How to Cook Spinach

Co-authored by Jennifer Lease, RD, CDN

Last Updated: July 31, 2024 Approved

Spinach is a leafy green vegetable that can be enjoyed raw or cooked. There are many ways to cook spinach, including boiling, sautéing, and creaming. Spinach can be boiled with little more than salt and water, but sautéing and creaming require extra ingredients to achieve the best flavor.

Ingredients

Preparing Spinach

2 large bunches of spinach, about 1 lb (450 g)

Boiling Spinach

1 to 2 tsp (4.8 to 9.5 g) salt

Sautéing Spinach

2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
Salt, to taste

Creaming Spinach

1 Tbsp (14.3 g) butter
1/4 cup (56.7 g) chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup (125 ml) whipping cream
1/8 tsp (0.59 g) nutmeg
Salt and pepper, to taste

Servings

About 4 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Preparing Spinach

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Use a sharp knife to cut the stems off at the base of each leaf or snap the stems off by hand. You do not need to cut the stem out of the leaf since the part of the stem that extends into the leaf is thin and easy enough to eat.
Soak the spinach inside the water for several minutes to loosen any specks of dirt or sand. Drain the water, rinse the leaves, and then repeat the soaking and draining process once more.

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3
Place the spinach inside a salad spinner. Turn the spinner, shaking the water from the spinach leaves.
- Alternatively, you may allow the leaves to drain by letting them sit out in a mesh or plastic strainer for 30 minutes or by patting them dry with clean paper towels.
The pieces should only be 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) tall.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Boiling Spinach

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Select a stockpot with a 6-quart (6-liter) capacity or more. The leaves should only reach the mid-point of the pot and should not rise much higher.
Fill the stockpot with enough water to just cover the leaves. Make sure that there is at least 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.6 centimeters) of empty space in between the top of the water and the top rim of the pot to prevent the water from boiling over.
Use around 1 to 2 teaspoons (4.8 to 9.5 grams) of salt. You want just enough salt to draw out the flavor of the spinach, but not so much salt that it dominates over the taste of the spinach.
Once it begins to steam, start timing it. Boil the spinach for 3 to 5 minutes.
Shake the drainer to remove any excess water.
Allow it to sit in the ice water for 30 seconds to 1 minute. The ice water "shocks" the spinach, preventing it from losing its bright green color.
Pour the contents of the second pot into a large pasta drainer and shake out excess water.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Sautéing Spinach

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The skillet should be about 12 inches (30 1/2 centimeters) in diameter. Select a skillet with deep sides and heat the oil over medium-high heat. Turn the skillet to coat the entire bottom with the oil.
Sauté the garlic until it begins to brown. This should only take a minute or less. Do not allow the garlic to cook much longer, since it will burn if allowed to cook alone for too long.
If necessary, pat it down into the pan using your hands or a spatula, but be careful to avoid burning yourself on the hot oil.
Use tongs or two spatulas to lift and flip the spinach. Turn the spinach several times until you are certain that all the leaves are coated.
Leave it covered and cook the spinach, without turning, for a full minute.
Turn the spinach again with your tongs or spatulas to re-coat the leaves with oil.
Cook it for 1 more minute.
Drain the pan of any moisture.
Turn the spinach with tongs or spatulas to coat it before serving.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Creaming Spinach

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Follow the above instructions about boiling spinach.
Place the leaves on top of clean paper towels and place a separate layer of paper towels over the spinach. Pat the leaves dry until they no longer appear damp.
3
Set the leaves out onto a cutting board. Coarsely chop the spinach using a sharp, smooth-bladed knife.
- Alternatively, you may also use kitchen shears to cut the leaves into coarsely shredded pieces.
Heat the butter over medium to medium-high heat until it melts and coats the bottom of the skillet.
Cook the onion and the garlic, in butter, for about 5 minutes, allowing the ingredients to release a strong aroma and to caramelize.
Stir the whipping cream into the onions and garlic.
Stir and cook, uncovered, until the mixture begins to boil and thicken.

Wolfgang Puck, Chef and Restaurateur

Cooking well is an art. "Cooking is like painting or writing a song. Just as there are only so many notes or colors, there are only so many flavors – it's how you combine them that sets you apart."
Mix it into the cream, allowing the cream mixture to thoroughly coat the leaves. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the contents of the skillet to simmer, still uncovered, for an additional 2 minutes. The contents should appear even thicker.

Community Q&A

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Question

Can I steam spinach? If so, how?

Community Answer

Spinach can be certainly be steamed. For detailed instructions on how to do so, check How to Steam Spinach

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Question

Can I use fresh milk instead of cream?

Community Answer

Yes. You will just need to put more milk in, so it replaces it better and it makes it more useful.

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Question

Can spinach be microwaved?

Community Answer

It could be, but it won't taste as good or have as nice a texture. Precooked spinach can be heated in a microwave, though.

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Tips

If working with baby spinach, use more delicate methods. Baby spinach can lose too much liquid and shrink significantly when cooked with too much heat.

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Cooked spinach can be used to make spinach soup.

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