A handful of everyday ingredients can turn fresh spinach into a flavorful Korean side dish in just 15 minutes. Korean Spinach (Sigeumchi-namul) is a classic banchan, or small side dish, made with tender blanched spinach tossed with garlic, green onion, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. It’s savory, nutty, and fresh, making it an easy way to bring a taste of Korean home cooking to your table.
This simple recipe starts with eight ounces of cleaned spinach. Briefly blanching the leaves in boiling water softens them while preserving their bright green color and delicate flavor. The spinach cooks for just 30 seconds to one minute, so keep an eye on it to avoid overcooking. Immediately rinse the leaves in cold water to stop the cooking, then squeeze out as much excess water as possible. This step matters: spinach that holds too much water can dilute the seasonings and leave the finished dish soggy.
Once the spinach is drained, cut it into bite-size pieces and combine it with minced garlic, chopped green onion, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Mixing the ingredients by hand helps distribute the seasonings throughout the spinach without crushing the delicate leaves. For a little extra color and mild heat, garnish with silgochu, Korean dried shredded red pepper, if you have it available.
A fine-mesh stainless-steel strainer makes draining and rinsing the blanched spinach easier, helping you remove excess water before seasoning. You can also gently squeeze small handfuls of spinach by hand once it’s cool enough to handle.
Serve Korean spinach with steamed rice and your favorite Korean-inspired dishes, such as bulgogi, Korean fried chicken, Asian Chive Kimchi or Kimchi. It also works well as part of a larger spread of small side dishes. Because the preparation is quick and the ingredients are simple, this spinach banchan is ideal for busy weeknights when you want a vegetable side that offers more flavor than plain steamed greens. Make it fresh, season to taste, and enjoy a bright, sesame-scented addition to your meal.
Print
Korean Spinach
- Total Time: :15
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 8 ounces spinach, cleaned and washed
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 1½ teaspoon soy sauce
- 1½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoon sesame seeds
- silgochu (Korean dried shredded red pepper), optional
Instructions
- Boil 8 to 10 cups of water in a large pot.
- Blanch the spinach for 30 seconds to 1 minute with lid off, stirring with a wooden spoon.
- Strain the spinach and rinse in cold water a couple of times to remove any residual dirt.
- Squeeze out excess water and cut a few times into bite size pieces.
- Mix the spinach with garlic, green onion, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds in a mixing bowl by hand.
- Transfer to a bowl or plate and garnish with silgochu, if used.
- Serve with rice.
- Prep Time: :10
- Cook Time: :05
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stove Top