No more drab, tasteless, steamed spinach. This spinach is perky and vibrant, and it's a great accompaniment to so many dishes. Plus, I don't know about you, but fresh greens in winter just don't do it for me. This smoky Sauteed Spinach and Onions is a great compromise! Awesome spinach nutrition in a smoky, warming side dish.
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Popeye might love canned spinach, but I don't know many other people that do. Plus, it's super simple to make it with fresh spinach, and it's a great way to use up spinach that isn't bad yet, but isn't really good to eat in a salad anymore.
Sauteed spinach and onions goes great with Lentil Stuffed Peppers, Lemon Pepper Tofu, or Italian Lentil and Rice Casserole. Also consider stuffing this smoky spinach in sandwiches, wraps, and burgers, or even topping a pizza with it!
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Heart Health Benefits of Sauteed Spinach and Onions
Spinach is high in antioxidants and other bioactive compounds that can help reduce inflammation, lower blood sugar, reduce cholesterol, and may even help with weight loss (1).
It's also been reported that eating nitrate-rich vegetables (of which spinach is one!) can offer special heart protective benefits, helping blood vessels to relax (2), lowering blood pressure, and limiting the progression of atherosclerosis (3).
Additionally, spinach is very low in calories, fat, and sodium, high in vitamin C, vitamin K, and a good source of vitamin A, magnesium, and potassium.
I love that spinach is so readily available, and it's budget friendly, too.
Ingredients
This spinach side dish is a breeze, and we use some basic ingredients to achieve it.
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Smoked paprika
- Spinach
- Lemon juice
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Here are your step by step instructions to one of the best sauteed spinach recipes!
- Step 1: Chop the onions small.
- Step 2: Heat the oil in a large skillet, and sauté the onions.
- Step 3: Sauté the onions until they start to turn brown and a little crispy.
- Step 4: Meanwhile, mince the garlic.
- Step 5: When the onions are browned, add the garlic and smoked paprika, and continue to cook, stirring constantly.
- Step 6: Add the spinach and put the lid on the pan for a minute. Stir and replace the lid. Continue this process until the spinach is just wilted.
- Step 7: Turn off the heat, and pour in the lemon juice.
- Step 8: Stir to combine.
Hint: you can use bottled lemon juice if you wish! Use 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons of it.
Substitutions
Try this sauteed spinach and onions recipes with some of these subs!
- Spinach - you can use another robust green, like kale, collard greens, or even arugula
- Smoked paprika - use a dash of liquid smoke
- Lemon - try lime juice for a slightly different flavor profile
Equipment
Probably the most important piece of equipment for this recipe is a large pan with a lid. Even though spinach cooks down A LOT, you need to have enough room to contain all of it in a raw state. I love this Ninja NeverStick PossiblePan (affiliate), but any other large skillet will work. The lid is important.
Otherwise, make sure you have some basic kitchen tools, like a cutting board and knife, measuring spoons, and maybe a citrus juicer (affiliate).
Alternatively, if the only pan you have is a smaller one, you can add a smaller amount of spinach at a time, and keep adding more as it cooks down. This can lead to some of the spinach getting overcooked, though, so use this technique only if you have to.
Storage
You'll want to serve this immediately. It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days; just know that the color will change and it won't look as vibrant. Still perfectly tasty, though!
Pro tip
Only sauté until the spinach is just wilted, and no longer. You don't want the spinach getting overcooked!
FAQ
The short answer is yes. The longer answer is you need to make sure you consume a consistent amount of vitamin K daily if you are taking coumadin (warfarin). Make sure to keep your prescribing doctor in the loop if your intake goes up or down, since your medication may need to be adjusted. Read more about Vitamin K and Heart Health.
Yes! In fact, adding a little fat (i.e. the olive oil) helps to make the vitamin A and vitamin K in the spinach more available to our bodies! Just be sure not to go overboard on high sodium sprinklings.
Related
Looking for more veggie side recipes? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite entrees to serve with Sauteed Spinach and Onions:
Featured Review
"Excellent combination of flavors and so easy to prepare. I added some grilled tofu I had leftover and made it a meal!"
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
📖 Recipe
Sauteed Spinach and Onions with Smoked Paprika
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon Olive Oil
- ½ large Yellow Onion chopped small
- 3 Garlic cloves minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 12 oz Fresh Spinach
- ½ Lemon juiced (or 1 - 1 ½ tablespoons bottled juice)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet. Reduce heat to medium, and add the chopped onion. Sauté until you can see the edges starting to char and get crispy.
- Add the minced garlic and smoked paprika. Continue to cook, stirring constantly for about a minute.
- Add the spinach and cover the pan with a lid.
- After a minute or so, remove the lid and stir.
- Continue covering for a minute and stirring until the spinach is completely wilted. It won't take more than 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Add lemon juice. Toss to combine.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
*Nutrition information is an estimate, and will change based on the brand and individual ingredients and amounts you use. This is provided for your convenience only.
Food safety
Safety is our top priority in the kitchen! Always keep these tips in mind.
- Wash hands before touching food, and after touching raw meat, your hair, face, pets, etc.
- Make sure all needed utensils and equipment are clean
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
- Always open the lid of cooking pots away from your face to avoid scalding burns
Carla Pilla-Daniels says
Excellent combination of flavors and so easy to prepare. I added some grilled tofu I had leftover and made it a meal!
Laura Yautz says
Oh, grilled tofu sounds like an excellent addition! Thanks for sharing, Carla. I'm glad you liked it!