Easy Sauteed Mixed Greens

White Plate of Fresh Sauteed Spinach with Garlic on Wood
PoppyB / Getty Images
  • 25 mins
  • Prep: 10 mins,
  • Cook: 15 mins
  • Yield: Serves four as a side dish
Ratings (22)

By Jolinda Hackett

Updated 04/14/18

New to cooking with greens and just looking for a simple way to prepare them? My favorite way is to just lightly sautee greens with a bit of garlic and scallions or shallots in olive oil with a sprinkle of sea salt and maybe pepper or a touch of hot sauce.

Swiss chard is my favorite green of late, but this recipe is also great for mixing it up. This recipe calls for either kale or chard and a bunch of spinach as well. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, super-nutritious and super-delicious!

Add baked or fried tofu, and you've got yourself a simple vegetable stir-fry to accompany quinoa, rice or any other grain or grain mix.

If you're not eating vegan, grate a little cheese right on top - try fresh Parmesan or a goat gouda.

See also: Four ways to get your greens

What You'll Need

  • 1 large bunch kale or chard
  • 1 large bunch spinach
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • 3 green onions, chopped OR 1 large shallot, minced
  • About 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Sea or kosher salt ​and pepper, to taste

How to Make It

  1. Before you start, make sure your greens are prepared and ready to go. Give them a good rinse (dirty greens will taste gritty and, well, dirty!) and let them dry. Kale and chard need to be removed from the thickest part of the stem, but the thinner softer stems are fine to leave on. Give them a coarse chop into chunks a bit bigger than bite-sized. Greens will cook down and reduce in size.
  2. Once your greens are prepared, heat the garlic in olive oil for about a minute, then add the onions or shallot and heat for another minute or two.
  1. Add kale or chard and heat until just barely tender, about 6-8 minute for kale, and a little less for the chard.
  2. Add the spinach and cook just until wilted but still bright green, about 1-2 minutes.
  3. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.

Serves four as a side dish.

Lots of people like a bit of kick to their greens - I'm not usually one of them, but if you are, add a touch of hot sauce, some crushed red pepper flakes or a bit of cayenne pepper.

See also: More healthy vegetarian recipes

Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
Calories 106
Total Fat 4 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Unsaturated Fat 2 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 137 mg
Carbohydrates 16 g
Dietary Fiber 3 g
Protein 5 g
(The nutrition information on our recipes is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Individual results may vary.)