Here’s a quick and simple post for a quick and simple (and delicious!) side dish. Because I am packing, packing, packing and practically drowning in boxes!
One of the many challenges of moving across the country is this: the stuff in your refrigerator has to be GONE. I absolutely hate wasting food, so I always try my hardest to find creative ways to use things up so I don’t have to throw anything out.
This 5-minute Sauteed Spinach with Garlic and Lemon is a great way to use up a lot of greens with very few ingredients (I used baby spinach, but you can use other baby greens as well)– it’s healthy, amazingly easy, and super tasty. If you have a surplus of baby greens, or if they’ve reached that slightly sketchy point where they are *almost* bad, whip up a batch of these sauteed greens so they don’t go to waste!
We had this as a side with lemon pepper flounder, but it’s also very tasty for breakfast in an omelette or with a fried or poached egg and some hot sauce (a great way to eat veggies for breakfast!). This would be excellent mixed into cooked rice, or served with simple grilled chicken.
And it couldn’t be easier to make.
First, sauté some minced garlic in a nonstick
or cast iron skillet
in some butter (or olive oil) until it becomes fragrant (for about one minute). Add some lemon juice, and pile the spinach (or other baby greens) in the skillet. Add as much as you want- it will look like a TON, but because fresh greens contain so much water, they will wilt down as they cook and release the liquid.
Every once in a while, stir the spinach around, trying to get the cooked leaves on top and the uncooked ones on the bottom. You can cover the skillet for the first minute if you want to get the process started more quickly. The spinach will only take a few minutes to cook down until it’s ready to eat. Don’t cook it for too long, or it will become very mushy and turn brown (you want the final result to be bright green still).
Just after cooking, season liberally with salt and pepper. DO NOT be afraid of the salt.
That’s it! You’re done! Recipe below- enjoy :-)
5-Minute Sautéed Spinach with Garlic and Lemon
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or butter
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1/2 of a lemon)
- 5 oz. baby spinach (or other baby greens) (about 3 cups packed)
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil (1 tablespoon) over medium-high heat in a large skillet (preferably non-stick).
- Add the minced clove of garlic; sauté for one minute or until fragrant.
- Add the lemon juice and the spinach. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until greens are wilted (but not browned).
- Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Notes
- This recipe works well with almost any baby green, such as arugula, or a spring mix. If you use mature greens, such as mature spinach, kale, or collards, it may take longer to cook.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Gośka
Quick, easy and delicious. Will definitely be making again. Thank you
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
karen
always make sautéed spinach and garlic… but the lemon took it up a few notches!!!! Thank you
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Jan W
OMGoodness! I’m 73 and just started buying fresh spinach because I saw some recipes for creamed spinach that sounded pretty good. Thought it might help disguise the taste, LOL I tried it and liked it, so it became my go to. My mother used to buy the frozen 10 oz. boxes of spinach and would add water to the pan and boil it until it looked like pond scum. Then she’d decorate the top with boiled egg slices. My brothers and I hated it, but had to eat everything on our plates…. or else! That explains why I have been turned off all these years and never looked at any recipes. I knew I needed to eat healthier and started hunting for something without the cream. This recipe is a game changer and is now my go to! Lemon!! Who knew! Thank you for helping me find something I can’t get enough of! 😋
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
deborah
This was so delicious! I threw in some chopped red onions and it was the perfect bed for my instant pot salmon.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Mahhkk
I have a similar recipe – such a great use of spinach!
Elizabeth
Thanks! I love how the lemon cuts the bitterness of the spinach- makes it easy to eat a ton of it!
Kate @ Framed Cooks
Healthy and delicious and perfect! (I love spinach!) And your pictures are GORGEOUS!
Elizabeth
Thanks so much, Kate!