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Horenso no ohitashi
Spinach in dashi
Hōrensō no ohitashi (ほうれん草のおひたし): blanched spinach steeped in a light dashi-soy broth, vegetarian version
Ohitashi, "the soaked dish", is one of the three small sides of the everyday ichiju-sansai meal, and in Tokyo homes a little mound of spinach steeped in cool seasoned broth turns up beside grilled fish and miso soup most weeks of the year. Usually it is topped with bonito flakes; this vegetarian version uses kombu and shiitake dashi and a sprinkle of toasted sesame instead. It is clean, savoury and barely seasoned, so the sweetness of the spinach comes through. A portion is about 35 kcal. The most common mistake is not squeezing the spinach after blanching, which dilutes the broth into a watery puddle. Chef's tip: blanch the stems for 10 seconds before pushing in the leaves; the stems need longer, and this way the whole bunch is tender at once.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the vegetarian dashi
- 1 ¼ cups water
- ⅛ oz kombua 10 cm piece
For the spinach
- 10 ½ oz bunched spinachroots trimmed, washed well
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp mirincontains alcohol; or ½ tsp sugar
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 1 ¼ cups water, ⅛ oz kombu and 2 dried shiitake mushrooms in a small pan and heat very gently for 8–10 minutes, until small bubbles appear at the edge. Take out the kombu just before it boils, simmer the shiitake for 2 minutes, then strain and cool. Keep 150 ml for this dish; the rest (and the mushrooms) can go into miso soup.
10 minStep 2: Stir 1 tbsp light soy sauce and 1 tsp mirin into the 150 ml of dashi. If using mirin, bring it to a brief boil first to cook off the alcohol, then cool.
1 minStep 3: Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Holding the 10 ½ oz bunched spinach by the leaves, dip the stems in for 10 seconds, then push the whole bunch under and cook for 30–40 seconds more, until bright green and just wilted.
1 minStep 4: Plunge into iced water to stop the cooking, then line the bunch up and squeeze firmly from stem to leaf until no more water drips out.
Step 5: Cut into 4 cm lengths and soak in the seasoned dashi for at least 5 minutes (or up to a day in the fridge).
5 minStep 6: Lift into small bowls with a spoonful of the broth and sprinkle with 2 tsp toasted white sesame seeds.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 35 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 4 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does horenso no ohitashi take?
- About 15 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of dried shiitake mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
- What can I use instead of light soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
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