Japanese Spinach Salad with Sesame Dressing (Gomaae) 🥬 ほうれん草の胡麻和え

soy sauce

🥗Healthier: low-sodium soy sauce

💰Cheaper: tamari

Low-sodium soy sauce reduces sodium intake.

mirin

🥗Healthier: sake

💰Cheaper: white wine

Sake provides a similar flavor profile.

sesame seeds

🥗Healthier: chia seeds

💰Cheaper: sunflower seeds

Sunflower seeds are more affordable and provide crunch.

Gather all the ingredients. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of cold water with ice cubes.

Add 3 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds to an ungreased frying pan and toast them over medium-high heat until fragrant.

Transfer the toasted sesame seeds to a mortar (suribachi) and grind them with a pestle (surikogi). Leave some seeds whole for texture.

To the ground sesame seeds, add 1 Tbsp soy sauce and 1 Tbsp sugar and mix it all together. Set aside.

Once the water is boiling, add 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Add 1 bunch spinach to the boiling water, cooking for 20 seconds, then push the leafy part into the water and cook for 30–45 seconds.

Transfer the spinach from the pot and plunge it into the iced bath to stop the cooking for 1 minute.

Once the spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze the water out and cut it into 1-inch (2.5 cm) lengths.

Put the spinach in the mortar with the sesame dressing and toss it all together. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens