Korean Spinach Salad

Welcome to my Korean Spinach Salad recipe, also known as sigeumchi namul, a refreshing and seasoned dish that serves as a perfect cold spinach salad! With just five natural ingredients and a quick 5-minute preparation time, it’s the ideal choice for anyone craving a healthy and delicious vegetable side dish!

Korean style spinach salad seasoning with salt and garlic served cold in a white bowl with a pair of chopsticks.

Why I Love This Recipe

I love this Korean Spinach Salad because it’s a delightful and nutritious side dish that’s incredibly easy to make! This simple and healthy salad is a savory complement to your meal, perfect for enhancing the experience of flavorful dishes. Made with fresh spinach leaves that are boiled, seasoned with salt, garlic, and toasted sesame oil, and chilled, I crafted it to be a quick and easy option for those who appreciate the elegance of Korean cuisine!

This dish is an essential part of ‘banchan’ dishes, such as my Korean Pickled Vegetables or Bean Sprout Salad, which are often served alongside Korean BBQ classics like Short Ribs Marinade or Korean BBQ Garlic Pork Belly. With its refreshing flavors and crisp texture, this chilled spinach salad enhances the experience of savoring flavorful dishes. Give it a try, and enjoy the goodness of this recipe!

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • Spinach – best with fresh spinach leaves only, but can use stems as well if preferred.
  • Garlic  freshly grated garlic cloves.
  • Toasted Sesame Oil – 100% Toasted Sesame Oil that should have a dark brown color.  
  • Salt sea salt preferred.
  • Toasted Sesame SeedToasted Sesame Seeds in a bottle.

🍃 Spinach Ingredients Note

Ensure Thorough Washing of the spinach to remove any residue dirt that may be present in packed spinach.

Korean style spinach salad seasoning with salt and garlic served cold in a white bowl with a pair of chopsticks, top down angle.

Directions

Step 1 Begin by bringing a large pot of water to a boil. Add the spinach for blanching, ensuring not to overcook it. After 75 seconds, promptly run the spinach under cold water to halt the cooking process. Once blanched, thoroughly wring out the spinach to remove any excess water.

Boiled spinach.

🍲 Blanching Pro Tip

For optimal results, Don’t Overcook the spinach. Ensure the water is boiling before adding the spinach and immediately rinse it with Cold Water once done.

Step 2 Proceed to cut it into bite-sized pieces, approximately 1/2 inch in length into bite size pieces. Place the prepared spinach in a mixing bowl and season it with salt, toasted sesame oil, and toasted sesame seeds. Ensure thorough mixing to evenly distribute the flavors.

Spinach mixed with seasoning.

🍽️ Serving Pro Tip

For the best results, make the salad for at least 2 Hours Before Serving and Refrigerate to allow the seasonings to meld and create a delightful, chilled dish.

Recipe Variations

This spinach salad is a versatile side dish that complements a wide range of Asian cuisines. It pairs wonderfully with various Korean dishes, particularly Korean BBQ classics like Marinated Chicken, Pan Seared Brisket, and Korean BBQ Bulgogi. Its refreshing taste and chilled texture make it a great accompaniment to these flavorful dishes.

Pairing Recommendations

Pair this Korean banchan side dish with other side dishes like my Korean Pickled Garlic, Korean Pickled Vegetables or a green salad tossed in my Korean BBQ Salad Dressing. For your main, can’t go wrong with an easy to prepare Beef Brisket Stir Fry or a Pan Seared Korean BBQ Brisket!

Korean style spinach salad seasoning with salt and garlic served cold in a white bowl with a pair of chopsticks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen spinach for this recipe?

No, it's best to use fresh spinach.

Can I use pre-packaged spinach or should I use fresh spinach leaves?

You can use pre-packaged leaves as long as they are fresh and not frozen.

Can I use baby spinach instead of regular spinach leaves?

Yes, it will work with baby spinach.

Is this salad suitable for a vegetarian or vegan diet?

Yes, this salad is made with all vegetarian or vegan-friendly ingredients.

Storage Tips

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge, maintaining its freshness for 7-10 days.

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Watch How To Make It

Korean style spinach salad seasoning with salt and garlic served cold in a white bowl with a pair of chopsticks.

Korean Spinach Salad

Enjoy the delightful and nutritious Korean Spinach Salad, also known as Sigeumchi Namul, seasoned with garlic and toasted sesame oil. This simple and healthy side dish pairs perfectly with Korean barbecue and is a savory complement to your meal. Discover the taste of Korea in under 10 minutes!
4.37 from 30 votes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Korean
Keyword: Asian spinach salad, korean spinach salad, sigeumchi namul
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 8 minutes
Servings: 1 serving
Print Recipe
Calories: 142kcal

Ingredients

  • 4-5 Cups Spinach Leaves
  • 1 Clove Garlic
  • 2 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
  • 1/8 tsp Salt to taste
  • 1 tsp Toasted Sesame Seed

Instructions

  • Gather all the ingredients.
    Ingredients for Korean spinach.
  • In a large stove top pan, add enough water to boil the spinach. Bring water to boil.
    Pot of boiling water.
  • In the meantime, prepare and wash spinach as needed.
    Washed spinach.
  • Grate garlic with a grater or garlic press and set aside.
    Grated garlic.
  • Once water is boiling from step 2), add spinach leaves and boil for 75 seconds (or until spinach are cooked). Once 75 seconds has passed, rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process.
    Boiled spinach.
  • Drain and squeeze out any excess water from the spinach, cut the spinach into 1/2 inch length, loosen the spinach and transfer into a mixing bowl.
    Cut spinach.
  • Combine toasted sesame oil, salt, garlic and sesame seeds into mixing bowl and toss well. Salt to taste and keep stored in fridge until ready to serve.
    Spinach mixed with seasoning.

Nutrition

Calories: 142kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 386mg | Potassium: 670mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 11252IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 3mg
*Values Based Per Serving
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4.37 from 30 votes (30 ratings without comment)

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