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A bowl of cooked Japanese style silverbeet with sesame seeds sprinkled on top.

Japanese silverbeet with sesame miso dressing

Robyn
Blanched silverbeet is dressing in a salty Japanese sesame dressing making a tasty and healthy side dish.
5 from 4 votes
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Resting time in fridge 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
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 chard. You can also use rainbow chard in this recipe – as you will see from the photos!
Soy sauce: or 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 rice vinegar, substitute 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.
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.
You can 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.
If you don't have a mortar and pestle, as 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

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