Garlicky Sautéed Sweet Potatoes & Spinach - 10 Minute Side Dish Recipe (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Dara · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 9 Comments

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A little sweet and wonderfully garlicky, this sautéed sweet potatoes & spinach side dish is packed with vitamins and can be prepared in 10 minutes.
Garlicky Sautéed Sweet Potatoes & Spinach - 10 Minute Side Dish Recipe (1)

Garlicky Sautéed Sweet Potatoes & Spinach

When fall hits, it’s as though a switch is flipped on my cravings. Watermelon and fresh corn are pushed to the side, and I only have eyes for sweet potatoes and spaghetti squash. Weekday meals are all about Turkey Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes and Enchilada Stuffed Spaghetti Squash. And let’s not forget mass quantities of slow cooker sweet potato soup!

This garlicky sautéed sweet potato and spinach recipe is the side dish that embodies the spirit of fall cooking. Dried herbs, grated root vegetables and blissfully simple prep, which is welcome whether you’re serving a weeknight meal or a more elaborate Sunday dinner.

Garlicky Sautéed Sweet Potatoes & Spinach - 10 Minute Side Dish Recipe (2)

From start to finish, grating the sweet potatoes to scooping this healthy side dish onto the dinner plates, the total prep time is only 10 minutes. Serve it up as soon as possible so that the spinach stays green and slightly perky.

As for the health factors, this dish wins on every front. Vitamins A, B6 and C, and potassium and fiber from the sweet potato. Vitamins A and B, iron, fiber and calcium from the spinach. And that doesn't even cover the anti-inflammatory properties of garlic. Each scoop of this garlicky sautéed sweet potato dish is a powerhouse of nutrients!

Garlicky Sautéed Sweet Potatoes & Spinach - 10 Minute Side Dish Recipe (3)

Other healthy sweet potato recipes you might like:

Turkey Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potato Hash with Creamy Avocado Sauce
Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Za'atar

If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and tag @cookincanuck, and I'll be sure to find it.

Printable Recipe

Garlicky Sautéed Sweet Potatoes & Spinach - 10 Minute Side Dish Recipe (5)

Garlicky Sauteed Sweet Potatoes & Spinach

A little sweet and wonderfully garlicky, this Sauteed Sweet Potatoes & Spinach side dish is packed with vitamins and can be prepared in 10 minutes. 99 calories and 4 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP

4.59 from 12 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 Servings

Calories: 98.9kcal

Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the grated sweet potato and white sections of the green onions. Saute until the sweet potato is starting to soften, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes. Stir in the thyme, salt and pepper.

  • Add the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, then add the garlic, spinach and remaining green onions. Cook, stirring constantly, until the spinach is slightly wilted, about 1 minute.

  • Serve.

Notes

Weight Watchers Points: 4 (Freestyle SmartPoints), 4 (SmartPoints), 3 (Points+)

Nutrition

Serving: 0.66Cup | Calories: 98.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 13.5g | Protein: 1.4g | Fat: 4.7g | Saturated Fat: 0.7g | Sodium: 138.6mg | Fiber: 2.2g | Sugar: 2.1g

Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

More Side Dishes

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  • Maple Pear and Goat Cheese Salad
  • 50+ Healthy Thanksgiving Sides
  • Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Comment

  1. Kirsten

    Garlicky Sautéed Sweet Potatoes & Spinach - 10 Minute Side Dish Recipe (11)
    Love the complement of flavours. Always looking for new ways to enjoy sweet potato!

    Reply

  2. Sherie Edenborn

    Garlicky Sautéed Sweet Potatoes & Spinach - 10 Minute Side Dish Recipe (12)
    SUPER YUMMY! I put it over red quinoa and topped it with low-fat feta cheese for a main dish. It was a great way to use the fresh spinach and sweet potatoes from our garden.

