This Spinach with Olives Raisins and Pine Nuts is the perfect side dish to jazz up an otherwise boring meal!
We never ever make spinach as a side dish at our house- unless we make this spinach with olives raisins and pine nuts recipe! Sautéed spinach on its own is awfully boring and void of any real flavor. Sure, it’s good for you. But it tastes so much better when delicious and unexpected ingredients are added in!
Ingredients needed:
- fresh spinach leaves
- extra virgin olive oil
- garlic
- kalamata olives
- raisins
- pine nuts
- balsamic vinegar
How to make Spinach with Olives Raisins and Pine Nuts:
The full, printable recipe is included at the end of this post.
Sauté spinach until wilted. Transfer it to a (thin) towel-lined colander. Wrap the towel around the cooked spinach and squeeze it dry. Let the liquid drip out and discard. You don’t want that liquid in your spinach because it will turn out mushy.
Heat olive oil in a skillet, and sauté garlic, olives and raisins for a few minutes. Mix in the squeezed-dry spinach and toasted pine nuts.
Add balsamic vinegar to the sautéed goodies. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and it’s ready to serve. Enjoy!
How do you toast pine nuts?
To quickly toast the pine nuts, just put them in a small fry pan over medium heat. Watch them closely, and use a wooden spoon to move them around until they are lightly toasted. Be careful- they’ll burn if you don’t tend to them! Pour them onto a paper towel to cool before adding them to your salad. I like to buy pine nuts at Costco. They’re less expensive there, and you can keep the big bag in the freezer and use them as needed.
Here are a few more recipes using spinach that you might like to try:
- Greek Spinach Pie
- Easy Spinach Lasagna
- Spinach Rice
- Greek Spinach Triangles
- Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip
If you happen to be following the Weight Watchers WW plan, you’ll find a link to the WW Points on the recipe card below.
Spinach with Olives Raisins and Pine Nuts
Ingredients
- Three 10-ounce packages ready-to-use fresh spinach leaves
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
- ⅓ cup pitted and quartered Kalamata olives
- ⅓ cup raisins (use regular or golden)
- ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Place a colander over a large bowl. Line the colander with a thin kitchen towel.
- Toss ⅓ of the spinach in a heavy Dutch oven over high heat until wilted but still bright green, about 3 minutes. Transfer the spinach to the prepared colander. Repeat with the remaining spinach in 2 batches. Let the spinach cool briefly. Gather the towel around the spinach and squeeze well, pressing out as much liquid as possible.
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped garlic, olives and raisins and sauté until the garlic begins to color, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach and toasted pine nuts and toss until heated through. Add the vinegar and toss. Season the spinach generously with salt and pepper and serve.
Notes
- *The preparation of the spinach may be done up to 8 hours ahead of time, and then cover and refrigerate.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love this recipe. It adds something special to the spinach.
I love this spinach! I am addicted to it. Thanks for a tasty recipe.