The majority of recipe requests that I receive from readers are vegetable dish. Was that surprising to you? To me it was…since I’m used to seeing my 5 and 3 year olds refusing to eat green vegetables such as spinach. In general, traditional Japanese cuisine is known for being healthy and low in fat. Typical Japanese meal consists of steamed rice, miso soup (every day different ingredients), main dish, and side dishes. These side dishes are usually served individually in kobachi (literally meaning “small bowl”), just like this dish in above picture.
We have many kinds of vegetable side dishes that are not well known, unless you are very familiar with Japanese home cooked meals. I look forward to introducing them one by one and I am planning to share the more popular ones that you might have enjoyed or heard before. If you are my new reader, I’ve already shared some side dishes in the past including Green Bean Shiraae, Kinpira Gobo, Octopus Salad, and Spinach Gomaae.
Ohitashi literally means “to steep vegetables in a dashi base sauce” and it’s one of common methods we use to prepare vegetable dishes. This method infuses ingredients with umami and subtle flavor but retains the food’s natural taste. First you quickly blanch the vegetable, then halt the cooking by soaking it into cold water. Then you take time to allow them to absorb the dashi sauce. If you are not a spinach fan, please remember that we can use this ohitashi method for almost any kind of vegetable.
Other Ohitashi Recipes
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- 1 bunch spinach
- Pinch salt (kosher or sea salt)
- 1 Tbsp mirin
- 1 Tbsp Usukuchi (Light-Color) Soy Sauce
- ½ cup dashi (kombu dashi for vegetarian)
- katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (Omit for vegetarian)
- Wash the spinach and boil lots of water in a large pot. When water is boiling, add a pinch of salt into boiling water. Put spinach in the pot starting from the stem first because they take longer to cook. Push all of the spinach into the water. Cook for 1 minute. Note: American spinach is very soft and we can eat it raw unlike Japanese spinach; therefore, 1 minute is enough for the US spinach.
- Drain and soak the spinach in iced water until cool.
- Collect spinach from the bowl and squeeze water out of the spinach.
- Cut the spinach into 1 1/2 inch lengths and put it in air tight container.
- In a saucepan, heat mirin on medium high and evaporate alcohol for a few minutes. Let it cool down.
- Add usukuchi soy sauce and dashi stock and mix all together.
- Pour over spinach and soak for 3-4 hours (1 hour minimum). Serve with sauce and sprinkle dried bonito flakes over the spinach. You can keep in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
Recipe by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook. All images and content on this site are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you’d like to share this recipe on your site, please re-write the recipe and link to this post as the original source. Thank you.
I think more of us are realising that having more vegetables in our diets is healthier hence the requests. I’ve been eating more vegetables recently but I’m not complaining as I’ve always loved them. I’ve had this in Japanese restaurants before but I didn’t know that it was soaked in the sauce beforehand. How interesting! Thanks again for sharing such wonderful recipes with us, Nami! 🙂
That sounds light and delightful! My mom makes Korean spinach salad with sesame seeds and sesame oil. It’s served cold. I like your version better though (shhh don’t tell my mother) because I can’t really stand the odor of sesame oil.
That looks so fresh and healthy. I love your recipes so much!
So now you know why when you go into your favorite blog ….. mmmm, so many delicious recipes! this is making me so hungry
We LIVE on spinach, usually with a bit of garlic, sometimes cream or just salt. This looks great. YUM!
This is such a healthy and delicious side dish. I think I’ve tried this before from a Japanese restaurant, or it could be the Spinach Gomaae. It was so refreshing and flavorful. I’ve always wonder what was in the marinate! Thanks for sharing the recipe. I’m going to give it a try. Surprisingly, my 2 and 4 LOVES vegetables! (Guess I’m a really lucky mother!) ^^
great FAQ page!
This looks delicious and healthy!
I love the taste of raw spinach its really full of nutrients.
I’ve had this in restaurants before and absolutely love it – so nutritious and delicious! I can’t wait to make it at home, thank you Nami for the great recipe!
Awesome!! Thanks for the tutorial – looks lovely.
