Recipe: Spinach with Walnut Dressing (Horenso no Kurumi-ae)

This classic Japanese side dish highlights how a good dashi can completely transform simple ingredients. Using a high-quality dashi sachet brings a clean, layered umami that elevates the natural sweetness of spinach and the richness of nuts—without the need for heavy seasoning.

Method

1. Toast a handful of walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat for about a minute, until fragrant. Roughly chop, then grind using a mortar and pestle until finely crushed.

2. In a bowl, combine the ground walnuts with dashi (prepared from a premium dashi sachet or liquid stock), sugar, mirin, and soy sauce. Mix until smooth. If the dressing is too thick, loosen it gradually with a little water or extra mirin until it reaches a creamy consistency.

3. Blanch the spinach briefly, then transfer immediately to cold water to stop the cooking and preserve its colour.

4. Drain well, gently squeeze out excess moisture, and cut into bite-sized lengths (about 4cm).

5. Add the spinach to the walnut dressing and toss to coat evenly. Adjust the amount of dressing to your preference.

6. This versatile dashi-based dressing also pairs beautifully with tofu, vegetables, or warm rice.

For variation, you can substitute walnuts with sesame seeds for a lighter, more aromatic flavour.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 40g walnuts (about a generous handful)
• 200–250g fresh spinach
• 1/2 sachet premium Japanese dashi soup stock
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 1–1.5 tbsp soy sauce
• 1–2 tbsp water (or adjust with extra mirin as needed)

Optional:
Replace walnuts with 2–3 tbsp sesame seeds
Replace spinach with chrysanthemum greens or green beans.

Why dashi Matters

In a dish this simple, the quality of the dashi makes a noticeable difference. A well-crafted dashi—especially one made from carefully selected seafood ingredients—adds depth, balance, and a natural savouriness that ties everything together.

Using dashi in sachet form also makes it easy to achieve consistent flavour without the time required for traditional stock preparation, making it ideal for everyday cooking.

Ingredient Notes

Walnuts add richness and natural oils, giving the dish a more satisfying depth. They are also a source of omega-3 fatty acids, which support heart health.

Sesame seeds offer a lighter, more fragrant alternative, rich in minerals such as calcium and iron.

Spinach provides iron, folate, and vitamins A and C. The presence of fats from nuts or seeds helps the body absorb these nutrients more effectively.

Variation: Using Chrysanthemum Greens (Shungiku)

Chrysanthemum greens bring a more distinctive, slightly bitter flavour and are particularly rich in antioxidants and vitamins A, C, and K.

Spinach, by contrast, is milder and more approachable, making it a versatile everyday choice.

Both pair beautifully with dashi. Whether you choose spinach or shungiku, the combination of greens, nuts or seeds, and a well-balanced dashi dressing creates a nourishing and deeply flavourful dish.

There’s a step by step video on our YouTube channel.