Everyone says, “Eat your greens!” right! Well, after a while, a salad can get kind of boring, especially in the winter time when you are craving something warm and comforting. There are many ways to use leafy greens in a yummy, warm side dish. This is one of my go-to recipes, due to its simple flavors and how it comes together quick and easily.
Staples that I have on-hand at all times are prewashed greens (baby spinach, baby kale, or like one pictured as a mix). They are great for salads, smoothies and a side dish in a pinch. I also always have a carton of mushrooms. I especially love baby bella mushrooms because they have more meatiness than conventional white button mushrooms, but they are cuter and easier to prepare versus the larger Portobello mushroom caps (no need to scrape out the gills). Finally, shallots are a cooks’ best friends. They are the perfect size, stay fresh in the fridge forever and they have a much mellower oniony flavor that can go with almost any savory dish.
Ingredients
Prepped Ingredients
Bring these 3 ingredients together and you have a pretty yummy dish. All you need to do is pick your fat of choice. Sometimes I opt for coconut oil if a coconutty flavor will complement the dish. Sometimes butter or ghee (clarified butter) will do for a more warm/hearty flavor. Sometimes avocado oil is best if I need something completely neutral tasting. The fat is up to you and how you think your greens and mushroom side will best suit your dish. Note, olive oil is not stable under high heat, so I avoid it in the frying pan.
Simple prep is all you need. Just sauté the shallot and then the mushrooms, then wilt the greens. A whole container of greens seems like a lot, but I promise they wilt down, as these pictures illustrate.
Shallot and Mushrooms
Add the Greens
Wilted Greens
I hope you enjoy this recipe!
- 1 10 oz carton of baby bella mushrooms, chopped into bite size pieces
- 1 5 oz container of prewashed greens (baby spinach, baby kale, or mix)
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp cooking fat of choice (coconut oil, butter, ghee, avocado oil)*
- Salt to taste.
- Add fat to frying pan and turn heat to medium/low.
- Sauté shallots until they begin to turn translucent and soften.
- Increase heat to medium and add mushrooms. Cook mushrooms until they begin to soften.
- Add greens and allow to wilt into the shallot/mushroom mixture and become tender.
- Add salt to taste.
- Note: excess liquid may form from greens and can be discarded or used as a sauce.
