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    Home » Sides

    Spinach with Chicken Broth and Garlic

    Published: Apr 14, 2024 · Modified: Jul 8, 2024 by Kelly Zhang · This post may contain affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases · Leave a Comment

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    Whole spinach leaves gently wilted in chicken bouillon, seasoned with lightly sautéed garlic. It can’t get any simpler than this. Spinach with Chicken Broth sounds humble but is really delicious. This 5-ingredient side dish is a classic comfort food and you’ll find yourself gobbling down spinach faster than Popeye!

    A dish of mature whole spinach simmered with garlic chicken broth.

    Weeknight dinners just got easier with this spinach chicken broth side dish. Takes about 15 minutes from prep to table, and using mature spinach makes it a more forgiving recipe. A few minutes overcooking won’t hurt it. No need to chop up the spinach, since our recipe uses the whole leaves.

    Jump To...
    • Ingredient Notes
    • Top Tip
    • Instructions with Pictures
    • Storage Tips
    • More Savoury Side Dishes
    • What to Pair with Spinach in Chicken Broth
    • Recipe Card
    • Reviews

    Ingredient Notes

    A few important notes on some of the ingredients used in this Spinach with Chicken Broth recipe:

    Ingredients for the spinach with chicken broth side dish on a wooden table.

    Garlic: Fresh minced garlic is essential here. After all, it’s just one of four ingredients… Don’t use jarred garlic—it has a vinegary tinge that messes up the flavour of this simple dish.

    Oil: Just a little splash to bring out the aroma of the garlic.

    Spinach: Best to use mature spinach (also known as adult spinach or whole spinach). It doesn’t cook down to nothing and actually sort of holds its texture, even though it still gets nice and soft.

    Chicken Bouillon Powder: This is concentrated Chinese chicken broth that is useful for injecting FLAVOUR into recipes. We use it in our Instant Pot Chicken Pho, Chinese Chicken Curry, and Chili Garlic Brussels Sprouts recipes. LKK or Knorr are the most common brands, and you can find them at any East Asian supermarket.

    See recipe card for quantities.

    Top Tip

    Make sure to wash your spinach thoroughly. Mature spinach comes in bundles, and unlike baby spinach, they can hide a lot of dirt in between their leaves. We use a salad spinner to soak the spinach several times to rinse out all the grit, before draining and spinning to dry.

    Instructions with Pictures

    Minced garlic is sautéed in a wok then whole spinach leaves are added.

    Step 1. Heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant. (Don’t let it brown.)

    Step 2. Nestle the spinach into the skillet and pour over bouillon and water.

    Spinach is simmered in a wok then transferred to a plate when soft.

    Step 3. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, flipping the spinach occasionally until soft.

    Step 4. Transfer the spinach and chicken broth to a plate and serve.

    Storage Tips

    Spinach in Chicken Broth is best served immediately. Cooling and reheating will make it mushy.

    Fridge: If you must, you can refrigerate leftovers for one day before serving.

    More Savoury Side Dishes

    Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

    • A bowl of Brazilian garlic rice sits on the table.
      Brazilian Garlic Rice (Arroz Brasileiro)
    • Air fryer garlic broccoli on a serving tray.
      Air Fryer Garlic Broccoli
    • A plate of Sichuan dry pot cauliflower.
      Sichuan Dry Pot Cauliflower
    • Roasted garlic deviled eggs sprinkled with herbs and pepper on a white plate.
      Roasted Garlic Deviled Eggs

    What to Pair with Spinach in Chicken Broth

    These are my favorite mains to serve with this side dish:

    • Spicy mapo tofu in a shallow green ceramic bowl.
      Super Spicy Mapo Tofu
    • Sliced char siu pieces straight from the air fryer.
      Air Fryer Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork)
    • A bowl of savoury Thai beef stew over noodles topped with cilantro and chili peppers.
      Thai Beef Stew (Stovetop or Slow Cooker)
    • Homemade Chinese takeout chicken curry with carrots, potatoes, and onions over a bed of rice.
      Chinese Chicken Curry (Better than Takeaway)
    Simmered spinach with chicken broth and minced garlic on a plate.

    Did you make this recipe? Please leave a rating or comment below to give me feedback and help out other readers.

    Recipe Card

    A dish of mature whole spinach simmered with garlic chicken broth.
    Print Recipe
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    Spinach with Chicken Broth and Garlic

    Mature spinach leaves gently wilted in chicken broth, seasoned with sautéed garlic. This 5-ingredient side dish sounds humble but is delicious. So simple too!
    Prep Time10 minutes mins
    Cook Time5 minutes mins
    Total Time15 minutes mins
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Asian, Chinese
    Servings: 2 servings
    Calories: 106kcal
    Author: Kelly (Garlic All Day)

    Equipment

    • Wok or large skillet

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon oil
    • 5 cloves minced garlic
    • 8 ounces mature spinach around 225 grams
    • 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder
    • ⅓ cup water

    Instructions

    • Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add 5 cloves minced garlic and sauté until fragrant. Don’t let it brown.
    • Nestle 8 ounces mature spinach into the skillet. Pour over 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder and ⅓ cup water.
    • Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, flipping the spinach occasionally until soft.
    • Transfer the spinach and chicken broth to a plate and serve.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 106kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 0.3mg | Sodium: 690mg | Potassium: 671mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 10634IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 132mg | Iron: 3mg

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