Spinach and Sardine Sandwich Recipe (2024)

By Martha Rose Shulman

Spinach and Sardine Sandwich Recipe (1)

Total Time
About 10 minutes
Rating
5(365)
Notes
Read community notes

Whenever I fly, I like to go armed with lunch, as the food in airports tends to be both appalling and expensive. Lately I’ve hitting the road with sandwiches that combine produce with canned fish, like sardines, herring, trout or smoked salmon — all of them high in omega-3 fatty acids, packed with protein and delicious. In some of this week’s sandwiches, I used small whole-wheat English muffins that were lightly toasted. The muffins won’t fall apart, even with a juicy filling like Greek salad, and I like the size. This is inspired by the classic Mediterranean combination of sardines and spinach. I like to use lightly smoked sardines in olive oil for it.

Featured in: Sandwiches for Summer

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have

    10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers.

    Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Print Options

    Include recipe photo

Advertisem*nt

Ingredients

Yield:One serving

    For the Spinach and Sardine Sandwich

    • 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

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. For the Spinach and Sardine Sandwich

    1. 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.

    2. 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.

Ratings

5

out of 5

365

user ratings

Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

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.

Spinach and Sardine Sandwich Recipe (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Prof. Nancy Dach

Last Updated:

Views: 6148

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (77 voted)

Reviews: 84% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Prof. Nancy Dach

Birthday: 1993-08-23

Address: 569 Waelchi Ports, South Blainebury, LA 11589

Phone: +9958996486049

Job: Sales Manager

Hobby: Web surfing, Scuba diving, Mountaineering, Writing, Sailing, Dance, Blacksmithing

Introduction: My name is Prof. Nancy Dach, I am a lively, joyous, courageous, lovely, tender, charming, open person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.