This is one of my favorite vegetable side dishes, and I make it often. Tender sweet spinach contrasts nicely with the beautiful and slightly bitter reddish-purple radicchio sautéed with garlic and olive oil for a delicious nutritious side dish you and make in 5 minutes.
I’m always looking for easy ways to add more vegetables and variety to my meals. This is one of my favorite side dishes because it turns ordinary sautéed spinach into something a little more interesting with almost no extra effort.
I love the combination of silky, tender spinach with the slightly bitter flavor of sautéed radicchio. A little garlic and olive oil bring everything together beautifully.
It’s a simple way to enjoy two different leafy vegetables in one dish, giving me a greater variety of nutrients and flavors.
What Makes Radicchio So Special?
There aren’t many vegetables with the beautiful deep reddish-purple or magenta leaves of radicchio. That gorgeous color comes from anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants also found in blueberries, blackberries and purple cabbage.
Radicchio also contains chicoric acid, a beneficial plant compound being studied for its potential to help cells absorb glucose from the bloodstream and support healthy blood sugar regulation.
But what I especially love about radicchio is how its flavor transforms when cooked. Raw radicchio has a sharp, slightly bitter bite. When sautéed in olive oil, the bitterness mellows, its natural sweetness comes forward, and it develops a delicious, slightly nutty flavor.
Combined with tender spinach and fragrant garlic, it creates a wonderful balance of flavors. It’s one of my favorite ways to make ordinary sautéed spinach even more nutritious, colorful and delicious.
And because it takes only 5 minutes to cook, it’s a vegetable side dish I make again and again.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in 5 minutes: A quick and easy vegetable side dish for busy evenings.
- Delicious flavor: The mild sweetness of spinach balances the pleasantly bitter, nutty flavor of sautéed radicchio.
- Rich in antioxidants: Two nutrient-dense leafy vegetables provide a variety of vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant compounds.
- Beautiful color: Deep reddish-purple radicchio adds gorgeous color to bright green spinach.
- Only 5 ingredients: All you need are spinach, radicchio, garlic, olive oil. sea salt and pepper.
- Gluten-free, vegan and paleo: A healthy vegetable side dish that goes with almost any meal.
Ingredients for Sautéed Spinach with Radicchio
- Baby Spinach – Buy pre-washed baby spinach, it’s easy and delicious. You’ll use a full 10 ounce package for 4 servings. It looks like a lot but will shrink as it cooks.
- Radicchio – look for compact, firm heads with vibrant, deep maroon-red leaves and crisp, bright white veins.
- Olive Oil – A nice fruity extra virgin olive oil adds richness
- Garlic – Adds a wonderful savory aroma and flavor.
- Celtic Sea Salt and Fresh Black Pepper – Enhances the natural flavors.
Easy Steps To Make Sautéed Spinach with Radicchio
This dish comes together in just 5 minutes. The key is to cook the vegetables briefly so they become tender without getting mushy.
Step 1: Cut the radicchio. Remove any wilted outer leaves, then cut the radicchio in half through the core. Trim away any thick pieces of the core so the leaves separate and cook evenly. Place each half cut-side down and slice into strips as shown in the photo.
Step 2: Sauté the radicchio and garlic. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil. Add the chopped garlic and radicchio. Sauté for 1–2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the radicchio begins to wilt and soften. Be careful not to brown the garlic.
Step 3: Saute the Spinach. Increase the heat slightly. Add the spinach in batches, turning with tongs as it wilts. Sprinkle with sea salt. Cook until just wilted. Continue turning the vegetables with tongs for another 2–3 minutes, until all the spinach is tender and just wilted. Don’t overcook it.
What to Serve with Sautéed Spinach and Radicchio
This versatile vegetable side dish goes with almost anything. I especially enjoy it with Roasted Dill Salmon, 3 Ingredient Honey Mustard Chicken, or Easy Pan Fried Balsamic Tofu.
It’s also delicious along side eggs for breakfast or served with white beans for a light vegetarian meal.
Because it takes only 5 minutes to prepare, it’s an easy way to add a generous serving of colorful vegetables to just about any meal.
Ingrid’s Tips
- Use a large pan. The spinach looks like a lot when you first add it, but it cooks down quickly. A large sauté pan makes it easier to turn the vegetables.
- Cut the radicchio into wedges. The wedges soften quickly while keeping a little texture. Trim away any particularly thick pieces of the core. Don’t cut it too thin.
- Add the spinach gradually. Adding it in batches gives you room to turn the leaves and helps everything cook evenly.
- Don’t overcook the spinach. You want the leaves tender and silky, not mushy. Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the spinach wilts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Regular spinach works beautifully. Remove any thick stems and chop large leaves if necessary.
It’s best served immediately because spinach releases moisture as it sits. However, leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days and gently reheated.
A Few Easy Variations
This recipe is delicious as written, but there are a few simple ways to change it up.
- Add fresh lemon: A squeeze of lemon juice just before serving brightens the flavors.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan: A little freshly grated Parmesan adds a rich, salty finish.
- Add red pepper flakes: For a little heat, sprinkle in a pinch with the garlic.
- Finish with toasted pine nuts: They add a delicious buttery crunch that complements the slightly nutty radicchio.
- Add white beans: Stir in a few cooked cannellini beans to make it a more substantial vegetable dish.
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 Broccoli Rabe with Garlic and Olives
- 5 Minute Green Beans with Garlic and Thyme
- Easy Roasted Cauliflower with Healing Spices
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Easy Sautéed Spinach and Radicchio
Pin RecipeA quick and easy saute to serve as a side dish. The sweet spinach contrasts nicely with the bitter radicchio.
- Prep Time: 2 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 7 mins
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Vegetable
- Method: Saute
- Cuisine: Gluten Free, Paleo, Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2–3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 10 ounce container of washed baby spinach
- 1 small head radicchio, cut into thin wedges, about 2 cups
- Sea salt
- Fresh black pepper
Instructions
- Trim radicchio and cut into thick strips (see photo above).
- Heat a large sauté pan on medium low. Add olive oil.
- Add garlic and radicchio.
- Sauté 2 minutes until the radicchio begins to wilt.
- Add the spinach in batches, turning with tongs. Turn the heat up a little and continue to add the rest of the spinach and salt.
- Keep turning with tongs until all the spinach is just wilted. Don’t overcook it.
- Sprinkle with fresh pepper and add more salt if desired.
- Serve.
Until next time, have a fantastic day and enjoy the recipe. Eat lots of vegetables to fill your body with energy and happiness. Please leave a comment below. I always love hearing about your health journey and your thoughts and feedback on making your own delicious food at home.
Much love,
Ingrid
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