Kim Dae-seok's Spinach Side Dish

Name: Kim Dae-seok's Spinach Side Dish
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: spinach 300g; sea salt 1 tablespoon; soy sauce 1 tablespoon; minced garlic 1/2 tablespoon; salt 2 pinches; sesame oil 1 tablespoon; toasted sesame seeds 1 tablespoon

Blanch spinach briefly in boiling water to retain moisture, then toss with soy sauce and sesame oil for a clean, refreshing flavor.

15 min Difficulty Very easy side dish

Main ingredients

spinach

Ingredients needed 4 servings

spinach 300g

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spinach

Baek Jong-won's Spinach Namul

A representative of the three-colored namul for holidays, this spinach namul is blanched briefly to maintain its crispness, with finely ground sesame seeds and soup soy sauce (or fish sauce) maximizing its nutty and savory flavors.

15 minVery easyside dish

SpinachMinced garlicSoup soy sauceSesame oilRoasted sesame seeds

super easyeveryday side dishholiday food

Kim Dae-seok's Sigeumchi Namul

Blanch spinach briefly in salted water to preserve crispness, then season simply with soy sauce and seasoned salt for a refreshing winter spinach side dish.

10 minVery easyside dish

spinachgreen onionminced garlicsoy sauceseasoned salt

very simpleside dishvegetable side dish

sea salt 1 tablespoon

soy sauce 1 tablespoon

minced garlic 1/2 tablespoon

salt 2 pinches

sesame oil 1 tablespoon

toasted sesame seeds 1 tablespoon

Recipe

Remove dirt from the roots of the spinach and cut into 4–6 equal pieces. Rinse thoroughly under running water several times.
Bring water to a boil in a pot, add 1 tablespoon of sea salt, then add the prepared spinach.
Blanch over high heat for exactly 30 to 40 seconds. At the 20-second mark, flip the spinach evenly once.
Immediately transfer the blanched spinach to cold water to remove residual heat and prevent overcooking.
Rinse lightly in cold water, then gently squeeze by hand—do not press too hard—until just a slight moisture remains.
In a bowl, mix 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic, 2 pinches of salt, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds to make the dressing.
Add the spinach to the bowl with the dressing and gently toss, using your hands to mix thoroughly.

Prepare spinach and blanch quickly in boiling salted water for 30–40 seconds.
Immediately rinse in cold water to cool down, then gently squeeze out moisture, leaving it slightly damp.
Toss the spinach with a mixture of soy sauce, minced garlic, salt, sesame oil, and toasted sesame seeds.

Cooking tips

If you don’t cool the blanched spinach immediately in cold water, residual heat will dull the vibrant green color and cause the texture to become soggy quickly.
Squeezing out too much moisture will make the spinach dry and tough, so keeping a light, moist texture is the secret to success.