Saute Spinach

This wok-sauteed spinach is about as stripped-down as a vegetable side gets: fresh spinach, sliced onion, oil, and salt. The technique is what makes it worth learning. Hot oil in a wok, onion first, then spinach stirred from the bottom up with a cover-and-uncover rhythm that wilts the greens evenly without steaming them into mush.

Getting the oil to the smoking point before adding anything is essential for wok cooking. That screaming-hot oil sears the onion and spinach on contact, giving them a slightly charred flavor that lower heat simply can’t produce. This is the difference between sauteed greens and boiled greens.

Stirring from the bottom of the wok pushes the wilted leaves up and the raw ones down into the heat. This rotation ensures every leaf gets the same treatment. Covering briefly between stirs traps steam that speeds the wilting, but lifting the lid and stirring prevents the spinach from going limp and watery.

Five full minutes in the wok might seem long for spinach, but the cover-uncover method keeps the heat moderate enough that the greens retain their color and don’t overcook into an army-green pile.

Kitchen Tips

• Wash the spinach thoroughly in several changes of water. Sandy spinach is the fastest way to ruin this dish
• Shake off excess water but don’t dry the spinach completely. A little residual moisture creates the steam that helps with wilting
• Use a large wok or the widest skillet you own. Spinach needs room. Crowding means steaming instead of searing
• This technique works identically with bok choy, lettuce, celery cabbage, or rapini

Variations

• Add 2 cloves of minced garlic with the onion for a classic garlic spinach
• Finish with a splash of soy sauce and a drizzle of sesame oil for an Asian-inspired flavor
• Toss in a handful of sliced mushrooms with the onion for a heartier side