Sautéed spinach and leeks is a quick and easy, healthy side dish with simple ingredients and delicious flavor! It's going to be your new go-to veggie side!
It's been an emotional week here.
The kiddos are wrapping up their school years...J in 3-year-old preschool and M in kindergarten. It's bittersweet but also happy daysand a fun week of parties.
Also though, my cousin passed away last weekend and we had her funeral service yesterday.
She was a bit older than me and someone I've looked up to all my life. (Literally, in fact - she was super tall and oh so glamorous!)
In my mind, she was bigger than life. She was so funny, so smart, so stylish, so beautiful. And far, far too young. She will be dearly missed.
It's also a reminder that life is precious, life is short and life is not guaranteed. So let's live.
And also, let's dive into the food.
It’s been a long time since I told myself I’d start eating more leeks. Like, on a weekly basis. (I talk about this in my salmon and leeks recipe post too.)
Cause leeksare really that good for you.
Or, actually, they are that good for the bacteria that live in your gut.
The gut microbiome — which means all the bacteria, good and bad, that live in your digestive tract — have been found to have ties to all kinds of other aspects of our health. Not just digestive stuff, it’s even been linked to mental health.
Anyway, leeks are great fuel for those good bacteria in your gut and I for sure want to keep mine happy.
But you know, life gets in the way and I haven’t been eating leeks on the regular like I wanted. So recently I tried to get back in the habit and find some quick + easy ways to incorporate leeks. Hence, this recipe.
Quick and easy sautéed spinach and leeks is a new go-to recipe for me as a simple side dish.
We like sautéed spinach on its own, and it’s one of our fave veggie side dishes. (Check out these ways to use fresh spinach - it's such a versatile veggie.)
But I thought, what if I could add in a sliced leek and have that be one easy way to sneak more leeks into our diets.
And sure enough, we really liked it!
The leeks get just barely tender and soft and they melt right in with the silky spinach. The garlic adds a little background flavor and the Parmesan, which is completely optional, gives it a nice, rich finish.
Plus, this recipe is just 3 ingredients!
It's also vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and low carb.
OK, let's get cooking.
Now, I’ve got some notes and tips coming up below on how to make spinach and leeks. Just tryin’ to be helpful.
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Ingredient Notes:
- Spinach - You'll need 8 oz of baby spinach or regular bagged spinach. Check your bag size; you may need 2 bags. (Remember, spinach wilts down a LOT.) You could also substitute kale or another dark leafy green, but your cook time will be longer.
- Leeks - You just need 1 medium leek for this recipe and we're using the white and lighter green parts. Details below on how to clean and prep leeks.
- Olive oil - I use extra-virgin olive oil to saute the leeks and spinach. You could also substitute butter or even try it with coconut oil if you prefer.
- Parmesan - This is optional but adds a bit of richness as well as a nutty finish.
Oh, and if you are new to leeks, here's a couple tips on cleaning them.
How to clean and prep leeks:
Leeks are grown in sandy soil, so they need a good cleaning before they are ready to use in a recipe.
- Rinse the entire leek. Then cut off the dark green leaf end and trim the root end, leaving just the white and green stalk area to work with.
- Slice the stalk into thin rings.
- Place the sliced leek rings into a large bowl of cold water. Toss them around in the water to remove any sand, dirt and grit from the inner layers. Let them sit for at least 2-3 minutes.
- Gently lift the leeks from the bowl of water and place in a colander to drain. This way you leave behind the dirty water and any grit that's fallen to the bottom of the bowl.
Now they are ready to use for this recipe!
If you haven’t used leeks yet, I hope you’ll give this sautéed spinach and leeks recipe a try. And maybe join me in my goal to make leeks a regular staple. Our guts will be so happy.
Speaking of, if you have a favorite way to use leeks, please leave me a comment below - I’m always up for new ideas!
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Yield: 4 servings
Sautéed spinach and leeks is a quick and easy, healthy side dish with simple ingredients and delicious flavor!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Total Time13 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium leek, cleaned, trimmed and sliced (see notes)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 8 oz. bag fresh spinach or baby spinach
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-low heat.
- Add leeks and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until softened.
- Add garlic and sauté an additional 30 seconds.
- Add spinach and stir for 2-3 minutes until spinach is mostly wilted.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if using, and serve hot.
Notes
Olive oil: You can substitute coconut oil or unsalted butter for the olive oil if you prefer.
To prepare the leeks, trim off the dark green leaf end and the root end. Thinly slice the leek in rings and place in a bowl of cold water. Toss them around in the water to remove any sand, dirt and grit from the inner layers. Let them sit for at least 2-3 minutes. Gently lift the leeks from the bowl of water and place in a colander. This way you leave behind the dirty water and any grit that’s fallen to the bottom of the bowl. Now they are ready to use!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 42Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 151mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 3g
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