Gomaae – Japanese Spinach Salad with Sesame Dressing
Gomaae is a delicious Japanese spinach salad with sesame dressing. Made with English spinach and sesame seeds it tastes sweet and nutty. Serve it with garlic miso chicken or baked miso glazed salmon for a Japanese-inspired family dinner.
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Gomae, or goma-ae, is a popular Japanese side dish that can be found on the menus of most Japanese restaurants. Blanched English spinach is coated in a delicious dressing made with toasted sesame seeds and soy sauce. Typically served in small bowls as a side dish, it’s an excellent way to encourage kids to eat spinach because it’s absolutely delicious. Give it a try!
Why you should try this recipe:
- Quick and Easy to Make: Gomae is a simple dish that requires minimal preparation and cooking time. Blanching the spinach and preparing the sesame sauce are the main steps, making it a convenient side dish to whip up in 10 minutes.
- Kid-Friendly: If you ever have a chance to get your kids to eat spinach, this is it 😉 Gomae is sweet, nutty, and well-liked by children of all ages.
- Great Lunch Option: Gomae salad is a great addition to a bento box and, when paired with chicken or fish, makes for an excellent lunch.
I hadn’t heard of this recipe before I came across your post but I’m so glad I tried it! It was super simple but still really flavorful and worked great as a side dish for the stir fry I made tonight!
Anjali
Recipe Ingredients
To make goma-ae we will need four simple ingredients:
- English spinach. In this recipe we use English spinach with big leaves, not baby spinach.
- White sesame seeds. The base of the gomae dressing. We will quickly roast them in a frying pan to enhance the nutty flavor.
- Light soy sauce. I use tamari because it is gluten-free, but you can use a regular Japanese soy sauce too.
- Sugar. I use organic raw sugar because it is the least processed variety.
See the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below 👇
Variations & Substitutions
While goma ae salad is originally made with spinach leaves, you can also use other leafy green and vegetables. Snow peas, green beans, broccolini, and broccoli all work well in this recipe.
How to make goma-ae
Step 1: Make the Japanese sesame dressing:
- Grind toasted sesame seeds in a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder until you get a smooth paste. You can also use a small food processor or coffee grinder if you don’t have a mortar and pestle.
- In a small bowl, mix the ground sesame seeds with soy sauce and a little sugar (adjust sweetness to your preference) until you have a creamy dressing. Set aside
STEP 2: Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the spinach to the boiling water, starting from the stem side (it takes longer to cook).
STEP 3: Cook the spinach for about 30-45 seconds until it wilts.
STEP 4: Immediately remove the spinach from the boiling water and transfer it to an ice water bath to stop the cooking process.
STEP 5: Drain the cooled spinach, squeezing it with your hands. Place the drained spinach on a chopping board and cut it into 1-2 inch (2.5-5 cm) lengths.
STEP 6: Transfer the cut spinach to a medium bowl. Add the sesame dressing to the spinach.
STEP 7: Toss everything together until the spinach is evenly coated with the sauce. Sprinkle with some toasted sesame seeds and serve.
This simple recipe can be easily scaled up to accommodate a larger crowd by doubling or tripling the recipe. Making a large batch is a practical and efficient way to serve this delicious side dish at gatherings, parties, or family gatherings.
☀️ Top Tip
Immediately transfer the spinach to an ice water bath to stop the cooking process.
🍴 How to serve
Gomae is a versatile side dish that pairs well with various Japanese and Asian-inspired dishes. Here are some popular options to serve alongside gomae:
- Sushi and Sashimi: Gomae complements sushi and sashimi dishes beautifully. The fresh and light flavors of gomae provide a nice contrast to the rich and savory taste of sushi and sashimi. See how to make sushi nigiri at home in an ice cube tray.
- Teriyaki salmon or chicken: The nutty sesame sauce of gomae goes well with the sweet and savory flavors of Asian baked chicken thighs or honey ginger glazed chicken, creating a balanced combination of tastes.
