Sautéed Spinach (serves 2)

  • 250–300g fresh baby spinach (looks like a mountain — it reduces dramatically)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced or minced
  • Salt and pepper
  • Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
  • Optional: pinch of chilli flakes, grating of nutmeg, splash of soy sauce
  1. 1

    Heat oil in a wide pan on medium-high

    Use a wide, large pan — you need room for the spinach before it wilts. Heat olive oil until shimmering.

  2. 2

    Add garlic and cook 30 seconds

    Add sliced or minced garlic to the hot oil. Stir constantly for 30 seconds until fragrant and just starting to colour. Do not let it burn — burnt garlic turns bitter.

  3. 3

    Add all the spinach at once

    Add all the spinach — it will be piled high. It looks like too much but wilts to a tiny fraction of its raw volume in under 2 minutes.

  4. 4

    Toss with tongs and cook 1–2 minutes

    Using tongs, toss the spinach constantly — moving it around so it all comes into contact with the hot pan. It wilts rapidly. Once all the spinach has wilted and is bright green (about 1–2 minutes), remove from heat immediately — overcooked spinach goes dark, slimy and loses its fresh flavour.

  5. 5

    Season and serve immediately

    Season generously with salt and pepper. Add a squeeze of lemon juice — this brightens the flavour significantly. Drain any excess liquid from the pan before plating. Serve immediately — spinach does not hold well.

Serving ideasAlongside grilled fish or chicken. As a base for poached eggs. Stirred into pasta. Folded into an omelette. On toast with a fried egg. Topped with a little crumbled feta and toasted pine nuts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Fresh spinach reduces to about 10% of its raw volume when cooked. For a side dish for 2, start with 250–300g of raw baby spinach. For a side for 4, use 500–600g. Always buy more spinach than you think you need — it is impossible to overcook-shrink it to the point where you have too much.
Yes for most applications — frozen spinach is already cooked and just needs heating through. Thaw in a colander and squeeze out as much liquid as possible (frozen spinach holds a lot of water that dilutes the dish). Add to the pan after the garlic and heat for 1–2 minutes. The flavour and texture are different to fresh but frozen spinach is cheaper, convenient and nutritionally comparable.