Komatsuna

Brassica para var. perviridis

While used in similar ways as spinach, komatsuna has a milder taste and stays firmer when cooked. It is rich in calcium (170 mg/100 g vs. 49 mg/100 g spinach), carotene, Vitamins B, C and E, iron, phosphorus and fiber.

This cool-climate tolerant vegetable (its season is winter in Japan) is easy to grow -- in the Pacific Northwest, it takes less water than spinach in our dry summers and stays green under the frost and snow in our cold winters. Komatsuna is one of the all-year-round leafy vegetables in our garden.

14 kcal/100 g; 94.1% water, 1.5% protein, 0.2% fat, 2.4% carbohydrate, 1.3% ash

Recipes with komatsuna

• Okara tamago karee-aji to horenso, komatsuna no bataa-joyu itame / stir-fried spinach, komatsuna and egg with soybean pulp and curry, soy sauce butter flavor 
  
• Kaisen chukadon / Chinese-style seafood saute over steamed rice 
• Sake to tofu no komatsuna suigyoza / shuijiao boiled dumplings with salmon and tofu in komatsuna wrappers
  
• Harusame to komatsuna no itameni / saute-simmered mung bean vermicelli and komatsuna
• Sakana to tofu, kimuchi no sattoni / quick-simmered fish, tofu and kimchi
• Yasai chuka yakisoba / Chinese stir-fried noodles with vegetables
• Sakana to yasai no sotee gaarikku remon soosu / fish and vegetable saute with garlic lemon sauce
• Atsuage to komatsuna no champuruu / Okinawan-style stir-fry with deep-fried tofu and komatsuna
• Komatsuna to atsuage no miso-itame / sauteed komatsuna and deep-fried tofu with miso sauce
• Hotate to komatsuna no karamiae / scallops and komatsuna in spicy sauce
• Komatsuna to usuage no nibitashi / komatsuna and thin deep-fried tofu in broth
• Ebi ankake yakisoba / fried noodles with prawns and vegetables sauce

Try komatsuna in the following recipes

• Gomoku ankake udon / wheat noodles with thickened soup and assorted ingredients
• Koyadofu no ageyaki to renkon no horenso-an / fried freeze-dried tofu and lotus root with spinach dashi sauce
  
• Miso yasai raamen / vegetable ramen noodles with miso-flavored soup
  
• Tosho chaamen / dao xiao chao mian / fried hand-shaven noodles
• Suigyoza no chige-fu nabe / jjigae-style hotpot with shui jiao dumplings
  
• Horenso to shungiku, kikka no ohitashi / spinach, garland chrysanthemum and chrysanthemum flowers in light broth
• Tonyu miso nikomi udon / hot-pot udon wheat noodles in red miso and soy milk broth 
• Shungiku to ringo no mizore-ae / garland chrysanthemum and apple with grated daikon radish and sweetened vinegar 
• Nori to nanohana no osuimono / clear soup with nori seaweed and field mustard flowers
• Kankoku mitsuba no shiraae / cham namul with tofu dressing
  
• Koyadofu to saishin no nibitashi / freeze-dried tofu and yu choy sum simmered in broth
  
• Horenso, moyashi, sumookusaamon no ohitashi / spinach, mung bean sprouts and smoked salmon marinated in light broth
  
• Saishin no karashi oisutaasoosu-ae / yu choy sum in Japanese mustard and oyster sauce dressing
  
• Sakana no oisutaasoosu-ni, howajao-iri / simmered fish in oyster sauce-flavored broth with Sichuan peppers
  
• Sake to hijiki no itameni / salmon saute with hijiki seaweed
  
• Atsuage, moyashi, saishin no nibitashi / deep-fried tofu, mung bean sprouts and yu choy sum simmered in light broth 
• Tonyu nabe / hot pot with soy milk broth
• Ebi-shinjo to yasai ribon no nabe / hot pot with prawn-fish dumplings and vegetable ribbons
• Kiriboshi-daikon to saishin no misoshiru / miso soup with dried julienned daikon radish and yu choy sum
• Kabu no ha to ninjin, age no nibitashi / Japanese turnip leaf, carrot and thin deep-fried tofu in light broth
  
• Atsuage to chingensai no kurozuan itame / deep-fried tofu and baby bok choy saute with thickened brown rice vinegar sauce
  
• Sakana to saishin no tamagoyaki / omelet with fish and yu choy sum
• Yosenabe / hot pot with assorted ingredients
• Chirimushi / steamed fish, tofu, vegetables and mushrooms, with citrus-flavored soy sauce
  
• Ninjin to horenso no shiraae / carrot and spinach in tofu dressing
• Chuukadon / Chinese-style saute with sauce over steamed rice
• Kaki no dote-nabe / hot pot with oysters, broiled tofu and vegetables with miso

(Last updated: April 27, 2019)