How to Sauté Spinach

Spinach is a highly nutritious leafy vegetable filled with vitamins C, A and B, folate and a little vitamin K.[1] This makes it a good vegetable to include in your diet on a regular basis. There are many ways to enjoy spinach and sautéed spinach is probably the fastest, plus it tastes great.

Ingredients

Sautéed spinach with garlic

  • 3 10-ounce (285g) bunches of spinach or 2 pounds (900g) loose spinach
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, butter or other preferred fat
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Sautéed spinach with mushrooms

  • 1 pound (450g) baby spinach or 2 pounds (900g) bunch spinach, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
  • 1/2 pound (225g) mushrooms
  • 1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:
Preparing the spinach

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    1
    Cut off the spinach stalks. Remove any yellowing or wilting leaves.
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    Wash in lots of water. The best method is to place all the leaves in a large colander and dunk into a sink filled with cold water.
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    Shake the water off or spin in a salad spinner. Wet spinach will not sauté well.

Method 2
Method 2 of 3:
Sautéed spinach with garlic

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    1
    Warm the olive oil in a large sauté pan or a heavy skillet. Keep on medium heat.
  2. Image titled Sauté Spinach Step 5
    2
    Stir in the garlic. Cook the garlic for 3 minutes or until it shows signs of just going brown.
    • Butter will cook faster than other fats, so if using it, keep an eye on the sautéing and be ready to turn down the heat sooner. However, some people believe it tastes better with spinach and marries more harmoniously than does oil.
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    3
    Turn the heat up to high. Add one third of the spinach leaves.
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    4
    Stir continuously until the leaves wilt down. Then add the next third and stir just the same about 1 minute later.
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    Add the final third when the second third has cooked down.
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    Cook the spinach until all liquid evaporates. This will take about 5 minutes and be sure to stir frequently to prevent sticking.
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    Remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Then serve immediately.
    • Some grated lemon zest goes perfectly with sautéed spinach.

Method 3
Method 3 of 3:
Sautéed spinach with mushrooms

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    1
    Heat the olive oil or butter in a large sauté pan or heavy skillet. Bring the heat to medium-high.
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    Add the mushrooms. Stir frequently while cooking for about 5 minutes. The mushrooms are done when they start sweating and look seared.
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    Turn down the heat to medium. Add the garlic, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Stir for a minute or so until the mushrooms become tender.
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    Add the spinach in thirds. When one third has wilted, add the next, and so on. Stir frequently to prevent sticking.
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    Remove from the heat. Serve hot or warm.
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    Finished.

Warnings

Things You'll Need

  • Cutting board and knife
  • Salad spinner
  • Large sauté pan/skillet
  • Serving implement


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References

  1. ↑ Good Housekeeping, Complete Cook's Book
  2. ↑ http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/04/health/nutrition/04recipehealth.html?_r=0
  3. ↑ John Newton, Food: The Essential A-Z Guide, p. 389, (2001), ISBN 1-74045-031-0
  4. First recipe adapted from: James Peterson, Vegetables, p. 273, (1998), ISBN 0-688-14658-9
  5. Second recipe adapted from: New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/04/health/nutrition/04recipehealth.html?_r=0

About This Article

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Co-authors: 6
Updated: May 6, 2021
Views: 49,233
Categories: Fruits and Vegetables
Article SummaryX

To sauté spinach, start by washing the leaves thoroughly and shaking off as much of the water as possible. Next, heat olive oil in a skillet, then add garlic cloves and cook until they start turning brown. At that point, turn the heat up to high and add ⅓ of the spinach leaves. Once they wilt, add the next ⅓ and stir for 1 minute. Finally, add the last ⅓ of the leaves, and cook for 5 minutes or until the all the liquid evaporates. To learn more, including how to sauté spinach with mushrooms, scroll down.

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