Great idea and love to hear of different ways to serve spinach. My kids would adore this. Well done on the FAQ page and look forward to many more of your tasty veg dishes, Nami.
I just amaze on how you make an appetizing recipe for a simple vegetable like spinach, I would love to make one we have a Japanese grocery 1 block away from our place and I am going to look for mirin and Bonito flakes =) and I am sure my husband will tell me honey you really love me. =)
I love spinach any way it’s made. However I’ve never made it this way where it sits 3 hours to absorb the marinade. I bet it’s delicious. I look forward to trying it. Thanks for all the interesting info.
What a wonderful new way to eat spinach. We are spinach lovers in my family and I throw it in a lot of food (including pizza). Thanks for a new way to try it out. 🙂 Beautiful pictures!
I typically have spinach in my green drinks or in an artichoke dip. Happy to have a tasty alternative. Thanks Nami and hope you have a fun weekend.
This is definitely for me, I love spinach raw and cooked. This dish is something I want to try. I love the way you have layed out the spinach and then cut it. Great post Nami, see you Monday.
Spinach has always been a favorite in my house, although now we use carrot flakes instead of bonito. ^^ Yours looks especially tasty, Nami!
Wow, gorgeous green color! I really love this dish. You always inspire me to get more creative with my food.
I love this side dish Nami. I have feeling it is very tasty. Looking at the photos I want this today for lunch not as a side dish:))) I can eat spinach like a crazy:))
You did great job, can’t wait to see more of your traditional sides!!!
Have a wonderful day my friend!
I’m going to have to try this recipe sometime! I should eat more spinach. it’s a great source of iron.
Another beautiful, healthy and delicious dish, Nami! I need to see if I can find some of these ingredients and give it a shot 🙂
Well, I am glad veggies were number one! With all of the celebrating (also known as indulgent eating and drinking) over the holidays, I am working my tail off to get back in shape! A good, healthy, and tasty veggie is just what the doctor ordered. Thanks for sharing!
Also, I’m coming to SF at the end of February. I’m not sure how much time I’ll have, but if I do I wanted to try and hit up a great breakfast place in China Town. Do you have any recommendations?
I’m not the best person to suggest authentic Chinese breakfast food, but I found this article which might be interesting to read.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/548054
If you want to try dim sum, I’d say Koi Palace in Daly City (south of SF) is the best around here and hope you get to try this place. You will have to wait for at least 1 hr after 10am on weekends, but the food is amazing, really authentic and just superb. Oh, if you go to China Town, don’t forget to go Golden Gate Bakery and have some egg tarts! Delicious!
A very interesting veggie dish. I don’t eat anywhere near enough greens, unfortunately. 🙁
I like a meal with several little dishes like that. And I really like the idea of ‘marinating’ your veggies like that. Will check the FAQ, thank you for making it.
Oh I love all things spinach. So vibrant in color and so full of vitamins.
Wow Nami, simple yet very healthy. I am turned into huge japanese cooking fan. And we Nepalese also love our rice with lentil soup and some veggies as side.
Simple and delicious as usual! I’m sure I’d love them!
Looks fabulous! I rarely make spinach salads.
I love those cute little bowls you have served the salad in too 😉
Looks really good! Simple and nice!
What a gorgeous salad, this looks amazing! Your photos are beautiful! 🙂
I love the look of this salad, with the vibrant green spinach and amber dressing. This looks amazing, as usual!
That spinach looks so tasty. I am glad that you are showing us more vegetable dishes. Making a FAQs page was a good idea. It will save you time in the long run!
I always think cooking spinach is hilarious. I buy what could best be described as a “sack” of the stuff from the store and you dumb it all into a pot and cook it, and it reduces down to nothing at all.
I never saw spinach with such thick stems though. The stuff we have in Europe has much thinner, smaller stems and smaller leaves… maybe it’s just harvested earlier? I’m not sure if I could cut the spinach in the same way if I was making this, but I could still try and push it together to cut up. Looks great Nami! I love bonito flakes especially… could eat those like potato chips 😀
So simple and full of goodness! Goodnight Nami!
