Spinach and Sardine Sandwich
- Total Time
- About 10 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
Advertisement
Ingredients
Yield:One serving
- 2teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1small garlic clove, minced
- 2ounces baby spinach 2 cups tightly packed, rinsed
- Salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 1small (3½-inch) whole-wheat English muffin, lightly toasted
- Dijon mustard (optional)
- 2canned sardines, preferably lightly smoked in olive oil about 2 ounces, filleted
- 1small tomato, sliced optional
- Lemon juice
- About 1 teaspoon mayonnaise
For the Spinach and Sardine Sandwich
Preparation
For the Spinach and Sardine Sandwich
- Step 1
Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the spinach. Turn up the heat, and wilt the spinach in the water left on the leaves after washing. Season with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat. Drain and press out excess water.
- Step 2
Lightly toast the English muffin. Spread a little mustard if desired over the bottom half and top with the spinach. Lay the sardine fillets over the spinach, and douse with a little lemon juice. If you have a nice ripe in season tomato, lay over the sardines. Spread the top half of the English muffin with mayonnaise, and top the sandwich. Press down and cut in half, or wrap and refrigerate until ready to eat.
Tip
- Advance preparation: You can wrap this tightly and keep it in the refrigerator for a day. It’ll be fine for a few hours if you take it on an airplane.
Private Notes
Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.
Cooking Notes
Jules
I love sardines, but even I would not want to sit in a cramped crowded cabin next to someone who is eating this sandwich. I find it hilarious that the Tip encourages us to be that person! It would incite riots amongst some of those I've shared a flight with.
Marta
I think the idea is that one eats the sandwich at the airport before boarding the plane, instead of eating at an airport restaurant.
Annie V
Simple and better than expected! The squeeze of lemon (or lime) puts it over the top. Particularly good on NYT's homemade whole wheat English muffins.
K. A.
Works with smoked salmon (lox), too.
Hanny
I’m lukewarm on sardines but I had a tin in the back of the cabinet that I’d been needing to get to. Made this sandwich as written (w/ tomatoes), using sourdough English muffins instead of whole wheat and kewpie mayonnaise. Between bites I, alone in my tiny studio apartment, kept repeating, “This is so good. Oh my GOD this is so good.” I think the quality of the sardines definitely matters, but I wasn’t expecting much and this absolutely blew me away. Still, please don’t take it on an airplane.
Abel
Added olives. REALLY GOOD.
ERH
This sandwich helped salvage an otherwise lackluster evening involving canceled dinner plans. The sauteed spinach and garlic really add something special - after wilting the spinach, I left them in the pan with the heat off while I prepared the rest of the sandwich, and they started to crisp up deliciously. Added a thin layer of Emmental cheese before the spinach, though I'm not sure it was necessary. Will definitely make again very soon!
Sarah
I love this sandwich, and like to add picked onions when I have them - but I would never take it on a plane!
Popquizkid
Made this with frozen spinach on nutty whole grain bread, with sweet Bavarian mustard and sardines in sunflower oil. Divine!
Nora
I thought this was delicious and will regularly prepare this for lunch.
Tony R
For an Indian twist, fry the sardines in oil to which your favorite Indian masala has been added. I removed the spinach from the pan and then added half a tsp of a spicy masala, and then threw in the sardines with their canned oil, frying them for a couple of minutes. The result was heaven in a sandwich. A keeper!
DRJ
Great sandwich; great for weekend lunch; esp after doctor told me to lower cholesterol & boost vitamin D.
Jane
This is just delicious. I am a convert to tinned sardines! I made it with multigrain toast. It travels very well, although it only went as far as the office - doesn’t seem any more fishy than tuna... you could buy your seat mate off with half your sandwich, but it would be hard to give up.
Tamago san
Quick, satisfying and nutritious. I was trying to find a way to use leftover canned sardines - now I need to get more! I had one of the sandwiches with a slice of avocado as an experiment, and it was pretty tasty.
ellery
Made with toasted white bread and included all the optional ingredients— this is a new lunch time staple. Looking forward to trying with the massive variety of other canned fishes in my pantry collection.
mosaic
This is delicious as written. I like it even more on a good baguette, with grilled romaine instead of the spinach.
Michele A
Terrific recipe. I made it as a plate, rather than a sandwich, topping the spinach with sardines, sliced Campari tomatoes and diced raw sweet onion. Garnished with a mixture of Dijon mustard and mayo. Now I have to buy more sardines!
Dave
Loved the flavors. As a pescatarian it’s the closest thing I’ve had to a BLT in a while. But it ate messy. The spinach and tomatoes and sardines all slid past one another and out the back of the sandwich as I ate. For that reason alone I’m unlikely to make it again.
Varun
Such a quick, delicious and healthy recipe. All that being said, I cannot help but laugh out loud at the idea that I would take this on an airplane.
chase
Going to try this using the lemon olive oil juice from the can to cook the greens. Using a ciabatta roll in place of the English muffin, and Worcestershire butter instead of Dijon mustard. Hope I can update this later with results!
Gd Frey
I used bib lettuce and it was fine
Sarah
Added fresh red onion. Delightful little sandwich!
Jefe
Delicious lunch today. My brag. Henry & Lisa’s wild sardines. Murray’s sun dried tomatoes swap. Sullivan street bread. Mmmmmm.
shauna
This is fine and relatively healthy and easy, but not something I would serve to guests or get excited about
Moira V
I love sardines. Especially on toast. And I love spinach prepared exactly like it is in this recipe. But I never ever thought to put them together. Didn't sound great. But I was intrigued. What can I lose? I thought. So I tried. It is amazing!! I'll be making this regularly now. (I made as per recipe but didn't add mayonnaise. And it didn't need it) By the way, with the spinach etc and as it's encased in bread, I'd eat it in a plane. No fishy odor at all. (Not that I'd let that put me off...)
RapperKD
Delicious! My new favorite sandwich.
Forrest
delicious, go easy on the salt for the spinach and use it on the tomatoes, would try with english muffins next
Apples'nOranges
I fry the best canned sardines I can find lightly in their own oil, then add sliced scallions and garlic to the skillet--and then add the fresh baby spinach last and turn off the heat immediately. The spinach absorbs all the oil in the skillet so fast you can practically hear the swoosh. I eat sardines in part for that good healthy oil, and hate to waste a drop. I got the idea from imam baldi, which translates to 'the imam fainted.' It's a story recipe about how much butter spinach absorbs.
Hanny
I’m lukewarm on sardines but I had a tin in the back of the cabinet that I’d been needing to get to. Made this sandwich as written (w/ tomatoes), using sourdough English muffins instead of whole wheat and kewpie mayonnaise. Between bites I, alone in my tiny studio apartment, kept repeating, “This is so good. Oh my GOD this is so good.” I think the quality of the sardines definitely matters, but I wasn’t expecting much and this absolutely blew me away. Still, please don’t take it on an airplane.
Private notes are only visible to you.
Advertisement
