Sautéed Spinach with Garlic and Lemon

Sautéed spinach with garlic and lemon is my go-to easy side for chicken and fish. The beauty of this spinach recipe is its simplicity: just 4 ingredients and 10 minutes to make it! If you love spinach, don't miss these other tasty ways to enjoy it!

Espinacas con garbanzos and espinacas a la catalana are both delicious.

Introduction

Before I moved to Spain, I never gave much thought to spinach. It always seemed so underwhelming--good for the body, but not for the tongue.

That all changed when I moved to Seville. The locals really know how to make spinach sing!

A friend of mine gave me this recipe for sautéed spinach with garlic and lemon, a classic side dish for grilled fish or chicken. She got it from her mother, who got it from hers... and so on and so on!

This simple and tasty recipe is definitely worth trying and sharing!

Ingredients

The ingredients for this lovely veggie side dish couldn't be simpler! Grab these 4 ingredients, and you'll be ready to start cooking!

• Spinach: I prefer to use baby spinach, as it's more tender and less bitter than its more mature counterpart.
• Olive Oil: Like all Spanish cuisine, good quality olive oil is one of the stars of the show.
• Garlic: Use freshly crushed or minced garlic to add a wonderful flavor to this simple dish.
• Lemon Juice: Freshly squeeze your own lemon juice for a bright, citrusy tang that will make this spinach sing!

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Sautéed Spinach with Lemon and Garlic

If you’d like to see the full ingredients and instructions, scroll to the bottom of the post for the printable recipe card.

• Heat some olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, then add the garlic and cook for a minute or two, or until fragrant and golden. (image 1)
• Add the spinach leaves and lemon juice to the pan. (image 2)
• Sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted, then remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (image 3)
• Enjoy this sautéed spinach with garlic and lemon right away! (image 4)

Recipe FAQs

What does lemon juice do to spinach? Add lemon juice to sautéed spinach makes it easier for the body to absorb the iron in the spinach and also brightens the flavor with a citrusy punch.

It's a delicious and healthy way to enjoy spinach! How do you make sautéed spinach not bitter?

Adding a splash of lemon juice and not overcooking the spinach will help prevent it from being bitter when sautéed. How do you keep sautéed spinach from being watery? Keep the heat at medium or medium-high so the water in the spinach evaporates quickly, and use a larger pan or add the spinach in batches so it doesn't overcrowd and steam.

Serve

This sautéed spinach with lemon and garlic is a great side dish for fish and white meat, but it's even great with breakfast.

On the side of an egg omelet (or Spanish tortilla) or fried mushrooms, sautéed spinach adds freshness and a touch of wonderful bitterness. While eating spinach for breakfast would be blasphemous in Spain, I'd highly recommend it!

It would definitely be nice with pan con tomate and a café con leche.

Expert Tips

• This recipe calls for baby spinach. You can use more mature spinach, arugula, or other bitter greens like kale, collards, or cavolo nero, but they'll need a bit longer in the pan.
• If you're using a bitter green like kale, you might want to massage the leaves. Simply put them in a mixing bowl with equal splashes of olive oil and lemon juice and rub with your hands for 4-5 minutes before cooking.