Sauteed Spinach with Caramelized Mushrooms

If you love easy to make vegetables with lots of flavor you are going to love this dish.

This is an easy vegetable side dish with an umami flavor that satisfies.

Umami is sometimes described as a rich “meaty” flavor that comes from certain savory foods like mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, soy sauce and miso.

Chemically, the umami taste comes from a compound called L-glutamate. Spinach and mushrooms are both good sources of this flavor.  There are also many health benefits to eating foods high in glutamine.

Glutamine is an amino acid that is naturally produced by your body. Just like all other amino acids, it functions as a building block for cells. Glutamine is special because it is one of the few amino acids that can breach the blood-brain barrier and be absorbed by the brain. It also supports your body’s immune and digestive systems.

In this recipe you get the rich umami flavor from caramelizing the mushrooms with the onions.  Once you add the mushrooms to the pan,  the key is not to stir the mushrooms too much. This will allow them to brown and caramelize, giving you the rich umami flavor.

The nutty flavor of the ghee nicely complements the vegetables.  The water from the spinach lightly deglazes the pan getting up all the little bits of flavor from the bottom.

This dish can be served as a side with any main protein. It goes well with chicken, fish, meat or tempeh.  I heat up the left overs with eggs in the morning.

I hope this recipe inspires you to include lots of vegetables in your diet.

Here are a few more very simple, delicious vegetable dishes you also might enjoy:

Sauteed Spinach with Radicchio

Crispy Smashed Brussels Sprouts

5 Minute Green Beans with Garlic and Thyme

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Sauteed Spinach with Caramelized Mushrooms

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An easy vegetable dish with a lot of umami flavor.

• Author: Ingrid DeHart - EatWellEnjoyLife.com
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 20 mins
• Yield: 2 1x
• Category: Vegetable
• Cuisine: Paleo, Vegan, Gluten Free,

Ingredients

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• 1 tablespoon ghee, olive oil or coconut oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 8 ounces baby bella (crimini) mushrooms, stems removed, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 5 ounces baby spinach
• Celtic sea salt
• Fresh pepper

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Instructions

1. Heat the ghee over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
2. Add the sliced onions and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently until softened but not brown.
3. Add the sliced mushrooms and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and sauté. The key here is not to stir the mushrooms too much. This will allow them to brown and caramelize giving you a rich, umami flavor. Cook until the mushrooms and onions are lightly brown and tender about 8 minutes.
4. Add the spinach. Stir just until the spinach wilts, scraping up all the little bits of flavor from the bottom of the pan with the liquid from the spinach.
5. Taste to adjust salt and pepper. Serve.

Notes

Shiitake, hen of the woods or chanterelle mushrooms can also be used for a more exotic dish.

Enjoy the recipe and I hope you make it often.  Please leave me a comment below.  I always love hearing about your cooking and health journey.