Spinach goma-ae

Name: Spinach goma-ae
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 300 g spinach; ¼ tsp salt; 3 tbsp sesame seeds; 2 tsp sugar; 1 tbsp soy sauce

Vegetarian

ほうれん草の胡麻和え · hōrensō no goma-ae

Blanched spinach squeezed dry and dressed with freshly toasted, ground sesame seeds, soy sauce and a little sugar.

Spinach goma-ae is a Japanese side dish, ready in about 15 minutes and made with spinach and sesame seeds. It serves 4 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking

Small bowl of spinach dressed with sesame goma-ae sauce — Photo: Ocdp / Wikimedia Commons · CC0-1.0

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 5 min
Total: 15 min
Serves: 4
Level: Beginner
Calories: 66

Ingredients

4 side servings

300 g Spinach (opens in a new tab)
¼ tsp (1.5 g) Salt (opens in a new tab)For the blanching water.
3 tbsp (27 g) Sesame seeds (opens in a new tab)White sesame, toasted.Contains sesame
2 tsp (8.5 g) Sugar (opens in a new tab)
1 tbsp (17 g) Soy sauce (opens in a new tab)Swap: Tamari (Use tamari labelled gluten-free to avoid wheat.)Contains soy, wheat, gluten

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Toast the sesame seeds (opens in a new tab) in a dry frying pan, shaking, until fragrant and golden. Grind them in a mortar until about half are crushed, then mix in the sugar (opens in a new tab) and soy sauce (opens in a new tab).
- 5 min
- medium-low heat
- Frying pan / skillet (opens in a new tab)
- Mortar and pestle (opens in a new tab)
2
Step 2
Blanch the spinach (opens in a new tab) in boiling salted water for about 1 minute, stems first, then plunge into cold water.
- 2 min
- high heat
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
3
Step 3
Squeeze the spinach (opens in a new tab) firmly to remove water, cut into 4 cm lengths and toss with the sesame (opens in a new tab) dressing just before serving.
- 3 min

About this dish

Origin: Japan · Well documentedMore food from Japan
Dish: Lunch · Dinner · Side dishes · Salads
Cooking method: Blanched, Toasted
Taste: nutty, sweet & savoury, mild
Diet: Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · DASH-style
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Make-ahead · Budget-friendly · Portable / lunchbox
Cook more with: Spinach · Sesame seeds · Sugar · Soy sauce
Techniques: Toasting · Boiling · Blanching · Spice roasting (dry-roasting) · Knife skills

Allergens

Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom soy sauce
Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom soy sauce
Contains: Soyfrom soy sauce
Contains: Sesamefrom sesame seeds

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

66 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 88 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

Protein 20%
Carbohydrate 35%
Fat 45%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	66 kcal	75 kcal
Protein	3.7 g	4.2 g
Carbohydrate	6.6 g	7.5 g
Net carbohydrate	4.1 g	4.7 g
Sugars	2.4 g	2.8 g
Added sugars	2.1 g	2.4 g
Fibre	2.5 g	2.8 g
Fat	3.7 g	4.2 g
Saturated fat	0.5 g	0.6 g
Trans fat	—	—
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	439 mg	496 mg
Salt equivalent	1.1 g	1.2 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 469 mg
Calcium: 142 mg
Iron: 3.1 mg
Magnesium: 86 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 352 µg
Vitamin C: 21 mg
Vitamin D: 0 µg
Vitamin B12: 0 µg
Folate (DFE): 153 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

Squeeze the spinach really well or the dressing becomes watery.

Common mistakes

Not squeezing the spinach hard enough — water dilutes the dressing.
Grinding the sesame to a paste; half-crushed seeds give the right nutty texture.

Serve with

A standard side for bento boxes and Japanese set meals.

Storage

Keep spinach and dressing separately in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Variations

Green bean goma-ae: The same dressing tossed with blanched green beans.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 26 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Compare with

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Spinach300 g

Used in steps 2, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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