Korean
Sigeumchi-namul
Bright blanched spinach gently seasoned with soup soy sauce, garlic, scallion, toasted sesame oil, and crushed seeds, kept in loose strands for an everyday Korean banchan.
4 servings · 15 minutes prep · 2 minutes cook
Ingredients
Spinach
- 1 pound mature bunch spinach, roots trimmed, crowns intact, washed thoroughly
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, for the blanching water
Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons Korean soup soy sauce or light soy sauce
- 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
- 1 scallion, finely sliced
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds, lightly crushed
Directions
Blanch the Spinach
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add the fine sea salt. Hold the spinach by the leaves and blanch the stems for 30 seconds, then submerge the leaves for 30 seconds more.
- Move the spinach directly into cold water and rinse gently until cool and grit-free. Drain, align the stems, and squeeze in sections just until water no longer streams out.
Cut and Season
- Cut the spinach into 2-inch lengths and place in a mixing bowl. Add the soy sauce, garlic, and scallion.
- Lift and separate the spinach with clean fingertips until evenly seasoned. Drizzle over the toasted sesame oil, add the crushed sesame seeds, and mix only until distributed.
Rest and Serve
- Rest for 5 minutes, then taste a stem and a leaf together. Add soy sauce only a few drops at a time if needed. Arrange loosely on a small plate and serve the same day.
