How to Make Spinach Ohitashi Salad (Classic Japanese Side Dish)

By Sudachi · 25 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Wash the spinach well, paying attention to the roots where dirt and sand collect. Soak in cold water for 10 minutes.
2. In a small saucepan, combine 240 ml dashi, 2 tbsp soy sauce and 2 tbsp mirin. Bring to a boil, simmer for 2 minutes, then remove from heat. This is the hitashi-ji base sauce.
3. Bring 2 liters of water to a boil in a separate pot and prepare a bowl of ice-cold water. Add 1 tbsp salt and stir to dissolve.
4. Drain the spinach and put it in the boiling water with the stems submerged and leaves above the surface. Boil for 30 seconds.
5. Press the rest of the spinach under the water so the leaves are submerged. Blanch for 15 more seconds.
6. Immediately move the spinach to the ice water and chill for 10 minutes.
7. Remove the spinach and gently squeeze out the water. Roll tightly in a bamboo sushi mat and squeeze firmly over the sink to remove as much water as possible.
8. Unroll the mat and pour 1 tbsp of the hitashi-ji over the spinach to rinse off remaining water. Roll up in the mat again and squeeze once more.
9. Transfer the spinach to a lidded container and pour the remaining hitashi-ji over it, pressing plastic wrap onto the surface if it is not fully submerged. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
10. Cut off the stems and cut into bite-size pieces.
11. Divide into bowls, drizzle with hitashi-ji and top with bonito flakes.

Summarized from Sudachi's video. Watch it for the details.

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