Japanese Spinach Salad (Horenso Goma-ae)

Lifting a serve of Japanese Spinach Salad with chopsticks from a bowl

Japanese Spinach Salad (Horenso Goma-ae)

Classic Japanese sesame spinach salad, or Horenso Gomaae, made with blanched spinach and a nutty sesame-soy dressing. Light, earthy, and full of umami — the perfect side dish for any Japanese meal.

Course Salad

Cuisine Asian

Diet Low Fat, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Dietary Egg Free, Low Carb, Plant-Based

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings people

Calories 58kcal

Author Sammy Eng

Ingredients

250 g spinach
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp sesame seeds toasted
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp sugar

Metric - US Customary

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.

Video

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