Ingredients (~8 servings)
- 2 lbs baby spinach leaves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ~10-12 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp Kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Rinse and Dry the Spinach
Even if the bag says “pre-washed,” I usually give it a rinse anyway.
Use a salad spinner if you have one – it’s the most efficient way to get the grit out without bruising the leaves.
If you don’t have a spinner, pat them dry with paper towels. The leaves don’t need to be bone dry, but if they are soaking wet, you’ll end up steaming the spinach rather than sautéing it.
Sauté the Garlic
Grab a large Dutch oven or your biggest stock pot.
Two pounds of spinach takes up a massive amount of volume initially – you need the vertical space until it wilts down.
Add the olive oil and bring to medium heat.
Once the oil is shimmering, add the minced garlic.
Cook for ~1 minute. You want it fragrant, not brown. If the garlic burns, it turns bitter and ruins the whole dish, so keep it moving.
Wilt the Spinach
Add the spinach to the pot. If it doesn’t all fit at once, add half, let it wilt slightly for ~30 seconds, and add the rest.
Toss in the salt and pepper.
Cover the pot with a lid. This traps the steam and speeds up the wilting process significantly.
Cook covered for ~1-2 minutes.
Remove the lid and turn the heat up to high.
Stir continuously for ~2 minutes. You’ll notice the volume reduce by about 90% and the liquid release from the leaves.
Finish with Butter and Acid
Once the spinach is fully wilted and dark green, kill the heat.
Stir in the butter and lemon juice immediately.
The residual heat melts the butter, which emulsifies with the lemon juice and pot liquor to create a simple, glossy sauce that coats the leaves.
Garlic Lemon Sautéed Spinach
Ingredients
~8 servings
- 2 lbs baby spinach leaves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ~10-12 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp Kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Rinse spinach and dry with a salad spinner or paper towels.
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat until shimmering.
- Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not brown.
- Add spinach in batches if needed, letting it wilt slightly before adding more.
- Add salt and pepper, then cover pot with lid.
- Cook covered for 1-2 minutes.
- Remove lid, increase heat to high, and stir continuously for 2 minutes until spinach is fully wilted and liquid releases.
- Remove from heat and immediately stir in butter and lemon juice.
