Spinach cooked with garlic and olive oil in a skillet on stove top, then sprinkled with freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest. Easy instructions on how to cook spinach the easy way, the natural way.
This is the recipe for the best cooked spinach. It’s cooked with a minimum of ingredients, with the addition of just olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Tasty, quick, healthy, and beautiful side dish! Scroll down to see how to cook spinach. Spinach goes great with pasta, grilled meats, steak, and chicken. It’s very easy to make, inexpensive, paleo, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free!
Cooking tips
If you have too much spinach, or want a steakhouse quality side dish for your grilled meats, this is the right recipe for you! The secret to how to cook fresh spinach properly is to not overcook it.
- Spinach really requires only a couple of minutes of cooking, and then you just let it wilt, off heat, in a covered pan. That’s pretty much all there is to it, plus you also sauté some garlic for flavor.
- When cooking the garlic, make sure it doesn’t burn so keep stirring at all times.
- Add just a touch of fresh lemon juice to your cooked spinach. Do not add a lot, only about a quarter of a small lemon. Do not use bottled lemon juice as it is too acidic!
- Finally, top the spinach with lemon zest! Again, not a lot of lemon zest, just a touch to add a subtle citrus flavor.
That’s how easy it is to cook spinach!
How to cook spinach on stove top
Heat olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add 2 cloves of minced fresh garlic and saute the garlic for about 1 minute, constantly stirring.
Add spinach, a handful at a time, and adding another handful as spinach wilts, and cook, uncovered, on medium-high heat for only a minute or two
This is what the spinach looks like after being cooked only for 1 minute and having been sitting for 2-3 more minutes, off heat, in a covered pan (the photo right below). See how pretty it is, and it has that steakhouse beautiful texture to it?
Spinach doesn’t need more than 1 minute of cooking in a preheated skillet. If you cook it longer, the texture will suffer (it will be crumbly), and spinach can acquire some sort of bitterness to it.
Top the spinach with finely grated lemon zest which adds just the right amount of kick!
Easy main dishes to go with cooked spinach
- Pan-Fried Pork Chops with Honey Lime Glaze
- Cilantro Lime Honey Garlic Salmon
- Trout with Garlic Lemon Butter Herb Sauce
- Honey Lime Chicken Thighs
Similar side dishes
If you liked this freshly cooked spinach, you might also like these freshly cooked green veggies:
- Asiago Bacon Garlic Roasted Asparagus – baked in the oven.
- Oven Roasted Asiago Cheese Broccoli – crunchy and crispy broccoli baked in the oven.
- Garlic and Bacon Green Beans – sautéed on stove top in olive oil and butter.
Spinach is cooked with olive oil and garlic, made even better with freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook spinach the easy way! Easy to make - only about 10 minutes total cooking time! Healthy and beautiful side dish to grilled meats, steak, and chicken. Inexpensive, paleo, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free!
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 16 oz spinach fresh
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/4 whole lemon (freshly squeezed lemon juice)
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest or peel
- salt and cracked pepper
- Sautee spinach uncovered - to really get best spinach results, you cook it just enough to wilt - don't overcook.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add 2 cloves of minced fresh garlic when the oil is hot, and saute the garlic for about 1 minute to release the flavor, constantly stirring to keep garlic from burning.
Add spinach, a handful at a time, and adding another handful as spinach wilts, and cook, uncovered, on medium-high heat for only 1 minute, constantly stirring, uncovered.
- Remove from heat and cover. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes. Uncover, and mix. Squeeze just a touch of fresh lemon juice right out of the lemon (using about a quarter of small lemon), and stir to combine. Do not use bottled lemon juice (it's too acidic).
- Taste the spinach, and add a pinch of salt, if needed (about 1/8 teaspoon), and fresh cracked pepper. It should be enough, add more salt and pepper if needed. Top with lemon zest.
Omg this is soooo good!! If you’re looking for a way to make spinach look no further
I dont like spinach much but eat it “cos its good for you”. i hate the stalks, too hard and chewy! In preparing spinach should only the leaves be used?. Maybe the spinach here in Bali is a tougher breed!
I know what you’re saying about spinach – some spinach does have really thick stalks and huge leaves. That’s “grown-up” spinach and not baby spinach that we usually use here in the US. So, yes, just discard the stalks and use the leaves – you might cook them a bit longer, too.
Can one use raw spinach in a green smoothie?
You can, spinach or kale are good staples for juicing. Better the crushing type rather than centrifugal.
Thanks for the recipe , Great Help for bachelors like me who are cooking for the first time 🙂
So glad you liked it!
Trying to do vegan. Thanks!!!!
Pour the bottled lemon juice into a plastic bowl. Leave it in the refridgerator for 48-72 hours. Then it won’t be bottled. Not sure what other way there could be to get unbottled lemon juice.
How about squeezing an actual lemon..
Fry onions and garlic together with two or three tomatoes untill done then add in chopped spinach. Roll a spoon or two of the cooked spinach in a wrap, eat it, and then force yourself to leave it alone for the next day, If you can.
if the lemon juice that is in the bottle ts too acidic, whch1 shld i use
fresh lemon was suggested using one quarter of a small lemon; take some lemon zest before you cut for squeezing, to sprinkle on the greens after cooking.
Yes, with this recipe, it’s best to use freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Can u substitute a bit of butter for some of the olive oil?
i never eat cooked greens….but these look awesome! may have to try them 🙂
I agree…and I really love fresh spinach. It’s so quick and the touch of lemon is wonderful. I never have luck cooking with frozen spinach so I’ve just stopped. Fresh is best for me with this. : )
I love the clarity and informative manner of Julia’s Album.! My church was giving away bunches and bunches of fresh veggies, and now I don’t have to let the spinach go to waste! Thanks!
Thank you, I am glad you find this recipe useful! 🙂