Really keen to learn more about Japanese home-cooked meals including this lovely healthy vegetable dish. 🙂
I can’t imagine anyone not wanting to eat their spinach if they were serve this! So much more flavor than the spinach my mama use to make. 🙂 Definitely will be trying this one.
Beautiful!!!!!
I love spinach Nami, yours dish looks so fresh and cool.
Love how easy your recipes are and yet they look so delicious….
Yumm…
B/W sending some spinach love to you my friend ;-), I too did a spinach recipe LOL.
hello nami,
how are things? i know i missed something and that’s visiting your website. it’s a good thing you “liked” my post of my FB page so I’m here.
I’ve been trying to clean my diet too. And like your kids, shhh i know i maybe too old to have it as an excuse but I know I don’t eat veggies a lot particularly the green leafy ones. But reading a lot of blogs (yours and this post included) I now look at veggies differently.
This looks refreshing and will definitely be tried (just like your other recipes) in my household. YOu might receive another picture text from me heheh.
Glad to be here,
Malou
Definitely looking forward to it. 🙂
I really love the healthy and largely vegetarian Japanese ingredients and meals. This one is so simple, it would be great if kids would love it! I love your dishes, the square shape with the colorful design.
My daughter is just recently eating more things with sauce or seasonings. She was always good at eating her vegetables, and I’ve always used fresh veggies in her diet. She would ask for them steamed. I would sneak in spinach, kale or other green to where now she eats a second helping of steamed kale. I would love to try spinach this way, it looks so yummy! Your photos are stunning as usual!
What always amazing me about Japanese cuisine in general and your cooking in particular is how meticulous and BEAUTIFUL it is…truly, Nami – you are an artist!
Love spinach and this one sounds simple and delicious! Can I use regular soy sauce instead of usukuchi?
The bowls are very unique and pretty, and the chopstick rests are too cute! When are you going to have a Guess-how-many-chopstick-rests-I-own competition? :p
Hi Fern! The reason why we use usukuchi soy sauce is that the sauce/broth doesn’t get dark color. We can keep it fairy light color compared to regular soy sauce. People in Osaka often gets surprised how dark soup broth in Tokyo is because they are used to use usukuchi soy sauce. I like to use it when I want to keep the sauce/broth lighter color (like Udon soup).
If you want to use regular one, please add a little more salt as usukuchi soy sauce is saltier than regular one. 🙂
Nami, I know very well one of your side dishes. Green Bean Shiraae is a very frequent guest on my table 🙂
This spinach dish looks so wonderful I am sure it could convince more than one child to give the hated vegetable a second chance. I love to sprinkle katsuobushi everywhere and dashi makes miracles to every meat or vegetables, so I am sure this spinach tastes great. The bowls are beautiful and very original! I love them.
Congratulations for the FAQ page! I’m hopping to see it!
I love spinach! This is such an easy dish. Is the bonito flaked fish? The only bonito I know about it fish.
I love your bowls and mushroom chopstick holders Nami!
🙂 Mandy
I just had Japanese for dinner and will be having it for lunch tmr! Don’t think me or my family could get sick of Jap food coz as you said it’s healthy and not too fatty hehe.
Love how blanching makes the vege to maintain such vibrant colour! Oh and enjoyed reading your FAQ 🙂
This looks so great Nami. I love spinach and am trying to eat more of it in my diet. I will definitely be giving this a try!
That is such a refined dish! I love spinach. Never used bonito flakes, but I have to remedy that situation real soon…
Cheers,
Rosa
Love the presentation of this salad! (And thanks for the advice re: a new camera!) HUGS!
Spinach is one of my favourite vegetables, I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t eat it! I’ve made a similar salad before but only with a goma sauce. I’ve never bought bonito flakes before as I never know what to do with them. Now I know. 😀 Does bonito flakes keep? I’ve only seen them in a huge 5kg bag or something from the Asian grocery store…that’s a lot of bonito!
Hi Jenny! Yes, as long as you keep them air tight it will last. For this dish, I use this small flakes package. It’s nice size for one meal. 🙂
http://www.amazon.com/Nishimoto-Dried-Shaved-Bonito-Flakes/dp/B0006B4IHE/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1327685064&sr=8-4
Gorgeous side dish! I never knew spinach could be so pretty! Tomorrow is our Japanese meal here, I am excited!!!
