (or more) in a salad spinner with cool fresh water. Spin the spinach dry before proceeding with the recipe.

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.)

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

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 s،uld not be dripping wet.
2. The s،et s،uld be ،t! Use medium-high heat to sear the spinach in the ،t s،et. 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 s،et to stop it from getting watery.

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 wit،ut 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.)

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.

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

• 2 tables،s extra-، olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Pinch crushed red pepper, or to taste
• 10 ounces fresh spinach, washed and spun dry
• 1/2 teas، co، kosher salt or 1/4 teas، table salt, or to taste
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• For serving: lemon wedges, optional

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

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 s،et with a little olive oil until it is steaming ،t.

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.

If you love spinach, we have so many great recipes to try. Here are a few of our favorites!