How do you sauté spinach for breakfast?

Spinach is a fast and healthy choice for any meal. The easiest way to sauté spinach with eggs or breakfast meats is to cook it in the same pan. If adding eggs, cook fresh spinach in a little butter or oil over medium heat until the moisture simmers away. Then you can make space in the pan and fry your eggs. Or just pour in your whisked eggs for a scramble. With frozen spinach, you can add it right in the pan at the same time you fry or scramble your eggs. It's pre-cooked and a small amount won't flood the pan with liquid.

What is the best way to store spinach?

To get the longest shelf life out of fresh spinach, discard any wilting or discolored leaves and wrap the spinach in damp paper towels. Then store the wrapped leaves in an airtight container like a glass dish with a lid or plastic food storage baggie.

Can you freeze spinach?

To freeze fresh spinach leaves you can either blanch them first by dropping them quickly in a pot of boiling water for just a minute. Or simply freeze the fresh leaves in a freezer bag or airtight container. If you choose to blanch your spinach, you may want to squeeze the excess water out with a kitchen towel before freezing.

How to Sauté Spinach [And Add Loads of Flavor]

Ingredients

Scale

About 12 ounces (2 small packages) of baby or frozen spinach, or mature spinach leaves*
¼ teaspoon of kosher or flake salt
1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil or butter
½ of a shallot, peeled and minced, optional
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced, optional
2 mandarins or clementines, peeled and segmented, optional

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Instructions

If you are adding garlic or shallots or both, remove the skin and mince them well. The easiest way to mince aromatic vegetables is to first chop them into small pieces. Then run your knife back and forth over the pile with short up and down chopping motions until the pieces are very small.
Heat a medium or large sauté pan of any kind over medium heat.
In a couple of tablespoons of olive oil or butter, sauté minced garlic, shallots, or onions until they soften and turn translucent. Keep the heat low enough that the vegetables don't brown too much. Add a pinch of salt to the aromatics as you cook them.
Add your fresh or frozen spinach to the pan, a pinch of salt, and turn the heat up a little bit. If all of the spinach doesn't fit at first, add it in stages once the first leaves in the pot wilt down and space opens up.
Stir occasionally while the spinach softens and cooks. If the spinach begins to stick, splash a little water, stock, or broth in the pan to loosen up the stuck leaves and prevent burning.
Season the greens with a tiny pinch more salt and freshly ground black pepper, if you like. Last, drizzle in a little extra virgin olive oil or mix in a tablespoon or two of butter.
Store any leftover sautéed spinach sealed in an airtight container for up to a week. Or freeze for a few months.

Notes

On Buying Fresh Spinach

The small bags or containers of baby spinach are typically five to six ounces. If you plan to buy bunches of mature spinach, three or four bunches should equal the same amount as two small bags. Peel mature spinach leaves off of the stem and roughly chop them before cooking.

How to Store Fresh Spinach

Right after buying spinach, discard any wilting or discolored leaves and wrap the spinach in paper towels. Then sprinkle cold water on the towels until they are damp. Place the wrapped leaves in an airtight container like a glass dish with a lid or plastic food storage baggie.

On the Nutrition Information

The Nutrition Information below is based on the recipe as written with one small shallot, two cloves of garlic, the segments of two small clementines, and two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

Author: Christina
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: About 8 minutes
Category: Vegan
Method: Sautéeing
Cuisine: French
Diet: Vegetarian

Nutrition

Serving Size:
Calories: 419
Sugar: 18.8 g
Sodium: 856.5 mg
Fat: 29.8 g
Saturated Fat: 4.3 g
Carbohydrates: 37.2 g
Fiber: 10.8 g
Protein: 11.7 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: spinach, how to saute spinach, sauteed spinach with garlic