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.

Bowl of Japanese Spinach Salad

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

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

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

Individually labelled ingredients for Japanese 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.

Cooking spinach in a pot of water
Putting cooked spinach into an ice bath

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

Squeezing cooked spinach to remove water over a stainless steel bowl
Chopping spinach with a knife on a wooden board

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. 

Grinding sesame seeds in a mortar and pestle
Adding sugar to ground sesame seeds in a bowl
Adding soy sauce into a bowl of sesame seeds and sugar

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

Bowl of sesame dressing with a bowl of ground sesame seeds in the background

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.

Bowl of cooked spinach in a yellow bowl
Adding sesame dressing into a bowl of cooked spinach
Mixing the ingredients of Japanese Spinach Salad in a bowl with chopsticks

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. 

Water bath: To retain the texture and vibrant green colour, be sure to transfer the blanched spinach into an ice water bath. Important not to skip this step!

Toast the sesame seeds: Toasting the sesame seeds enhances their nutty flavour. Keep an eye on them, as they can burn quickly! Alternatively you can use pre-toasted sesame seeds to save time. 

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

Can I make this salad ahead of time?

Yes! Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It’s perfect for meal prep.

Can I use frozen spinach?

No, fresh spinach is best for this recipe.

Can I freeze sesame spinach salad?

Yes! Freeze individual portions to defrost as needed for bento boxes or sides.

One of our favourite Japanese side dishes, enjoy a nutty, flavourful twist on greens with this quick and easy horenso goma-ae recipe. Ready in 10 minutes, it’s the perfect side dish for weeknight meals.

A bowl of Japanese Spinach Salad surrounded by other Japanese side dishes

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Lifting a serve of Japanese Spinach Salad with chopsticks from a bowl
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5 from 1 vote

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.
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Asian
Suitable for Diet: Low Fat, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian
Additional Dietary: Egg Free, Low Carb, Plant-Based
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 58kcal
Author: Sammy Eng

Ingredients

Click on the toggle below for conversion to US Cooking Units.

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to boil.
    Place the spinach stem side first, blanch for 30 seconds and then place the remaining spinach into the hot water. Blanch spinach for another 30 seconds.
    Remove and place spinach into an ice bath.
    Once cool, drain and squeeze out any excess water.
    Chop the spinach into bite-sized pieces.
  • Roughly grind sesame seeds in mortar and pestle.
    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.

Notes

  • Goma-ae (sesame sauce) can also be made with many other vegetables like carrots, green beans, burdock root, broccoli, okra or chrysanthemum leaves.
  • For a gluten free option, use tamari instead of soy sauce.
  • Be sure not to overcook the spinach. A quick blanch of up to 60 seconds is enough to soften it while retaining its bright green colour.
  • Don’t skip the ice water bath.
  • Toasting the sesame seeds enhances their nutty flavour. Alternatively you can use pre-toasted sesame seeds to save time.

Nutrition

Calories: 58kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 799mg | Potassium: 383mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 5861IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 3mg

*Disclaimer: Nutritional information provided is an estimate only and generated by an online calculator.

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2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Oh my goodness this is such an amazing side dish! Thank you for the easy to follow instructions. So yummy!

5 from 1 vote

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