Steamed Spinach

Steamed spinach is quick and easy to make in under 10 minutes from start to finish. It’s as simple as placing it in a steamer basket over boiling water and letting it rest until wilted. 

Why this recipe works

A dash of salt, pepper, and butter helps add extra flavor to steamed spinach but you can easily experiment with other seasonings or toss in garlic, nuts, or parmesan cheese as you see fit. 

Did you know that steaming spinach actually helps it retain more nutrients compared to other cooking methods? There are many ways to cook spinach, whether you sautee, fry, or steam it – the results are a little different each time with each method providing a slightly different taste or texture.

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

SPINACH – We used 8 ounces of raw spinach leaves, rinsed and dried. Regular or baby spinach can be used.

ADDITIONS – You can enjoy the spinach as is or add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and butter as we did. Season with your heart. Other additions include a squeeze of lemon juice over the cooked spinach, grated parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, minced garlic, or slivered nuts.

How to Make Steamed Spinach

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

1. Add water to the bottom of a steam pot and place the steam basket in. Bring water to a boil and turn heat down to medium.
2. Add spinach to the steamer basket and put the lid on. Steam for 3 minutes, or until spinach is wilted.
3. Season to taste with Kosher salt, garlic powder, and/or butter.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

Serving Suggestions

Steamed spinach pairs well with many different things from beef, pork, chicken, fish, or vegetarian meals. Optionally garnish with melted butter, grated parmesan cheese, crumbled bacon, or a squeeze of lemon juice.

More Spinach Recipes

• Fried Spinach
• Spinach Souffle
• Sauteed Spinach
• Creamed Spinach

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Steamed Spinach

Steamed spinach makes a healthy, versatile side dish you can prepare in mere minutes.

5 from 2 votes

IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: 3 servings

8 minutes mins

Calories: 17

Author: Amanda Davis

Ingredients

• ▢ 8 ounces raw spinach leaves rinsed and dried
• ▢ water
• ▢ Kosher salt to taste, optional
• ▢ garlic powder to taste, optional
• ▢ unsalted butter to taste, optional

Things You’ll Need

• ▢
  Steam pot

Before You Begin

• You can use regular or baby spinach. Raw spinach is preferable over frozen spinach as the texture is much more palatable. If you substitute with frozen spinach, add on a few extra minutes until wilted.

Instructions

• Add water to the bottom of a steam pot and place the steam basket in. Bring water to a boil and turn heat down to medium.
• Add spinach to the steamer basket and put the lid on. Steam for 3 minutes, or until spinach is wilted.
• Season to taste with Kosher salt, garlic powder, and/or butter.

Expert Tips & FAQs

• The nutrition facts listed reflect just the spinach. It does not include any additions such as butter, salt, garlic powder, etc. 
• Although steamed spinach is best served right away, you can store leftovers in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• You can enjoy the spinach as is or add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and butter as we did. Season with your heart. Other additions include a squeeze of lemon juice over the cooked spinach, grated parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, minced garlic, or slivered nuts.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 17cal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.05g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 60mg | Potassium: 422mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 7089IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 2mg

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