How to cook spinach leaves by steaming, microwaving, or sautéing. Spinach leaves cook very quickly and they are very easy to do and are packed full of goodness.
Spinach leaves are packed full of Vitamin A and K and have a good amount of Vitamin C as well as other vitamins and minerals including magnesium, manganese, and of course not to forget iron. They also have fibre calcium and folate.
Below are several easy ways to cook spinach from straightforward steaming or microwaving and a simple way of Sautéing your leaves.
If you are growing spinach it is a great plant to grow as it is cut and come again making it a great value in time, space and investment.
How to Cook Spinach Leaves
How to Prepare Spinach Leaves for Cooking
Preparing your leaves is really easy as they do not need much preparation for basic cooking. All you need to do is wash them in cold water and cut off any of the thick stems. If you are buying ready-cut leaves this is doubly important due to the storage process used in shops.
If you are using homegrown spinach or large leaves make sure you gently move around while washing to get rid of any bits of soil that might have attached themselves to the leaves. Do a quick check for any unwelcome extras.
How to Steam Spinach in a Steamer on the Hob
- Wash your spinach leaves as above
- Pop them into your steamer
- Make sure you have enough water in your steamer so that it doesn’t get dry
- Steam your leaves on medium heat for 3 to 3 and a half minutes approximately
- Check for wilting once wilted they are ready
- Remove them from the steamer and serve immediately while they are hot.
How to cook Spinach in a Microwave
- Wash your leaves thoroughly as above
- Place in a microwavable bowl or plate
- Cooking times for your ovens. A Cat D (750w) is approx 2½ mins and a Cat E (850w) is about 2 mins cooking time.
Cooking Tip: Spinach leaves cook really quickly. Watch out for them to start to wilt. This is when they are ready.
How To Sauté Baby Spinach
Ingredients
- 400 g of Baby Spinach 14 US oz
- 22 ml tablespoons Oil 1.5 US tablespoons
- 1-2 cloves garlic to taste
- Instructions
Instructions
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Put the oil into the pan and heat
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Pop your baby spinach into the pan
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Pile it high as it reduces right down once it starts cooking
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Once it is cooking add your garlic
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Use tongs to mix up and toss around your baby spinach and garlic
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Once your leaves are wilting it is cooked and ready to serve
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Serve immediately
Recipe Notes
Ideally, you need a sauté pan with high sides for this, however, any high-sided frying pan or skillet with a flat wide base will work. You are looking for maximum contact with the heat source.
How to Sauté Spinach Video Example with an Alternative Recipe
This fantastic Video by Laura Vitale shows how to Sauté Spinach in clear easy steps.
