Sauteed Spinach Recipes

Sauteed spinach is a culinary chameleon, pairing well in almost any savory recipe. Sure, you sacrifice a few nutrients when you wilt those tender leafy greens over heat, but you open up a world of ways to pump more iron into each meal.

Skinny Spinach Omelet with Fruit Salad

At District Commons in Washington, D.C., executive chef Jeff Tunks packs his Skinny Spinach Omelet with sautéed spinach and other veggies that fill up his customers without weighing them down.

Yields 4 servings

• ¼ pound baby spinach, washed (about two large handfuls)
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeds removed and sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeds removed and sliced
• 2 large white onions, peeled and sliced
• 10 shitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 8 egg whites (or egg substitute)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ½ bunch green onions, sliced on bias
• 1 avocado, peeled and sliced

Heat a large sauté pan and add one tablespoon of olive oil until shimmering hot. Add peppers and onion to cook until translucent. Add mushrooms and continue to cook until softened. Turn off heat, then finally add spinach and continue to stir until wilted and season to taste. In a non-stick pan, heat one teaspoon of the olive oil and add egg whites or substitutes and let spread evenly to the pan’s edge. Season the eggs lightly with salt and pepper, then flip when the underside is dry enough to do so. Repeat three more times for the other omelets [chef’s note: trust me, the next ones get easier!]

Once flipped, place a fourth of the vegetable mixture in the center of the eggs, fold the omelet over the filling and gently turn out onto a plate. Garnish the omelet with the green onions and the sliced avocado and serve with fruit salad. 

Fruit Salad

• ½ cup Greek yogurt
• 1 pineapple, peeled and diced
• ½ pint blueberries, washed
• 1 grapefruit, peeled and segmented
• 1 orange, peeled and segmented

Mix fruit together gently and serve next to the omelet with a dollop of yogurt for dipping. 

Espinacas a la Catalana

“Espinacas a la Catalana is one of Spain’s most traditional dishes,” says Marc Vidal, executive chef of NYC’s top tapas bar, Boqueria. “We sauté the spinach with a bit of garlic and olive oil, add some garbanzos for texture and pine nuts for a nice, earthy flavor. The combination of pine nuts and sweet raisins is absolutely delicious, and we finish the dish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and touch of sherry vinegar to brighten it up with some acidity.” 

Yields 1 serving

• 4 ounces baby spinach
• 1 clove garlic, sliced
• 1 tablespoon raisins
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespons garbanzo beans
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Salt and pepper

In a large sauté pan, heat the oil with the garlic, taking care not to color the garlic. 

Add the garbanzo beans, raisins, pine nuts and spinach. Season cautiously with salt and pepper, carefully turning spinach with a spoon to wilt. 

Cook about 1 minute, until spinach is wilted by still bright green. Season with vinegar and lemon, taste and adjust as necessary. 

Plate in a shallow bowl, careful not to include too much moisture.