Crisp and Delicious Seasoned Spinach Salad
Lunar New Year Special: Spinach Salad – As good as Pohang/Seomcho Spinach, made with fresh spinach!
While spinach varieties like Pohang, Seomcho, and Namhae are delicious, the spinach available right now is at its absolute peak season and tastes wonderfully fresh! Simply blanch it briefly and season it with salt and soy sauce for an incredibly tasty seasoned spinach dish. If you’ve ever felt intimidated by making namul (seasoned vegetable dishes), try making this with the current season’s spinach. You’ll be amazed at your own culinary skills! This is a healthy side dish that everyone in the family will love.
Main Ingredients
- Fresh spinach, 250g
- Coarse salt, 1/2 Tbsp (for blanching)
- Salt, 1/2 tsp (for seasoning)
- Soup soy sauce, 1/2 tsp (for umami)
- Minced garlic, 1 tsp
- Sesame oil, 1 Tbsp (for nutty flavor)
- Toasted sesame seeds (or ground sesame seeds), 1 Tbsp
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, carefully trim off any yellowed or wilted leaves and any dirt from the spinach. