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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers/Sides

    Korean Spinach Side Dish

    Last Modified: March 21, 2022 - Published by: christieathome

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Korean Spinach Side Dish, also known as "Sigeumchi Namul" in Korean. A very easy and quick Korean spinach salad seasoned with a delicious garlicky sesame soy sauce.

    Korean Spinach Side Dish

    Quick & Popular!

    This is a popular banchan or side dish served at many Korean restaurants. It can be made ready in just 10 minutes! A fast and delicious way to get in your greens for dinner, lunch and this works well for meal prep too as you can store it in the fridge up to 4-5 days!

    Easy Korean Spinach Recipe

    I love making this Korean spinach recipe as it’s so simple and easy to make at home with minimal ingredients.

    You’re simply blanching the chopped spinach in hot boiling water for 30 seconds, straining it and rinsing with cold water. Then squeezing excess liquids out and seasoning with a very simple 5 ingredient sauce – that it’s! It can be stored in the fridge up to 3-4 days if you’d like to have it for later.

    Korean Spinach Side Dish

    It's Vegan!

    This dish is vegan! If you're plant-based, then you may enjoy this vegan side dish as it is flavourful and doesn't contain any animal products.

    Pairs deliciously with…

    This is one of the many Korean side dishes that pairs deliciously with steamed rice and a protein of your choice.

    It is also commonly used in bibimbap. For those of you who don’t know what bibimbap is, it is a mixed Korean rice dish. It consists of this spinach, bean sprouts, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, bulgogi ground beef or spicy pork, fried egg with a delicious spicy gochujang-based sauce.

    Korean Spinach Side Dish

    What you’ll need

    For this Korean spinach side dish recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:

    • spinach
    • salt

    Sauce:

    • Regular soy sauce
    • Sesame oil
    • Sesame seeds
    • Garlic
    • Sugar

    How to make Korean Spinach side dish

    Below are brief steps with visuals to show you how to make Korean spinach. Please scroll down to the recipe card below to find full instructions and details.

    Chop your spinach into 2-inch-long pieces.

    Thoroughly wash your spinach at least 4-5 times to remove any dirt. The water should run green but clear. Strain the water.

    In a medium size pot filled with water, add salt, and bring to a boil. Blanch spinach for no more than 30 seconds.

    Quickly strain the spinach and rinse with cold water until the spinach is cold to touch.

    Drain the cold water. With clean hands, gather the spinach into a ball and squeeze out excess water. Transfer spinach to a mixing bowl.

    In a separate bowl, combine sauce ingredients.

    Pour sauce over spinach and mix with clean hands. Serve and enjoy!

    Korean Spinach Side Dish

    Cooking Tips

    Below are tips on making Korean seasoned spinach:

    Blanch only for 30 seconds

    Since spinach is a very thin leaf, this will only take 30 seconds for it to cooked and retain its nutrients. Don’t overcook it or the spinach leaves will disintegrate easily.

    Stop cooking process with cold water

    Use very cold water to rinse your spinach after straining it. This helps to stop the cooking process.

    Squeeze spinach with hands to remove excess water

    Using clean hands are the easiest way to squeeze out any excess water.

    Mix sauce before adding to spinach

    Before adding your sauce ingredients to the spinach, you can mix them in a bowl to evenly distribute the ingredients.

    Mix with hands

    Mixing the sauce into the spinach with clean hands is also the easiest way to ensure even taste. Our hands are really our best tool!

    FAQ

    Below are frequently asked questions about this Korean blanched spinach:

    How long can this be stored in the fridge?

    This is one of those Korean side dishes that can be stored up to 4-5 days in an airtight container.

    Do I need to add sugar?

    No, you don’t need to, but it helps to balance out the saltiness.

    Can I use baby spinach?

    Yes but I would reduce the blanching time to 10-20 seconds as they are much smaller and wilt more quickly.

    Is Korean spinach good for you?

    Yes! It’s packed with fiber and delicious nutrients.

    Other recipes you may like!

    If you enjoyed this Korean spinach banchan, you may like these other Korean recipes:

    BULGOGI (KOREAN BBQ BEEF)
    GYERAN MARI KOREAN ROLLED OMELETTE
    KOREAN POTATO SALAD
    KOREAN CUCUMBER SALAD

    Try it!

