Japanese Spinach Salad (Horenso Goma-ae) – Simple, Nutty & Authentic

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.

A little bored of garlic sauteed spinach as a side dish? Or feeling your usual creamed spinach a bit too rich for your main dish?

This Japanese spinach side dish, horenso goma-ae, is my go-to when I want to something quick, healthy and full of flavour that literally goes with everything.

Whether I’m serving it with rice, fish, chicken or grilled tofu, or packing it into bento box lunches, it never feels like “just another greens dish”.

What makes this spinach side dish unique is the addictive sweet-salty dressing that transforms everyday vegetables into something extraordinary. 

I love freshly grinding toasted sesame seeds to make the dressing. I usually grind them just enough to keep some whole seeds for texture, so the mix is partly fine powder, partly crunchy bits.

Stirred together with soy sauce and a touch of sugar, it clings beautifully to every spinach leaf, creating that nutty, sweet-savoury flavour I can’t get enough of. 

With only 5 ingredients, I’ve refined the steps so the dressing is nutty but not overpowering, the spinach is tender yet still has structure, and the whole thing comes together in 10 minutes. 

Easy spinach side dishes are one my favourites for weeknight dinners 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 regular in my weekday menu.

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. 

Recipe Overview

Flavour/Texture: The savoury sesame dressing, with a hint of sweetness, perfectly balances the fresh earthiness of the spinach. It’s light but adds crunch from the sesame seeds.

Ease: With just a few steps, this spinach goma-ae is incredibly easy to make. Most of the work is blanching the spinach and grinding the sesame seeds.

Time: Ready in about 10 minutes, this is a quick and easy Japanese spinach side dish.

Ingredients For Japanese Spinach Recipe

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.

Add spice: Mix in a pinch of shichimi togarashi or chili flakes for gentle heat.

Sweeter option: Increase sugar slightly if you prefer a milder, sweeter dressing.

Add crunch: Garnish with whole toasted sesame seeds or crushed peanuts.

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

How to Make Horenso Gomae

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.

How To Make Japanese Toasted Sesame Dressing

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.

How To Assemble Spinach with Sesame Dressing

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.

How to Make This Salad Perfectly [Expert Tips]

Fresh spinach: The fresher, the better! This recipe shines with fresh ingredients.

Don’t overcook the spinach: Add stems first, then leaves, and blanch for no more than 60 seconds. Any longer and the spinach loses its bright green colour and becomes too soft. The goal is tender but still with a bit of bite.

Water bath: This is one step I don’t skip. Transferring the spinach into an ice water bath stops the cooking immediately and helps lock in that gorgeous green colour and fresh texture.

Squeeze out excess moisture: The water bath is important to stop the spinach from cooking but so is squeezing out the excess water once the spinach is cooled.  Too much moisture will dilute the sesame dressing.

Toast the sesame seeds: Toasting the sesame seeds brings out such a deep, nutty aroma.

I usually do this in a dry pan over low heat, stirring constantly because they can burn quickly. Alternatively you can use pre-toasted sesame seeds to save time.

Grind sesame seeds freshly: Releases oils for maximum nutty aroma.

Use high-quality soy sauce: It’s the backbone of the flavour — light, balanced, and savoury.

Frequently Asked Questions