    Reply

  3. Danette

    Garlicky Sautéed Sweet Potatoes & Spinach - 10 Minute Side Dish Recipe (13)
    Simple, fast, and delicious. Healthy to boot

    Reply

  4. Eleanor jarratt

    When doi add the green parts of the onions?

    Reply

    • Dara

      I apologize for the omission. The post is now updated. I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply

  5. Cathy Shaw

    I'm not a fan of thyme. What else would work?

    Reply

    • Dara

      Rosemary or oregano would work well. Or you could go in a completely different direction by adding cumin and paprika for a southwestern flavor. Come to think of it, curry powder would be great, too. The sky's the limit! 🙂

      Reply

  6. Megan @ Cook Ware Lab

    This recipe looks very delicious! I want to make it at home. But I have one question.Is there any alternative to olive oil?

    Reply

    • Dara

      Coconut oil would be a great substitution!

      Reply

Garlicky Sautéed Sweet Potatoes & Spinach - 10 Minute Side Dish Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What to do with wilted spinach? ›

Wilted spinach doesn't need to be thrown out and is still safe to eat. The greens can even be used as an appetizing breakfast favorite. According to The National Capital Poison Center; Lutein and its close relative, zeaxanthin, are pigments called carotenoids that are related to beta-carotene and lycopene.

How long does it take to cook a sweet potato? ›

A good rule of thumb for whole baked sweet potatoes: 45 minutes to 1 hour at 400 degrees F; 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes at 350 degrees F; 1 and 1/2 hours at 325 degrees F. You'll know the sweet potatoes are done by piercing the center of the sweet potato with the tip of a sharp knife; the flesh should yield easily.

Why can't you heat up spinach? ›

Like many other green leafy vegetables, spinach is rich in nitrates and iron. When reheated, these nitrates can convert into nitrites and other known carcinogens (a substance capable of causing cancer in living tissue).

Is it OK to saute wilted spinach? ›

Is it OK to cook wilted spinach? You can absolutely cook wilted spinach. It's past its prime for eating raw, but will not negatively impact a cooked dish.

Are sweet potatoes better in oven or microwave? ›

Can You Cook Sweet Potatoes in the Microwave? Yes, you can! In fact, the shorter cook time will help the sweet potatoes retain more nutrients that are often lost in the long oven-baking process. It's not all that different than baking a sweet potato in the oven, except it's a whole lot faster.

Is it better to boil or bake sweet potatoes? ›

Baking can also cause an 80% drop in vitamin A levels, twice as much as boiling. Therefore, from a nutritional standpoint, boiling rather than baking should be recommended for cooking sweet potato.

Do sweet potatoes get sweeter the longer you cook them? ›

Harold McGee in On Food and Cooking explains that the enzyme becomes active at around 135° and stops at around 170°. This means that if you bake your sweet potatoes low and slow, the enzyme will have more time to break down more starch and the finished potatoes will be very sweet.

Can you use wilted spinach in a smoothie? ›

You can also put them straight into the blender. wilted and surplus greens - kale, spinach, and even lettuce, can be easily hidden in a refreshing smoothie. If you have time (and a LOT of greens to process), you can blend these with a bit of water and freeze into ice cubes to add to smoothies (see Freezing Spinach).

How do you store wilted spinach? ›

Line a container with a dry paper towel.

Adding a paper towel to the container helps absorb extra moisture, which prolongs the life of the spinach.

Does wilted spinach still have nutrients? ›

Spinach. The leafy green is packed with nutrients, but you'll absorb more calcium and iron if you eat it cooked. The reason: Spinach is loaded with oxalic acid, which blocks the absorption of iron and calcium but breaks down under high temperatures.

How do you revive wilted baby spinach? ›

To perk up wilted greens

Fill a large bowl with cold water and several ice cubes (the more, the better). Stir in 1 tablespoon of salt per quart of ice water. Submerge for about 30 minutes. Remove, blot with a towel, and put into a salad spinner or colander with a towel on top to dry.

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