    Well, I hope you give my Korean Spinach Side Dish a try! It always excites me when you make my recipes and I hope this is one you try and most importantly, enjoy.

    Sharing is caring

    If you enjoyed my Korean spinach dish, please share it with your family and friends or on social media! Take a picture of your re-creation and make sure to tag me @ChristieAtHome in your feed or stories as I would love to see it!

    Did you enjoy it?

    If you genuinely enjoyed my Korean spinach appetizer, please leave a 5-star review. I would greatly appreciate it 🙂

    Take care,
    Christie

    *This post for contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I also earn from qualifying purchases through additional affiliate programs

    Easy 10-min. Korean Spinach Side Dish (Sigeumchi Namul)

    christieathome
    Korean Spinach Side Dish, also known as Sigeumchi Namul in Korean. A very easy and simple Korean spinach salad seasoned with a delicious garlicky sesame soy sauce. This is a popular banchan or side dish served at many Korean restaurants. Ready in just 10 minutes!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 9 mins
    Cook Time 1 min
    Total Time 10 mins
    Course Appetizer, Side Dish
    Cuisine korean
    Servings 2
    Calories per serving 226 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 500 grams spinach (about 2 large bunches)
    • 1 teaspoon salt for blanching

    Sauce

    • 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce feel free to add ½ tablespoon more if you like it saltier
    • 2 tablespoon sesame oil
    • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
    • 1 tablespoon garlic minced
    • 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar

    Instructions
     

    • Chop your spinach into 2-inch-long pieces.
    • Thoroughly wash your spinach at least 4-5 times to remove any dirt. The water should run green but clear. Strain the water.
    • In a medium size pot filled with water, add salt, and bring to a boil. Blanch spinach for no more than 30 seconds. Quickly strain the spinach and rinse with cold water until the spinach is cold to touch.
    • Drain the cold water. With clean hands, gather the spinach into a ball and gently squeeze out excess water. Transfer spinach to a mixing bowl.
    • In a separate bowl, combine sauce ingredients. Pour sauce over spinach and mix with clean hands. Serve and enjoy!
    Enjoyed my recipe?Please leave a 5 star review (be kind)! Tag me on social media @christieathome as I'd love to see your creations!
    Copyright PolicyPlease do not copy and paste my recipes or use my photos in your own site/blog or social media. If you use my recipe for adaptation, please provide a link back to my recipe and re-write in your own words. Thank you.

    Suggested Equipment & Products

    Medium Size Pot 2.4 Qt
    Measuring Set
    Steel Colander
    Cutting Board
    Santoku Knife
    Nutrition
    Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 2115mg | Potassium: 1459mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 23443IU | Vitamin C: 72mg | Calcium: 297mg | Iron: 8mg
    Course Appetizer, Side Dish
    Cuisine korean
    Keyword how to make korean spinach, how to make korean spinach side dish, korean blanched spinach, korean seasoned spinach, korean side dishes, korean spinach, korean spinach appetizer, korean spinach banchan, korean spinach cold dish, korean spinach dish, korean spinach recipe, korean spinach salad, korean spinach side dish, korean spinach side dish recipe, sigeumchi namul

    More Appetizers/Sides

    • Chinese Garlic Green Beans
    • Gamja Jorim
    • Korean Tuna Pancakes (Chamchijeon)
    • Korean Zucchini Fritters

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Billy

      April 13, 2022 at 5:53 pm

      5 stars
      I loved it. It was so simple and tasty. My new way of eating spinach now.

      Reply
    2. Jen

      January 29, 2023 at 10:24 pm

      5 stars
      I make this a few times a week - easy to make. I don't rinse the spinach after, but I have another bowl with ice and water. I drop the spinach in there, and quickly drain. I use less oil (just a tiny drop because sesame oil is very heavy for me) and I use maple syrup instead instead of white sugar, and it still tastes great! Love this!

      Reply
      • christieathome

        January 30, 2023 at 11:14 am

        Thank you for making my recipe on a regular basis, Jen! Happy that you enjoy it 🙂

        Reply

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    Christie

    Christie is an Asian Recipe Blogger sharing delicious recipes that you can make at home! Her goal is to make Asian cooking approachable and less intimidating. With a social media following of over 500k, she has been featured on Buzz Feed Tasty, Food52, The Kitchn and more! Christie's recipes have been made over and over again by her loyal readers.

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