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    Home » Asian

    Japanese Style Silverbeet with sesame miso dressing

    By Robyn | Published: Jan 24, 2021 | Modified: Jan 24, 2021

    TO THE RECIPE

    Blanched silverbeet is mixed in a Japanese sesame miso dressing to make a vegetable side that is salty, nutty and so delicious – and even loved by silverbeet sceptics!

    blue bowl of silverbeet with miso sesame dressing sprinkled with extra sesame seeds, a pair of chopsticks to the right

    With the vegetable patch still full of silverbeet (also known as chard to my American friends), this is the second silverbeet recipe I am sharing with you – after this Spanish inspired Spinach with chickpeas – and I have more to come 😉 I love adding flavours from other countries to homegrown vegetables, especially when you are eating them most days – as it makes them seem completely new!

    The simple sesame miso dressing is made from a handful of ingredients; salty miso paste adding extra depth to it with its unami flavour.

    overhead of rainbow chard/silverbeet with sesame miso dressing, chopsticks to the right and extra sesame seeds to serve

    What is Japanese Sesame Dressing made of?

    This Japanese dressing with toasted sesame seeds and miso paste reminds me so much of vegetable dishes we used to eat in Japan. It’s salty, slightly pungent, rich and nutty and the touch of sugar makes all the difference!

    It is a really simple sesame miso dressing to make: toast the sesame seeds to release their flavour (optional but definitely recommended), then

    1. Grind the sesame seeds to a rough paste using a mortar and pestle.
    2. Add the soy sauce, miso, sugar, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar and mix well.
    3. You should be left with a thick sesame miso paste – the water from the silverbeet with mix with this and thin it just enough to coat the blanched silverbeet.
    3 images showing process of making the Japanese sesame dressing: grind the sesame seeds, add the rest of the ingredients, mix well to produce a thick paste.

    Ingredients in this recipe:

    Silverbeet: Also known as chard. You can also use rainbow chard in this recipe – as you will see from the photos I used rainbow chard in this dish when photographing it!

    Soy sauce: You can also use tamari for a gluten free alternative.

    Rice vinegar: This is a mellow vinegar, and I use it alot in cooking – especially when wanting to add it to dishes with kids in mind. If you don’t have it, you can sub half the amount of apple cider vinegar mixed with a splash of water.

    Miso paste: I use white miso paste in this recipe. It is readily available in Australia, and is the mildest miso paste.

    You may be wondering: What is in white miso paste? It’s a mixture of soybeans with koji, a mould. White miso is aged for a shorter period of time than red or brown miso paste and is slightly sweeter and less pungent than other miso pastes. If you are looking for extra recipes for miso paste, then have a look at this fresh and light peanut miso soup.

    Tips for making the best silverbeet with Japanese miso dressing:

    Toast the sesame seeds: This enhances their nutty flavour, which makes the sesame miso dressing even more flavourful, all ready for the silverbeet to soak up all that flavour! Be careful not to burn them though, as they can burn easily!

    Don’t overcook the silverbeet/swiss chard/rainbow chard: This will make it lose it’s lovely green colour (pink and yellow too if you’re using rainbow chard!)

    close up of silverbeet in chopsticks about to be eaten, showing the light sesame dressing

    Japanese silverbeet with sesame miso dressing

    Author: Robyn

    Blanched silverbeet is dressing in a salty Japanese sesame dressing making a tasty and healthy side dish.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Resting time in fridge 1 hr
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine Japanese
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 82 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 400g | 14oz silverbeet
    • 4 tablespoons sesame seeds
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon white miso paste
    • ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
    • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
    • ½ teaspoon rice wine vinegar

    Instructions
     

    Make the Japanese sesame dressing:

    • Toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over a medium – high heat until light golden and toasted, around 2-3 minutes.
    • Cool slightly then tip into a mortar and pestle and grind to a very rough paste (see image in above post for the consistency)
    • Add the soy sauce, miso paste, sugar, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar and mix well.
    • Place the dressing in a large mixing bowl.

    Blanch the silverbeet/chard:

    • Bring a large pot of water to the boil.
    • Before you put the silverbeet in the water, make sure you have a large heatproof bowl full of ice cold water.
    • Cut the stems off from the leaves and cut the stems into 3-4 cm 1.2" – 1.6" long pieces.
    • Place the the stems in the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes.
    • Add the leaves (no need to cut unless they are very big – just cut them in half if need to.)
    • Cook for 1-2 minutes more.
    • Lift the silverbeet out with a slotted spoon and place into the iced water straight away to stop it from cooking.
    • Leave in the ice water for 2-3 minutes.
    • Transfer the cool silverbeet with a slotted spoon to the miso sesame dressing.
    • Mix to coat the silverbeet in the dressing. There should be enough water from the chard to thin the sauce ever so slightly, but if it seems too dry, then add a teaspoon of water at a time.
    • Best when kept in the fridge for ½-2 hours before serving, but you can also eat it straight away!

    Notes

    Silverbeet: also known as swiss chard. You can use rainbow chard in this recipe too.
    You can also use this dressing on other greens, such as English spinach, turnip green, or mix it with green beans. Just don’t use baby spinach as it is too soft to hold the dressing.
    Resting time: Although best placed in the fridge for 30 minutes to 2 hours before eating, this recipe can be enjoyed straight away.

    Terms used in the recipe:

    tablespoon = tablespoon (15ml)
    teaspoon = teaspoon (5ml)
    Mortar and pestle: mortar (bowl) and pestle (rounded club), which grind spices and ingredients to a fine powder or paste.
    If you don’t have one, an alternative to a mortar and pestle: use a rolling pin on a wooden board to crush the sesame seeds. Then place them in a mug and mix in the soy, miso, sugar, sesame oil and vinegar, using the end of the rolling pin to gently mush them together.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 82kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 4gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 624mgPotassium: 435mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 6116IUVitamin C: 30mgCalcium: 129mgIron: 3mg
    Keyword Japanese sesame dressing, miso dressing, silverbeet recipes

    HAVE YOU MADE THIS RECIPE?

    I’d love to see your creation!

    Tag me! #atmrsjoneskitchen
    Tag me! @atmrsjoneskitchen

    Or just leave a comment below!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jon says

      September 01, 2022 at 7:54 am

      Hi. Could I serve this hot?

      Reply
      • Robyn says

        September 02, 2022 at 12:43 pm

        Hi yes you can serve it hot. I would recommend serving it straight away to avoid the silverbeet / chard from overcooking and losing it’s bright green colour. Hope this helps 🙂 Robyn

        Reply

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    Robyn Jones, Recipe Developer & Food Photographer

    Robyn Jones

    Recipe Developer | Food Photographer | Writer

    Hi! I'm Robyn, a toddler mum with a passion for all things food! Having moved internationally 7 times in the past 12 years I have developed a love of making international recipes into family friendly ones you can make in your own home, with local ingredients; wherever you live!

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