Spinach sesame salad is a simple yet flavorful side dish featuring cold wilted spinach tossed in a sweet and savory sesame dressing.
Dressing up spinach with sesame sauce is definitely going to win you over, the flavors are magical, you’ll be eating more greens because of it! It can be served with a whole bunch of foods, think rice, kimchi, sticky brussels sprouts, slippery glass noodle salad, cucumber tahini salad and so much more!
This recipe is my take on the unforgettable spinach salad I had at Zuma HK — totally inspired by that visit! I’ll be sharing the full story behind it (and how this dish came to life) in my newsletter, where I mix recipes with anecdotes. I also discovered this amazing Xinjiang salad during my trip.
Ingredients
The complete list of ingredients with measurements, can be found in the full recipe card below.
The sesame sauce or paste used in this recipe is not to be confused with tahini. Japanese white sesame paste (nerigoma) is made from toasted sesame seeds, giving it a deeper, more aromatic flavor.
Be careful when you first open the pouch, there may be some oil separation, which can get messy, I am talking from first hand experience. You can find this ingredient in your local Asian/Japanese grocer.
Janelle’s Tips
- I used a potato ricer to squeeze out the excess water from the steamed spinach, if you don’t have one, just use the old fashioned method of your hands. Get out as much excess water as possible as you don’t want a soggy spinach sesame salad!
- You can blanch the spinach instead of steaming it. Simply place the leaves in boiling salted water for 30–60 seconds, then immediately transfer them to ice water for another 30–60 seconds to stop the cooking process.
- This salad is great with any type of rice, noodles or sushi, try it with this sushi burrito.
Did you make this? I'd love to know! Leave me a comment below with a ★★★★★ star rating or tag @plantbasedfolk on social media.
Recipe
Spinach Sesame Salad
Ingredients
- 500 grams Spinach leaves
- 2 teaspoon Sesame oil
- 2 tbs Sesame paste
- 1 tbs Soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon Maple syrup or to use sugar start with ¼ teaspoon and adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon Rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Rinse the spinach thoroughly to remove any dirt. Cut off the root ends, keeping the stalks intact. Place the spinach into a steamer and steam for 2 minutes.Iimmediately transfer the spinach to a bowl of ice water for 2 minutes to halt the cooking process and preserve its vibrant color. Once cooled, squeeze out excess water and chop the spinach into bite-sized pieces. Set them aside in a colander.
- In a bowl, combine the toasted sesame oil, sesame paste, soy sauce, maple syrup (or sugar), rice vinegar, and mix until a smooth, creamy sauce forms.
- In a large mixing bowl, use your fingers to gently separate the chopped spinach. Then, toss it with the sesame sauce until evenly coated.Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with sesame seeds and serve cold immediately.
Nutrition
N.B., nutrition info is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. This will vary based on the specific ingredients you use.
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