Green Bean Gomaae (胡麻和え) is one of the vegetable side dishes that my mom taught me to make from scratch since I was little. The aromatic and nutty sesame sauce adds just the right touch to the vegetables. As it pairs well with almost every Japanese meal, we would serve the green beans regularly at the family dinner. It’s fresh-tasting, delicious, and super simple. Whenever you need a quick veggie, the salad will always be a perfect match. It’s the one you’ll make again and again, so memorize the recipe!
What is Gomaae?
Gomaae (sometimes written as Goma-ae or Goma Ae) is a Japanese side dish in which vegetables are dressed in sesame sauce. Goma (胡麻) means ‘sesame seeds’ and -Ae (和え) means ‘being dressed with sauce/dressing’ in Japanese. Toasted sesame seeds are crushed then seasoned with soy sauce and sugar. You will wonder why it’s so simple yet incredibly delicious. The sesame sauce is versatile and you can dress it with all kinds of vegetables! The top 2 popular choices are green beans and spinach.
Why You’ll Love This Dish
Just 4 ingredients: Green beans, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and sugar. That’s it! Easy to make, under 15-20 minutes at max. It’s versatile – use other veggies if you don’t have green beans. Delicious and addicting; everyone loves it and wants more! A sure-win way to eat more vegetables. Perfect for make-ahead! It stores well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
4 Ingredients You Need for Gomaae
1. Green Beans
I use both regular green beans and skinny French green beans (Haricots Verts) for Gomaae. Depending on the type of green beans you use, be careful not to overcook the beans. You will need to blanch until beans are just tender, 3 minutes for French green beans; 4 to 5 minutes for the regular green beans. I like the beans when they still have the slightest crunch of texture.
2. Sesame Seeds
Typically we use white sesame seeds for Gomaae, but you can use black sesame seeds or a combination. Black sesame seeds have a stronger aroma and taste. They are a good source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, healthy fats, and protein. That is why we love using sesame seeds in our cooking!
3. Soy Sauce
I recommend using Japanese soy sauce (instead of other Asian varieties) for the right flavor as they taste quite different. If you’re gluten-free, you can use gluten-free soy sauce.
4. Sugar
Many of you would ask if you can skip or substitute sugar with a healthier alternative, such as honey and maple syrup. I don’t recommend skipping the sugar because soy sauce is salty and requires balance sweetness to balance out the flavor. As for alternatives, I’ve never used other sweeteners to make Gomaae, so I can’t really share my experience. You can give either honey or maple syrup a try, but go easy as they do have a more pronounced flavor. Please know that the Sesame Sauce/Dressing is not supposed to be “sauce-y” and you shouldn’t overwhelm the green beans with it. For a half-pound of green beans, you will need only one tablespoon of sugar to balance out the one tablespoon of soy sauce. If you really wish, you can halve the amount for both sugar and soy sauce.
Japanese Pestle and Mortar
For Gomaae, we use a Japanese ceramic mortar and wooden pestle called Suribachi (すり鉢) and Surikogi (すりこぎ). These mortars and pestles are helpful to grind sesame seeds and nuts, mash vegetables and tofu, or mix ingredients in Japanese cooking. Most Japanese household has one of these which explains why Gomaae is quite a popular dish in Japan. I always recommend getting a bigger bowl if you can; that way, you can put the ingredients in there for tossing together. Mine is roughly 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter.
5 Tips for Making Good Gomaae
Toast the sesame seeds – Even if your sesame seeds are already toasted, don’t skip this step. It makes a difference! Grind partially – It’s a preference, but you don’t have to grind all the sesame seeds to paste form. It’s nice to leave some sesame seeds uncrushed for texture. Don’t skip the sugar – I know you may be tempted to skip but don’t omit the sugar completely. You need to counterbalance the saltiness of soy sauce with sugar. Don’t overcook the veggies – As you cook, checking the doneness at intervals. The cooking time varies based on the amount of boiling water, the number and thickness of beans you’re cooking, and the texture of beans you prefer. Don’t rely on what the recipe says, trust your own judgment. Shock the green vegetables – Whether you use green beans or spinach, in order to keep the bright green color of the vegetables, you have to shock them with ice water after blanching.
What Other Vegetables is Good for Gomaae?
Asparagus Avocado Bean sprouts Broccoli & Broccolini – Kids’ favorite for Gomaae. Burdock root (Gobo) Carrot Cauliflower Cucumber Kabocha Komatsuna – Mr. JOC’s favorite for Gomaae. Mitsuba Okra Shungiku (Chrysanthemum leaves/greens) – My mom’s favorite for Gomaae. Spinach – Here’s my recipe. By adding tofu to Gomaae, you can make Green Bean Shiraae!
What other vegetables have you tried making gomaae with? Let us know in the comment below!
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