Japanese Spinach Salad (Horenso Goma-ae)

If you’re a fan of Japanese side dishes, our Sesame Spinach Salad is a must-try! This 10-minute horenso goma-ae recipe is quick to prepare and perfect for lunch boxes or healthy dinner sides.

Why You’ll Love Japanese Spinach Salad

This Japanese sesame spinach salad is a nutty, flavourful and a delicious way to enjoy spinach! The addictive sweet-salty dressing with freshly ground sesame seeds transforms everyday vegetables into something extraordinary. 

I love easy spinach side dishes because they’re quick to prepare, packed with nutrients, and versatile enough to complement any meal. Just like our Korean spinach recipe, sigeumchi namul, this Japanese horenso goma-ae recipe is a staple in my weekday menu.

This quick and healthy Japanese side dish is perfect for weeknight dinners, bento boxes, meal prep, or as a refreshing side.

What is Goma-ae?

Goma-ae (胡麻和え) is a classic Japanese spinach recipe featuring vegetables dressed in a savoury sesame sauce. Goma (胡麻) means sesame, and ae (和え) refers to dressing or mixing, making goma-ae a simple yet flavourful way to enjoy vegetables. 

If you love nutty salad dressings, you have to try our Japanese creamy sesame dressing recipe and spicy peanut dressing. 

Ingredients

These are the ingredients you need for Japanese sesame spinach salad:

Spinach: I prefer using a whole bunch of spinach, including stems, for extra crunch instead of just baby spinach leaves.

Toasted sesame seeds: The star of the dressing adds a rich, nutty flavour to it. Freshly grounded sesame seeds make a big difference!

Soy sauce/sugar: To balance the savoury and sweetness of the dressing.

Variations and Substitutions

Other ingredients: While spinach is a popular choice, goma-ae (sesame sauce) can also be made with many other vegetables like carrots, green beans, burdock root, broccoli, okra or chrysanthemum leaves.

Soy sauce: For a gluten-free option, use tamari instead of soy sauce.

Instructions

Step by step instructions for how to make Japanese sesame spinach salad:

Wash spinach well to remove any excess dirt. 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tsp salt. 

Add the spinach stems in first and blanch for about 30 seconds, then place the remaining spinach into the hot water.

Blanch for another 30 seconds until just wilted. 

Immediately transfer the spinach to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking process.

Once cool, drain and squeeze out any excess water. Chop the spinach into bite-sized pieces.

In a dry frying pan over low heat, toast the sesame seeds until fragrant and slightly golden. Be careful not to burn them. 

Remove from heat and roughly grind the seeds in a mortar and pestle until coarse, leaving some texture. You can use a regular mortar and pestle or suribachi bowl to grind the sesame seeds. 

In a small bowl, combine the ground sesame seeds, soy sauce and sugar. Stir until the mixture forms a paste-like consistency.

Add the chopped spinach to the sesame dressing and mix until the spinach is well coated. 

Serve at room temperature or chilled as a side dish.

Great Mains for This Salad

What to serve with Japanese Sesame Spinach Salad: 

A popular Japanese side dish recipe, sesame spinach salad goes well with so many main dishes such as oyako donburi (chicken & egg over rice) recipe, teriyaki beef udon noodles and yuzu ramen.

It’s also perfect for bento boxes since it doesn’t get soggy and holds its flavour well. You can freeze leftovers for future use.

Serve alongside Asian-inspired side dishes like hiyayyako cold tofu and somen noodle salad for a complete meal.

Frequently Asked Questions