Easy Spinach Sauce

I love this easy delicious spinach sauce. You can use fresh or frozen spinach. Whether you’re looking to add a healthy twist to your meals or simply craving a burst of fresh flavor, this homemade spinach garlic sauce is sure to satisfy your taste buds.

EASY FRESH SPINACH SAUCE

My first encounter with garlic spinach sauce dates back to my childhood. Ever since I first tried it at school cafeteria I fell in love with the taste and silky smooth texture. My mom used to make it with a frozen spinach, and I learned to make it from fresh spinach leaves, too. It quickly became a staple in my kitchen for its versatility. Today I’m going to share with you the very basic spinach sauce that I love to the bits.

THINGS YOU NEED

• Stainless steel pot with a lid
• Whisk
• Garlic Press
• Immersion Blender
• Zester (optional, if using nutmeg)
• Measuring tools (scale, cups and spoons)

SPINACH SAUCE INGREDIENTS

• Fresh Spinach or Frozen (see recipe notes)
• Water
• Olive Oil
• Butter (optional) – I like adding a little bit of butter for flavor but you can skip it and use olive oil instead
• Flour – all purpose
• Garlic, pressed
• Ground Pepper
• Salt
• Nutmeg (optional)

HOW TO STEAM FRESH SPINACH LEAVES

Steam fresh spinach in a large pot with a little bit of water. It’s important to cover the lid and steam the spinach at medium-high heat (steps 1-3). Remember to check on it so it doesn’t scorch on the bottom. You’ll notice leaves will start to wilt (step 4) and eventually the amount of spinach will be drastically reduced. Cook wilted spinach leaves for 3-4 minutes and then remove steamed spinach from the heat (steps 5-8).

WHITE GARLIC SAUCE

This simple white garlic sauce helps boost the creaminess without overshadowing the spinach.

Start by sauteing pressed garlic in olive oil and melted butter. Then add flour and make the roux, and cook if for 1 minutes to get rid of the flour taste. And then gradually pour in warm milk, whisking well to help prevent lumps from forming. If there are some lumps don’t worry, we’ll use a blender to make the sauce silky smooth.

BLEND SPINACH AND WHITE GARLIC SAUCE

Pour the steamed wilted spinach into the pot with white sauce and blend it with the stick blender until smooth—season with salt and ground pepper to taste. I always seem to add more garlic at the end, so If you find that the sauce needs a bit more garlic kick, you can add more pressed garlic. Cook seasoned sauce for a minute or two, stirring frequently to prevent burning at the bottom of the pan (steps 1-8).

EASY SPINACH SAUCE SUCCESS TIPS AND SERVING SUGGESTIONS

• If you don’t have 10 oz (300 grams) of fresh spinach, you can use 5 oz (150 grams) of frozen spinach. Let it thaw on the counter or steam it in a small pot, covered with a lid.
• For the best results use fresh garlic. Taste the sauce and if needed add more pressed garlic. I love garlic!
• Use salt and pepper to season the sauce.
• You can customize it to your liking with the use of herbs like basil or add cheese.
• This recipe make a medium thick sauce, for thinner sauce use more liquid: milk, broth or water.
• Garlic spinach sauce makes a great side dish to pork, chicken and grilled salmon
• It’s excellent with pasta, raviolli and gnochi.
• And my absolute favorite way to eat it is with boiled potatoes and eggs over easy or poached eggs.
• This recipe makes about 2 cups and sauce keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days.

DELICIOUS RECIPES TO TRY

• Red Pepper Paste
• Sour Cream Tartar Sauce
• Easy Garlic Breadsticks
• Cheese Garlic Bread Dip via Little Spice Jar
• Spaetzle Dumplings Recipe