Forget everything you thought you knew about this dish, because I have the absolute BEST recipe for spinach goma-ae! Spinach goma-ae is a Japanese spinach salad with a sesame dressing. The spinach is cooked, tossed in freshly ground sesame seeds, and served cold. Spinach goma-ae works great as a side dish, especially in bento! *Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.
What is Spinach Goma-ae?
Goma is the Japanese word for sesame seeds, and goma-ae refers to sesame seed dressing. I usually use goma-ae with spinach, but it’s not uncommon to use it for other vegetable salads as well (e.g. green beans, gobo, etc.).
Spinach goma-ae is a cooked spinach salad tossed in the sesame seed dressing and served cold. You serve it as a side dish… but it’s not like how salads are a side dish in America, where it takes up its own plate, making you full before you get to the real good stuff at the buffet. (Totally off topic, but now I’m missing Soup Plantation, despite it being a total rip off. Like seriously, why did I love paying for AYCE salad??). A single serving portion for this Japanese spinach salad would be about the size of a cupcake liner.
Packing Sesame Spinach for Bento
That’s actually how I pack my sides, including this spinach goma-ae, for bento, by the way. Put them into silicone muffin/cupcake liners. You can even freeze them in silicone liners and stick them straight into your bento from the freezer. By the time you eat lunch, it’ll be defrosted!
You might think that’s a mighty small portion. But don’t forget that spinach goma-ae is COOKED spinach salad. That means there’s a whole lotta spinach packed down into that small portion. Not gonna lie, this goma-ae is SO GOOD that I could definitely eat ALL THE PORTIONS at once, but… my body would probably freak out from overloading on the fiber, if you know what I mean.
Spinach Goma-ae Ingredients – Japanese Grandma’s Recipe
I don’t think there’s anything super hard to find among these spinach goma-ae ingredients. I’ve found toasted white sesame seeds even at regular American grocery stores, but if you’re not sure, this is an example of what I use.
What makes my goma-ae different from other recipes out there is the miso! I don’t see miso listed as an ingredient in many other popular Japanese food blogs. But this is how my grandma always made goma-ae, and it is THE BEEEEEEST. I’m not joking. The miso makes it SO addictive. I could eat just the goma-ae by itself. In fact, I used to sneak scoops of goma-ae on my finger as a kid whenever my grandma made it. Mmmmmmm, even now I’m drooling.
I usually use red miso, because that’s what I tend to keep in my fridge, but feel free to substitute whatever miso you have on hand.
Japanese Suribachi for Grinding Sesame Seeds
The only kind of special equipment that you might not have for this recipe is a Japanese suribachi. Suribachi is a Japanese mortar and pestle. What makes suribachi special is that it has grooves all along the inside of the bowl. I feel like it makes grinding seeds so much easier. But, of course, you can always use whatever mortar and pestle you already have, or even a spice grinder or food processor.
If you’re wondering whether or not you want to invest in a suribachi, think of it like you would any other mortar and pestle. I’ve used mine for coarsely grinding spices and even for making pesto. They’re not too expensive, either. I got mine at my local Japanese market, but you can find them on Amazon, of course. Just know that they come in different sizes, so get the one that fits your needs.
How to Serve Spinach Goma-ae
Like I mentioned earlier, spinach goma-ae is a great small portioned side dish with any Japanese meal. It also goes great in packed lunches and bento, but it’s SO delicious, our family barely has leftovers! I have to make double portions! I hope you give this recipe a try and let me know how it goes. And if you take photos, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!
More Asian Vegetable Recipes
If you liked this dish, you might want to check out my other side dish recipes:
- 5 Minute Chinese Vegetables
- Lotus Root Chips
- Japanese Macaroni Salad
- Harusame Salad
- Quick Tofu Salad
The BEST Spinach Goma ae (Japanese Spinach with Sesame)
Equipment
- Mortar and pestle Japanese suribachi recommended
Ingredients
- 10 oz baby spinach
- 2 tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp miso
- 2 tsp Japanese soy sauce
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil.
- Blanch spinach for 1 minute.
- Drain spinach and rinse under cold water. Set aside while you prepare the goma ae.
- In a mortar and pestle, grind the white sesame seeds until they resemble coarse sand (it doesn't need to be a paste).
- Add sugar, miso, and soy sauce to the sesame seeds and mix to combine.
- Squeeze out the excess water from the cooled spinach (don't burn yourself!).
- Mix spinach and goma ae together. Refrigerate until ready to serve.