Chinese spinach salad with peanuts served in a bowl

Chinese spinach salad with peanuts is a traditional northern Chinese dish that my mom makes all the time. Unlike many Western spinach salads which use raw spinach, Chinese spinach salad uses blanched spinach for its tender texture. Combined with crispy peanuts and a refreshing vinaigrette dressing, it is the perfect appetizer to pique your appetite and it pairs perfectly with many types of main dishes.

Chinese spinach salad ingredients 

The spinach

You should use regular spinach (it’s sold in batches and has thicker stems and leaves), not baby spinach, for this dish. 

The dressing

The vinegar sauce is delicious and contains only five ingredients. The main ingredient is Chinkiang vinegar, a Chinese fermented vinegar that is somewhere between balsamic vinegar and malt vinegar. It has a dark brown color and a deep fermented umami, tastes slightly sweet but not as sweet as balsamic vinegar. Soy sauce, sugar, salt, and grated ginger are added to the vinegar to create a savory umami sauce that is rich and refreshing. 

The peanuts 

Back in China, it’s very common to use freshly fried skin-on peanuts to make Chinese spinach salad. When freshly deep fried, the peanuts are buttery and crispy, still a little warm. They taste so good that sometimes the peanuts are served in the vinegar dressing by themselves. 

Here in the homestyle version, I opt to use store-bought pre roasted peanuts. I also coarsely chop them instead of serving them whole. Not only does it save a lot of time and the trouble of deep frying, but the chopped peanuts also grab onto the spinach better and add satisfying texture to the dish.

Lao Cu Bo Cai Hua Sheng (老醋菠菜花生)

How to make Chinese spinach salad 

Making this Chinese spinach salad is super easy:

  1. Blanch the spinach 
  2. Thoroughly squeeze the excess water out of the spinach
  3. Chop the spinach so it’s easier to eat
  4. Mix the spinach with peanuts and the dressing
How to make Chinese spinach salad with peanuts

Can I make Chinese spinach ahead of time?

Once you’ve mixed it together, the Chinese spinach salad holds quite well if stored in the fridge for a few hours. However, I wouldn’t make it a day ahead. The spinach will start to release water and the color will become dull, and the peanuts will get soggy. 

How to serve Chinese spinach salad

Chinese spinach salad with peanuts is a cold appetizer. It is called 凉菜 (liang cai) in Chinese, literally means cold dish. It is usually served before the main course if it’s in a restaurant. At home, we usually serve it alongside our main dishes, together with a staple (rice or noodles), and soup.

Chinese spinach salad is a great way to add nutrition to your daily meals. Once cooked, the spinach will shrink a lot and taste very concentrated in flavor. Even though it’s a Northern Chinese dish, it goes very well with most Chinese dishes no matter whether it is savory, sweet or spicy.

Chinese spinach salad with peanuts close up

More delicious Chinese appetizers

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Chinese spinach salad is a cold appetizer that features tender blanched spinach and crispy peanuts tossed in a gingery vinegar dressing. It's a simple and highly nutritious dish that is perfect to complete your weekday meal. {Vegan, Gluten-Free Adaptable}

Chinese Spinach Salad with Peanuts (老醋菠菜花生)

By Maggie Zhu
4.75 from 4 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 2 to 4 servings
Print
Chinese spinach salad is a cold appetizer that features tender blanched spinach and crispy peanuts tossed in a gingery vinegar dressing. It's a simple and highly nutritious dish that is perfect to complete your weekday meal. {Vegan, Gluten-Free Adaptable}
To make the dish gluten-free, use rice vinegar instead of Chinkiang vinegar, and use tamari to replace light soy sauce.

Ingredients 

  • 1/2 lb (225 g) spinach , tough ends removed and rinsed thoroughly
  • 1 tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon light soy sauce (or soy sauce)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ginger , minced
  • 1/4 scant cup salted roasted peanuts , coarsely chopped

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add spinach and cook over medium heat until cooked through, about 1 minute. Drain, quickly rise with cold tap water, then drain again. Squeeze extra water out of the spinach with both hands. Chop spinach into pieces about 3” (8 cm) in length and transfer a serving bowl.
  • Combine black vinegar, light soy sauce, sugar, salt, and ginger in a small bowl, mix well.
  • Right before serving, top the spinach with peanuts and drizzle with the vinegar sauce. Serve immediately as a cold appetizer.

Video

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 73kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 4.1g, Fat: 4.8g, Saturated Fat: 0.7g, Sodium: 269mg, Potassium: 390mg, Fiber: 2.1g, Sugar: 1.6g, Calcium: 65mg, Iron: 2mg

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