What an interesting salad, Nami! I love it! In Italy spinach salad is made with raw baby spinaches and it’s usually dressed with lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, parmigiano and walnuts..
When in Rome do as the Romans do, uh?!
Kids are so silly and so picky. We have told ours “no more, she most eat everything”. this she would actually eat thought I would have to cut it into small pieces. looks like a wonderful recipe.
This is a perfect side dish in that it is simple, healthy and beautiful. Thanks for sharing. And also thanks for including the links for your past vegetable side dish recipes. Since I am quite new to your blog, I really appreciate it and can’t wait to make them all.
Ha! Now I know the secret to the flavourful spinach – it is the soaking in the sauce. Great recipe!
looks delicious and what a cute bowl 🙂
Do your kids eat this dish? When I was little, I didn’t like eating this dish, but now I actually enjoy eating it. Funny, huh?
Even when I was little, I still loved spinach. This recipe looks so yummy. I love the style of the bowls, too… beautiful!
This is the recipe I will be using when my garden fresh spinach become available in a few months, well the grounds are still frozen, but spring is around the corner.
I have never used bonito flakes, this dish looks superb. Would love to eat that yum spinach.
Hi Nami-Your salad looks wonderful and healthy. Now I need to find some bonito flakes so I can make it this week:)
I would love to see this as my starter dish, I wonder if they serve it here in Jap restaurants
oh , since i love spinach, i could not wait to give it a try-it looks yummy, easy and healthy 🙂
Dear Nami,
Again, this is one of our favourite Japanese style vegetables to cook at home! We make it with a miso dressing and top with roasted sesame seeds though. Although I love bonito flakes especially when it looks like it’s alive just immediately after it’s been shaved, I’m not sure if I know how to prepare or shave it finely enough! Every time we make this salad, we go through 3 large bunches of spinach because it shrinks so much after cooking!
I love this salad, especially in hot weather (which we’re having!). I’m off to check out your FAQ page now Nami! 😀
i saw bonito flakes and i was sold! i love anything with bonito flakes and i love how this is incorporated so nicely with the spinach!! love your recent spinach dishes 🙂
Love the new look, Nami! Spinach is probably my favourite green vegetable and it is lovely to see it being treated with such respect. No wonder you have no trouble getting kids to eat it. I think every vegetable should get a Nami-makeover!
Dear Nami!
Greetings!
O-hitashi is probably the best Japanese concept when it comes to a light and healthy snack with you first drink or at the beginning of a home meal!
My favorite izakaya in Shizuoka, Yasaitei, serves it all the time and I can see all the customers guzzling them down!
Now did you know that Shizuoka is famous for Bonito, and katsuobushi of course!
Looking forward to your next post!
Best regrads,
Robert-Gilles
Another fabulous recipe and post!
Hi Nami, looks simple to prepare and delicious. Lovely presentation and beautiful click.
Have a nice day.
What a great way to have spinach, this would definitely convert even a non-spinach eater :).. and the presentation is just fabulous 🙂
I can’t wait to learn more vegetable dishes from you. You made cooking Japanese dishes look so easy peasy! The shots are fabulous too!
I’m surprised so many people have been asking for vegie dishes but maybe it’s because we’re all trying to lose the christmas weight hehe i know i am 🙂 I ‘m trying to eat more vegies hehe ~ Kids don’t usually like vegies, I know I never use to like it hehe
Lovely easy dish and i know some people don’t like spinach but I quite like ~ Thanks for sharing!
Btw I love the FAQs page ~
This sounds fabulous, I’m always looking for tasty salads!
This is the first time I’ve seen Japanese spinach salad… It looks simple yet rich in flavour and deep, beautiful colours… so healthful too. Lovely Nami.
