Korean-style sesame spinach salad (sigeumchi namul)

If you are a fan of Korean food, you must have already heard of sigeumchi namul. A classic and humble spinach side dish made with soy sauce, garlic and sesame oil.

Because it is so simple to make and tasty, many Koreans serve this dish on an everyday basis – paired with kongnamul muchim (a bean sprout version), kimchi, stew, ramen and always used in bibimbap (stone rice). It is also served at special occasions like a family feast, BBQ parties –basically anywhere Koreans are gathering with food.

Lets get right to it!…

Remove the root ends from the spinach with a knife or scissors and wash thoroughly under running water.

Boil on high in a pot with salted hot water for 1 minutes.

We are only going to lightly cook the spinach, leaving it a little crispy, but still soft and tasty.

Rinse the cooked spinach with ice-cold water and then shake through a sieve. Gently squeeze all the water out with hands, place in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Mix all sauce ingredients in a small mixing bowl.

Add the sauce mix into the cooked spinach, toss well. It’s best to then allow to cool in the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes to let the flavours blend before serving, but this is not essential.

A delicious flavour from the far east. 10 minutes from the start to the table, a great source of iron and calcium… Can’t get better than that! You may also interested to check out my other Korean-style sesame bean sprouts salad (kongnamul muchim) recipe.

P.S. Very special thanks for my dear talented friend Miki who made me this beautiful plate.

If you have followed and made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and take a picture, tagging it with #k33_kitchen and share it on Instagram! I’d be very excited to see what you come up with. Cheers, hope you enjoy my recipes!