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Prep 4 minutesmins
Cook 1 minutemin
Total 5 minutesmins
Super easy and flavorful Korean side dish in under 10 minutes. This Korean spinach salad is a delicious way to incorporate more vegetables into your next meal.
Let’s make a healthy and delicious Korean spinach side dish (Sigeumchi-name) in less than 5 minutes! This Korean side dish only needs a handful of simple ingredients and is packed with delicious savory flavors.
Sigeumchi namul (시금치나물) is a Korean side dish (banchan) that is made of quickly blanched spinach seasoned with soy sauce, garlic, green onion, salt, sesame oil and sesame seeds. It is typically served cold or at room temperature.
The cooking process is really simple. The spinach is blanched in boiling water, cooled in an ice bath, squeezed to remove excess water, and seasoned with the above ingredients. It only takes about 5 minutes to make. It is versatile and can be served on its own as a side dish or in kimbap, bibimbap, or japchae.
Ingredients
You can find all the ingredients for this Korean spinach side dish recipe at your local grocery store. Full measurements and links to everything I used are listed in the recipe card below.
Spinach: use regular spinach sold in a bunch with long stems instead of baby spinach. The larger spinach leaves are ideal since it has a thicker stem and won’t get too mushy when blanched.
Garlic and Green Onion: are the main aromatics.
Soy Sauce: seasons the spinach with a salty umami flavor.
Salt: seasons the spinach.
Toasted Sesame Oil: adds a silky nutty finish.
Toasted Sesame Seeds: for added umami flavor and textural contrast.
Substitutions and Additions
Substitutions
Vegetables: instead of spinach, you can try baby bok choi, or kale.
Soy Sauce alternatives: instead of soy sauce, you can use tamari or liquid aminos for a gluten-free alternative.
Additions
Spice: add 1-2 tablespoons of gochugaru or Korean spicy chili flakes for some heat.
How to Make Korean Spinach Side Dish
Here are the step-by-step instructions for how to make this Korean spinach side dish recipe (sigeumchi namul).
Place the spinach on a cutting board, trim the ends and slice into about 2 inch pieces.
Bring a pot of water with some salt to a boil over high heat. Then add the spinach and blanch for 30 seconds or until just wilted.
Place the spinach in an ice bath to cool. Then, gently squeeze out all the excess water.
Place the spinach in a mixing bowl and add the minced garlic, green onion, soy sauce, salt, sesame oil and sesame seeds. Mix until thoroughly combined. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
Quickly blanch the spinach. Only blanch the spinach for 30 seconds and at most up to 1 minute. This will allow the spinach to just wilt and allow the stems to have a soft crunch to them.
Use an ice bath. Using an ice bath will quickly stop the spinach from cooking and prevent Korean spinach side dish from overcooking and becoming mushy.
Squeeze out all the excess water. After cooling the spinach, squeeze as much water as you can. This will allow the Korean spinach salad to absorb the seasoning and not be diluted.
Storage Instructions
You can store this Korean spinach side dish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You do not need to reheat it since it is typically served cold.
Pairing Suggestions
This Korean spinach salad is typically served with other Korean side dishes but you can also serve it with the following Korean pairing suggestions.
Super easy and flavorful Korean side dish in under 5 minutes. This Korean spinach salad is a delicious way to incorporate more vegetables into your next meal.
Trim the spinach. Place the spinach on a cutting board, trim the ends, and slice into about 2-inch pieces.
Blanch the spinach. Bring a pot of water with salt to a boil over high heat. Then add the spinach and blanch for 30 seconds or until just wilted.
Cool in an ice bath. Place the spinach in an ice bath to cool. Then, gently squeeze out all the excess water.
Mix. Place the spinach in a mixing bowl and add the minced garlic, green onion, soy sauce, salt, sesame oil and sesame seeds. Mix until thoroughly combined.
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