Looking for a quick and easy side dish that's both healthy and nutritious? Look no further than this 10-minute stir-fried spinach with garlic!
This easy stir-fry recipe is the perfect way to get your daily dose of leafy greens while also adding some delicious flavour to your meal.
Pair with any main dish you want as it goes well with virtually anything! Here are some suggestions: honey glazed salmon bake, homestyle soy sauce chicken and Chinese sausage fried rice.
In this recipe, I'll show you the most important yet simple tips to get your spinach to taste incredibly delicious every time!
A common side dish to a Chinese dinner
Stir-fried leafy greens, whether it is English spinach, bok choy, gai lan or gai choy, are a staple side dish in many Chinese dinners at home. This is particularly so when the main dishes are flavour-packed like cumin lamb noodles or mapo tofu served with rice.
A simply prepared vegetable dish perfectly complements rich and delicious mains, all the while keeping things healthy.
A Western equivalent would be the stir-fried baby spinach on brunch menus at your favourite cafes!
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Ingredients
- English spinach - this recipe works best with English spinach as the tender stems not only add volume (and fibre), it also helps make the dish nice and juicy! You can use baby spinach instead (bear in mind, it'll be less juicy), just be sure to use a similar weight which is about 400g (14 oz) for this recipe.
- Olive oil - not traditionally used in Chinese cooking, it is more common to use neutral-tasting oils like sunflower oil. However, it is a healthier choice and I find the subtle flavour of olive oil to be welcoming. In fact, I prefer to use extra virgin olive oil to make stir-fried spinach, it tastes great!
Clean spinach thoroughly
English spinach is muddy! This is because it is grown in sandy soil. It is one of the dirtiest veggies you can buy that has lots of hidden dirt, like leeks!
See all that dirt? This is why it is important to wash spinach thoroughly before you cut and cook them.
How to wash spinach
- Fill a clean kitchen sink with cold water.
- Discard any damaged or wilted leaves from the spinach bunches.
- Submerge spinach in cold water and soak for a minute and watch the dirt settle to the bottom like in the pictures here. Then, swirl/shake the spinach in the water gently with your hand to get rid of the mud. Tip: before putting the spinach in the water, cut off the roots - for a thorough cleaning.
- Lift the spinach out of the water and transfer them to a colander or strainer.
- Drain the sink and wash the sink off any residual mud.
- Option A) Refill the sink with cold water and repeat steps 3 to 5 two more times or until the water and sink are completely free of mud or grit. Option B) Rinse the spinach, a few stems or a plant at a time, under cold running water to remove any remaining dirt or grit.
- Shake off any excess water thoroughly (important)!
Shake excess water off washed spinach beforehand so that it can develop depth of flavour and complexity with a good sizzle when stir-frying!
Head on over to my beef noodle stir-fry recipe to learn about the art of stir-frying and the importance of heat, speed and preparedness!
Cooking instructions
With a cook time of about 3 minutes, a plate of stir-fried spinach is one easy answer to upping your daily veggie intake!
To start, finely mince garlic then, cut washed spinach into 4cm (1.5 inches) lengths.
You may have to cut spinach in 2 batches given the sheer volume at 400g (14 ounces)!
To begin cooking, add olive oil and minced garlic to a large, preheated wok or frying pan. Stir fry garlic over high heat until fragrant and lightly golden.
Add all of the spinach in (remember to shake off any excess water).
Stir fry spinach over high heat for about 2 minutes. You'll find the spinach will start to wilt, reduce in size very quickly and turn vibrant green!
As soon as this happens, season with salt and pepper to taste.
That's it! Literally, just 3 minutes is all it takes! How good is that?
For extra flavour, top with a few drops of sesame oil and a sprinkle of sesame seeds on your stir-fried spinach to serve. It'll add an extra layer of nuttiness to it!
Serving suggestions
The possibilities are endless! You can pair this juicy, tender and garlicky stir-fried spinach with not just Chinese dishes but any cuisine. Serve with noodles, rice, meats, etc.
Here are some dinner combinations to serve with this spinach stir fry:
- Honey soy chicken bake plus freshly steamed rice.
- 15-minute pan-seared butter garlic pork chops plus crusty bread.
- Flavour-packed beef with black bean sauce plus freshly steamed rice.
- 15-minute spicy garlic prawn pasta.
Useful tips and tricks
- Do not overcook spinach as it'll start to lose its vibrant green colour and begin to darken and turn brownish. Not very appetising!
- Once cooked, do not place a lid over the wok or pan. This will trap the heat inside the wok and continue the cooking process and hence the spinach will turn brownish.
- Season the spinach once it is cooked and not before for optimal flavour and texture. Pre-salting vegetables can cause them to release excess liquid during cooking. When stir-frying spinach, it is therefore important to remove as much moisture as possible (by shaking off any excess liquid) BEFORE you start cooking. This allows the leaves to develop complexity and depth of flavour when stir-frying.
- This technique is very useful when sauteeing mushrooms and is key to golden, caramelised mushrooms! If you are a fan of mushrooms, try my healthy alternative to creamy mushroom pasta that's made without any cream!
FAQs
As soon as it has wilted, turned tender and vibrant green! This usually takes just 2 minutes to stir fry spinach over high heat.
Loosely wrap English spinach with paper towels and store it in airtight containers or zip-lock bags. This will prevent the leaves from rotting. Raw spinach can last up to 10 days in the fridge if stored like this.
Leftovers and storage
Store any leftover stir-fried spinach with garlic in an airtight container. Lasts for 3 to 7 days in the fridge.
Made this recipe? Let me know your thoughts or questions by dropping a note in the comments section below.
I'd love to hear from you. 🙂
- Gen
📖 Recipe
Stir-Fried Spinach with Garlic
Ingredients
- 1 bunch English spinach ~400g (14oz), washed, cut into 4cm (1½inch) in length
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Garnish (optional)
- toasted sesame seeds
- sesame oil
Instructions
- In a large frying pan or wok on high heat, add olive oil and garlic. Stir fry until garlic is highly golden and fragrant. About 30 seconds.
- Add spinach and stir fry on high heat until spinach is wilted and softened. About 2 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Optional: sprinkle with sesame seeds and add a few drops of sesame oil to serve.
Notes
-
- This technique is very useful when sauteeing mushrooms and is key to golden, caramelised mushrooms! If you are a fan of mushrooms, try my healthy alternative to creamy mushroom pasta that's made without any cream!
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