Seared Sea Scallops with Spinach & Beans

Looking for something different for dinner tonight? How about seared sea scallops with beans and spinach? This dish combines three highly nutritious foods into one meal, and it is absolutely delicious!

I love seafood, but I don’t prepare it very often. My kids are to blame for that. Mia, my daughter, would eat shrimp, scallops and crab very night of the week, but my son Luke won’t touch it. Matt, my son with autism, would could take it or leave it. I’m sure many of you can relate.

Fish can be a tough sell for kids. If you’re attempting to incorporate more seafood into your meal rotation, I suggest starting with mild options. That is, if you want your kids to eat it. Sea scallops are one form of seafood that has a mild tatse.

Nutrition in Sea Scallops With Spinach And Beans

Scallops are a great source of lean protein, but also contribute potassium and magnesium – two nutrients most of us need more of in our diet.  For this recipe, I combined the sea scallops with two other highly nutritious foods –beans and spinach. The result is a highly nutritious, delicious meal filled with flavor and phytonutrients.

One important consideration when making this meal is the sodium content. It’s definitely higher in sodium than most meals of my meals. I used canned beans to save time, but if you are watching your sodium intake, I suggest using dry beans that you soak overnight. Making that substiution will significantly lower the sodium content. You can also use low-sodium broth in place of regular.

How To Make Seared Sea Scallops With Spinach And Beans

This recipe looks complex, but it’s actually quite easy to make. To start, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Put the scallops to pan, and allow to cook for ~2 minutes on each side, or until cooked all the way through. Remove the scallops from the pan, and transfer to a plate or dish.  Keep them covered with foil or a lid so that they remain warm.

Next, add the chopped onions, red pepper and garlic to the same pan you used to cook your scallops. Do not clean the pan before cooking these items. You want to use the left-over oil to saute them. Cook them for approximately 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Once cooked, add the broth and the beans. If you choose to use dried beans, you should cook them in advance.  Allow all of those ingredients to simmer for ~2 minutes.

Stir in the spinach and continue to cook until it is wilted, ~1 minute. Once finished, remove from heat and stir in the basil. Finish the dish by sprinkling with Parmesan cheese. Plate and serve!

This delicious sea scallops with spinach and beans meal is easy to make and filled with flavor. It’s a great balance of the macronutrients – carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats – as well as vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. You get all of that nutrition,  wrapped into one meal!

If you like this dinner meal, you might also like chicken, chickpeas and broccoli with spinach!

Print Recipe

Seared Sea Scallops with Spinach & Beans

This seared sea scallops with beans and spinach dish combines three highly nutritious foods into one meal, is easy to prepare, and it is absolutely delicious!

Author: Heather Mangieri, RDN

Ingredients

• 1 pound Sea Scallops (raw)
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 cup Chopped Onion
• 1/8 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 2 tbsp Minced Garlic
• 1 cup Fat Free Chicken Broth
• 1 can Cannellini Beans
• 1 10oz Bag of Fresh Spinach
• 1 tbsp Fresh Chopped Basil

Instructions

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat
• Add scallops to pan and cook 2 minutes on each side or until cooked all the way through
• Remove scallops from pan; keep warm
• Add chopped onion, red pepper and garlic to pan and sauté for approximately 2 minutes, stirring constantly
• Stir in broth and canned beans, and continue cooking for two minutes. If you are using dried beans, you will need to make those in advance.
• Add the spinach and cook for approximately 1 minute or until spinach wilts
• Remove from heat and stir in basil. Finish by sprinkling with parmesan cheese

Notes

• Recipe makes: 4 servings
• Nutrition Facts per serving= 260 calories, 26 g carbohydrates, 7 g fiber, 23 g protein, 6 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 1,030 mg sodium, 10% DV calcium,15% DV potassium, 20% DV mg iron.
• Meal Planning Servings: 2 CHO; 3 PRO; 1 FAT

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?  Tag @heathermangieri  on Instagram and hashtag it #HeatherMangieriNutrition to all recipes. Or, Pin it on Pinterest for later!

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