Ohitashi (Seri and Spinach in Dashi)

Quick answer

Total time: 25 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 5

About this dish

Ohitashi is a Japanese side dish of briefly blanched greens cooled, squeezed, and steeped in chilled dashi seasoning.

This Matsue version from Shimane combines fragrant, crisp Kuroda seri with tender spinach in a three-to-seven ratio and rests them overnight. Simmering mirin first removes its raw alcohol, while separate timing for stems and leaves keeps both vegetables bright and crisp before they absorb the cooled light-soy broth.

Ingredients (4 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
Kuroda seri or Japanese parsley	60	g
spinach	140	g
dashi	90	ml
mirin	15	ml
light soy sauce	15	ml

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

5 steps

1

Control

Boil 15ml mirin in a small pan over medium heat for 30 seconds.

Add 90ml dashi and 15ml light soy sauce, remove from heat as soon as it boils, transfer to a wide container, cool completely, and refrigerate.
2

Prep

Trim root ends and damaged leaves from 60g seri and 140g spinach and wash twice in cold water.

Keep stems and leaves aligned and cut them into 4 to 5cm lengths.
3

Heat

Bring a large pot of water to a vigorous boil.

Immerse spinach stems for 20 seconds, add leaves for 20 seconds more, and transfer to cold water. Blanch seri stems for 15 seconds, add leaves for another 15 seconds, and chill immediately.
4

Control

Gather the greens neatly and press them gently between the palms to remove water without twisting.

Divide into four bundles, submerge completely in the chilled dashi seasoning, cover, and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.
5

Finish

Just before serving, lift the greens and press lightly to control excess broth.

Divide seri and spinach evenly among four dishes, spoon 1 tablespoon soaking dashi over each, and serve chilled.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Seri and spinach combined three to seven
Finish cue: Just before serving, lift the greens and press lightly to control excess broth.
Avoid this: Blanching seri and spinach separately preserves the crisp seri and prevents tender spinach from overcooking.
Substitution: Press aligned greens instead of twisting them, which breaks stems and prevents even absorption.
Storage and reheating: This Matsue version from Shimane combines fragrant, crisp Kuroda seri with tender spinach in a three-to-seven ratio and rests them overnight.