Spinach Gomaae (Sesame Dressed Spinach)
ほうれん草の胡麻和え · Horenso no Gomaae
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Gomaae is one of the most familiar side dishes in Japanese home cooking and school lunches: blanched vegetables tossed with freshly ground sesame seeds, soy sauce and a little sugar. The nutty, gently sweet dressing softens the earthy taste of spinach, which is why even children who usually push greens aside tend to finish this one. Adding bean sprouts gives a light crunch and stretches the spinach a little further. Grinding the sesame just before mixing releases its aroma and helps the dressing cling to every leaf.
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 51 gspinach
- 24 gbean sprouts
Seasonings
- 3 gwhite sesame seeds
- 1.8 gsoy sauce
- 1.5 gsugar
Directions
- 1
Cut the spinach into 2 to 3 cm lengths and cut the bean sprouts into short pieces. Boil each separately, then rinse under running water to cool.
- 2
Toast the sesame seeds and grind them (or crush them in a blender).
- 3
Squeeze the vegetables from step 1 well to remove excess water, then toss with the ground sesame from step 2, the soy sauce and the sugar.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 37.5 kcal | 75 kcal | 37.5 kcal |
| Protein | 2.4 g | 4.8 g | 2.4 g |
| Fat | 1.8 g | 3.6 g | 1.8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 3.3 g | 6.6 g | 3.3 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.3 g | 0.6 g | 0.3 g |
| Calcium | 63 mg | 126 mg | 63 mg |
| Iron | 1.5 mg | 3 mg | 1.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 37.5 kcal | 2.4 g | 1.8 g | 3.3 g | 0.3 g | 63 mg | 1.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 75 kcal | 4.8 g | 3.6 g | 6.6 g | 0.6 g | 126 mg | 3 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
