Sautéed Spinach & Shimeji Mushrooms
- Edward Higgins
- Oct 24
- 2 min read
Hōrensō to Shimeji no Itamemono・ほうれん草としめじの炒め物
This sautéed spinach with shimeji mushroom recipe exemplifies the Japanese idea ishoku dōgen (医食同源): food and medicine share the same source. The simple preparation transforms humble ingredients into a nourishing side dish that supports your body's natural vitality, providing essential iron, B vitamins, while delivering satisfying umami depth in every bite.
The Health Benefits of Spinach: Iron, Vitamins, and More
Spinach is one of nature's most nutrient-dense foods. One cup of sautéed spinach delivers approximately 36% of your daily iron requirement. Iron plays a crucial role in metabolic function, contributing to oxygen transport, energy production, and cognitive function.
Mild iron deficiency often manifests as persistent fatigue, brain fog, and decreased physical stamina, symptoms that many people experience without recognizing the nutritional cause.
Beyond iron, spinach provides significant amounts of vitamins K, A, and C, along with folate, magnesium, and manganese. The dark leafy greens contain powerful antioxidants including lutein and zeaxanthin, which support eye health and protect cells from oxidative stress. In addition, spinach increases the bioavailability of certain nutrients, making this preparation both satisfyingly delicious and nutritionally strategic.
The idea of ishoku dōgen isn't suggesting that we shun modern medicine or ignore sound medical advice when we are ill, but rather that we can proactively participate in caring for our health and wellness by mindfully selecting and preparing foods that actively heals and nourishes rather than simply filling the stomach.
Key Techniques for Perfect Itamemono
Quick Cooking Preserves Nutritional Integrity
In Japansese itamemono implies rapid cooking over high heat, similar to stir-frying. The quick cooking preserves the vibrancy of color, texture, and flavor that longer cooking would diminish. More importantly it minimizes the degradation of heat-sensitive vitamins like vitamin C and certain B vitamins. The brief exposure to heat helps break down cell walls, making minerals like iron more bioavailable while avoiding the nutrient leaching that occurs with boiling or prolonged cooking.
Pre-Cooking Spinach Removes Excess Moisture
Dry-frying the spinach ahead helps control the moisture content of the finished dish by cooking off the natural water content in the leaves and stems. It also preserves the texture of the ingredients by avoiding the need to extend the cook time once everything is done just to reduce down the liquid that gets released from the spinach. The result is concentrated flavor and satisfying texture rather than a watery, mushy stir-fry.
Toasting Pine Nuts Enhances Flavor
Pine nuts (matsunomi in Japanese) provide textural contrast and subtle richness to this dish. Raw pine nuts taste mild and slightly resinous; toasted pine nuts develop complex, buttery, almost sweet notes with a satisfying crunch. Reserve a few of the toasted nuts to scatter over the finished dish as a garnish: their golden color contrasting beautifully with the deep green spinach and brown mushrooms.
What to Serve with Sautéed Spinach
For a complete meal following the ichijyū issai format enjoy with these two dishes:
or click here for more ideas
1
Storage
If you are preparing this dish ahead, it will hold in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
2
Substitutions
Any hearty, leafy greens can be used in place of the spinach. The same goes for the mushrooms: any variety will work. The important thing when preparing any Japanese dishes is to ensure that everything is cut into bite-sized pieces so that they are easy to eat with chopsticks.
Notes
1
Preparing the Spinach. Wash the spinach under running water and dry in a salad spinner or with a clean kitchen towel. Remove the root ends, and cut the spinach into 1-2" long pieces. Add the spinach to a dry pan (no oil) and cook over low heat to remove any excess water. Set the spinach aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
2
Preparing the Shimeji. Cut the base off of the bottom of the shimeji cluster, then use your hands to gently pull apart the mushrooms into individual pieces. You can save the base and add it to mushroom or vegetable stock rather than discard it.
3
Preparing the Pine Nuts. Lightly toast the nuts in a dry pan over low heat for 30-60 seconds to warm the oils and enhance their flavor. Transfer them onto a cutting board and roughly chop them. I like to keep them coarse so that the texture stands out in the finished dish.
4
Cooking the Dish. Heat the sesame oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the mushrooms and cook until they are tender and cooked through. It is important to stir or toss the pan often to avoid adding color to the mushrooms while they cook. Add the spinach back to the pan along with the pine nuts and toss to combine.
5
Finishing the Dish. Add the soy sauce and sake to the pan. Dissolve the kombucha powder into the kombu stock, then add it to the pan as well. Finally toss the pan one last time to coat everything evenly with the seasonings. Serve immediately.
Instructions
150 grams Shimeji mushrooms
75 grams Spinach
5 grams Pinenuts
15 grams Sesame oil
10 grams Konbu stock
10 grams Soy sauce
10 grams Sake
2 grams Kombucha powder
For the Seasoning
Spinach & Shimejj Mushroom Itamemono・ほうれん草としめじの炒め物
Eiten
This Japanese sautéed spinach pairs beautifully with steamed rice and any miso soup for a complete meal that you can easily have on the table in less than 30 minutes with a bit of forethought. It works as a nutritious side dish for any plant-based meal regardless, providing iron-rich vegetables that complement grain-based mains, so you can't go wrong whatever you serve it with.
Servings :
4 x 50 grams
Calories:
113
Prep Time
15 min
Active Cook TIme
10 min
Passive Cook Time
0
Total Time
25 min
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