Aww, this looks wonderful! I’ve made Japanese spinach with roasted sesame before, but not this one. And it happens I bought bonito flakes just recently, but haven’t used them so far. Deedum. I want to try this! 🙂
I love the simplicity and freshness of this dish! And I love bonito flakes… I’ll have to skip them on my husband’s plate though 🙂 that means more for me! 🙂 Haha.. Great post, Nami!
My japanese aunty made this for a dinner party once and it was gobbled up almost immediately because it was one of the only vegetable dishes on the table! Never underestimate vegetables..
Yum!!! I love spinach Nami! My kids and husband would not eat any… so I sometime buy them just for me! This dish sounds mouthwatering. I love the cooking method, I am sure the veggies will absorb all the flavours of the sauce! Delicious!
Nami-your spinach salad is superb! Love the preparation of it, so healthy, simple, yummy, and yet the way you presented it, is truly elegant:DDD
I really love the light in your pctures, easy and healthy recipes like this one make me happy I just need to find those flakes
This is something I think we all could use in our new years diets. You always make me want to run out to the store to get those items I don’t have in my pantry. Hope you had a great weekend.
-Gina-
I am such a spinach lover. So I am totally excited to see this recipe. It just looks so amazingly delicious.
Holy yum! I love how you’ve prepared the spinach so simply. Believe or not, I loved spinach growing up — just a simple saute with loads of garlicky goodness 😀
Aarghh! I am sorry Nami… but I am like u r kids… I dont like spinach, so I have to pass. My husband would love it since he is a protein intake freak and spinache is full of minerals and vitamins too. Defently a healthy meal!
I’m very lucky to say that I don’t have to face the kiddos and their greens battle for both my girls. They love veggies (except bitter melons) very much and must have at least one type per meal. 😉
I’m so happy to see more recipes on vegetables in your blog! I don’t have to crack my brain on what and which different flavors to cook my veggies now! Tks for sharing, Nami! 😀
PS: Hope you are doing fine. We’ve been going out almost EVERYDAY now that it’s still the Lunar New Year. Happy holiday! 🙂
Thanks for providing me with my next, I need a side dish moment! I love spinach and the thought of it in a dashi broth is awesome.
I love that you added a FAQ page, great idea! I love spinach salads, and your take looks wonderful. My kids are the same way when it comes to veggies!
Nami, I do agreed that Japanese way of preparing green leaf veggie sound healthy and less oily.. I think i will imitate your way of preparing veggie and make a twist of adding our local ingredients and seasonings. Thanks for the inspiration!
This is one of my favorites that I’ve actually made before. I love your mushroom hashi holders.
So glad to learn this method. Thanks Nami. I can imagine the dashi and soy sauce delicately flavoring the vegetable…can’t wait to try.
LL
Yum yum yum! You are so talented!
All things vegetable make me happy 🙂 This is delightful and love the flavors here 🙂
Ah, the soaking is the trick, huh? I always love this simple preparation at Japanese restaurants. One of my fave ways to enjoy spinach.
I love this idea! Looks so flavorful and healthy!
Hi Nami, I try your recipe today, however seems that I overcook the spinach, the color was not as bright as yours though I had blanched them in ice water, nevertheless they are yummy. Thanks for sharing, I posted in my blog and link it back to you. Thanks.
http://rabbitcancook.wordpress.com/2012/08/14/spinach-ohitashi-japanese-spinach-salad-with-bonito-flakes/
Thank you RCC! As Japanese spinach and American spinach are a little different (we cannot eat raw spinach in Japan), maybe one in Indonesia also doesn’t require to cook for a long time. Thank you for linking back to me. 🙂
Hi Nami,
My cousin came to visit today and brought Ohitashi with ground sesame seeds on top. Oishii! Can you recommend any dashi mix that doesn’t have ajinomoto in it? We mixed shoyu and mayo as a side condiment to dip the spinach in for serving.
Hi Randy!
Check the link under Instant Dashi Powder at the end of the post.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/how-to/how-to-make-dashi-jiru/
I rarely find MSG-free dashi powder here (if you live in the US). From the link above, you can try making your own dashi using MSG-free dashi packet. That’s the next easiest method, or you can make the stock from scratch, which will be MSG free.
Hope that helps! 🙂
I will try this for sure! Looks healthy, tasty and easy to prepare!