- It makes a great addition to the rice bowls, such as raw salmon poke bowl.
- Sushi rice. My youngest son loves gomae salad with freshly cooked sushi rice, furikake-Japanese rice seasoning, and sliced avocado. It makes a great lunch or dinner for kids. It also can be a great addition to the school lunch box.
❄️ How to store
Refrigerate: If you have any leftovers, simply transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate promptly after it has cooled down. Properly stored, gomae salad can be refrigerated for up to 2-3 days.
Reheat: Gomae is typically enjoyed cold or at room temperature, no reheating is needed.
Recipe FAQs
Gomae is typically served cold or at room temperature, making it a refreshing side dish, especially during warmer months.
Yes, you can make Gomae ahead of time. It’s best to prepare the spinach and sesame dressing separately and mix them just before serving to prevent the spinach from becoming soggy.
Traditional Gomae made with soy sauce is not gluten-free, as soy sauce typically contains wheat. However, I use tamari or a gluten-free soy sauce to make it gluten-free.
More Side Dish Recipes You’ll Love
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Gomaae – Japanese Spinach Salad with Sesame Dressing
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Ingredients
- 1 Bunch of English spinach Not the babay spinach. Aproximatelly 220g
- 3 tablespoons Roasted white sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons Soy Soy Use Tamari, if following gluten-free diet
- 1 tablespoon Sugar Use organic raw sugar or other sweetner of your choice,
Instructions
Sesame sauce
- For the sesame sauce, put sesame seeds in a frying pan and toast them over low heat. When the sesame seeds turn light golden and start to pop, remove the pan from the heat and transfer them to a bowl or a plate to cool.
- Place the toasted sesame seeds into a mortar and pestle, grinding them to form a smooth paste while intentionally leaving some seeds unground to create some texture.
- Next, add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of sugar to the ground sesame seeds. Mix all the ingredients together until well combined. Set aside.
Prepare spinach
- Trim the English spinach by removing roots and damaged leaves. Then, thoroughly wash the spinach under running water to remove any sand or dirt that may be present. Ensure that the spinach is clean and free from any debris before using it in your recipe.
- Fill a large pot with lightly salted water. Bring the water to a boil.
- Add the spinach to the pot, starting from the stem side, as it takes longer to cook. Cook the spinach for 30 to 45 seconds in boiling water.
- Once the spinach has wilted, remove it from the boiling water using kitchen tongs and immediately transfer it to an ice water bath to stop the cooking process.
- Once the spinach has cooled down in the ice water bath, drain it thoroughly. You can squeeze it with your hands.
- Place the drained spinach on a chopping board and cut it into 1-2 inch (2.5-5 cm) lengths. Then, transfer the cut spinach into a medium bowl.
- Add the sesame sauce to the bowl with the cut spinach and toss everything together until the sauce is evenly distributed. You can now serve the dish either at room temperature or chilled, depending on your preference. Enjoy your delicious sesame spinach!
Notes
- Immediately transfer the spinach to an ice water bath to stop the cooking process.
- Squeeze the spinach with your hands after it cools to remove excess water.
- The sesame sauce can be made in a mortar and pestle, a spice grinder, or a small food processor.
- You can serve the gomae at room temperature or chilled.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2-3 days.
Wow, what is there not to love about this yummy recipe?! The dressing was amazing and really put this salad over the top. SO GOOD!
How cool is this – I haven’t ever seen a recipe like this involving spinach and I cannot wait to try it – thank you!
I love how simple and delicious this salad was! And the dressing totally sent it over the top!
I hadn’t heard of this recipe before I came across your post but I’m so glad I tried it! It was super simple but still really flavorful and worked great as a side dish for the stir fry I made tonight!
This was so yummy!! Such a good salad and it was really filling!
Danke für die Beschreibung wie man Spinat richtig zubereitett.Ich werde dieses Gericht nächste Woche kochen.