Bayam Ohitashi (Salad Bayam Jepang)

Instructions

1. Before You Start…Please note that this recipe requires at least one hour of soaking time. Gather all the ingredients.
2. In a saucepan, put ½ cup water and 1 piece kombu (dried kelp).
3. Slowly bring it to a boil. Once boiling, remove the kombu from the liquid (and reserve it to make Kombu Tsukudani). Now, you have kombu dashi. If you are not vegan/vegetarian, you can add a small amount of katsuobushi for more flavor (see my Awase Dashi recipe for instructions).
4. To the dashi, add 1 Tbsp mirin and 1 Tbsp usukuchi (light-colored) soy sauce.
5. Mix together, bring to a boil, and turn off the heat. Set aside.
6. Rinse well 1 bunch spinach.
7. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Add the spinach to the boiling water stem side first and cook for 20 seconds, as the stems take longer to cook. Nami's Tip: Salt helps keep the spinach's green color brighter.
8. Then, gently push the leafy part into the water and cook for 30–45 seconds. Remove quickly from the boiling water. Nami's Tip: Spinach in the US is more tender than Japanese spinach, so it cooks faster.
9. Transfer the spinach to an ice bath and let it cool for 1 minute. Nami's Tip: Blanching and shocking in ice water removes much of the oxalic acid, locks in nutrients, and keeps the spinach vibrant. Don't leave it for more than a minute, or it will start to lose nutrients.
10. Collect the spinach and gently squeeze out the water. If you like to serve this dish as I do, gather together the spinach neatly by the stems. I like to serve both the stem and leafy parts separately instead of mixing them up together.
11. Cut the spinach into 1½ to 2 inch (3.75 to 5 cm) pieces and squeeze out any remaining water.
12. Put the spinach in an airtight container. Now, pour the savory broth over the spinach.
13. Make sure the spinach is evenly distributed in the container and fully submerged in the broth. Place the lid on and let it soak in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and ideally up to 3–4 hours.
14. Serve the spinach in small individual bowls and pour some broth on top. I like to make sure each bowl gets both the stem and leafy parts. The dark and light green color contrast makes a beautiful presentation.
15. Sprinkle with toasted white sesame seeds for a vegan/vegetarian version. For the standard version, add katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) on top. Enjoy!
16. You can keep Spinach Ohitashi in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.