Hope you enjoy it Ari! 🙂
Hello, I love Japanese foods and I have enjoyed making Japanese foods by following your recipes here 🙂 You have such a great collection of recipes which are easy to follow!
I just have a question when making this recipe, the spinach got slimey after I blanched and squeezed the water out of it (and I hate slimey foods). Is that normal? Is there anything wrong in the cooking process like blanching it too long (I did it about 1 minute) or squeezing it too hard? Do you have any advice? Thanks alot!
Hi Hikari! Thank you so much for trying my recipes and I’m so glad to hear you like them. 🙂
When you over cook spinach, leaves become slimy and make the bitter flavor more prominent. In Japan, spinach is thicker and can’t be eaten raw so we cook longer, but here in the U.S. we just need to take it out as soon as it starts to get wilted. It depends on how much spinach you put it in the pot too (let’s say if you cook small amount, you prob don’t need 1 minute). Next time try to take it out earlier especially if you dislike the slimy spinach. Hope that helps. 🙂
Thanks so much for the advice Nami-san! I will try it next time, hope this time it will work. Please keep on posting wonderful recipes 🙂
Thank you Hikari! 🙂
I made this last night and it was as good as I hoped it would be. You really must soak the spinach as instructed. It develops so much flavor from the soaking. I’ve also made your recipe “Spinach Gomaae” and that is my husbands favorite. Very savory. Your recipes are so authentic! Thanks for sharing Nami.
Btw, your recipe for Tamagoyaki is the BEST!
Hi Esther! Thank you so much for trying this recipe as well as others. I’m glad to hear you enjoy them. 🙂 Thank you for your kind feedback! xo
The prep time should say 3-4 hours rather than 15 min!
Hi Genie! Thank you so much for pointing that out. To keep it consistent with other recipes, I put a note saying that prep time does not include 2-3 hours of soaking time. Prep and Cook time is only for active cooking time. Thank you so much for your feedback!
Awesome! Thanks!
Thanks Paul! 🙂
Can you use the Japanese Spinach for this? Komatsuna, I think?
English spinach seems to be rare in Taipei but xiao song cai (小松菜) is really easy to get.
Hi Angelo! Yes you can use komatsuna for this. People use shungiku (春菊 or Tong Ho) too! 🙂
Thank you, good to know. Ironically I went to the supermarket yesterday and they were overflowing with not English spinach but 菠菜, which is basically the same thing.
I guess it helps to be able to read a bit of mandarin.
Hi Angelo! Haha yes, definitely!! I use Japanese (kanji) to guess what it means… 🙂
Can I make this the night before and let it soak overnight of will that be bad for the dish?
Hi Courtney! Ideally 3-4 hours, and I’m afraid overnight is a bit too long which might end up with too salty. You can give it a try. Japanese dishes are usually lightly seasoned and you might be okay with overnight. It’s not for marinating meat, and it’s just spinach, so it’s not necessarily needed to be soaked for a long time. I’d probably do just 1 hour instead of overnight. 🙂
Thank you! We were going to something all day and I wanted to make some yummy bentos, so I wanted to know what things I could make the night before, but I will just save this for the morning.
I made this for dinner this evening to accompany Chicken Karaage. It was great! My daughter loves, loves, loves spinach.
Hi Deborah! Thank you for your kind feedback! I’m so happy to hear your daughter loved it! 🙂
Nami,
I have a question. In the stores where i live, the only types of Mirin are for cooking and are sweet. Is this normal or is Mirin suppose to not be so sweet?
Hi Kamaile! Mirin is supposed to be sweet. It’s basically sake (rice wine) and sugar. 🙂
Hi Nami, may I ask if it is okay to boil the kelp (to make dashi) together with Mirin and soy sauce? I made this dish a few times already but looks like I don’t remember the exact process. Thanks Nami for sharing such a wonderful recipe.
Hi Shelly! Sure! I’m glad you enjoy my recipes. Thank you for your kind comment. 🙂
How long ahead of time can one make this?
Hi Jennifer! You can store this for up to 2-3 days in the fridge. 🙂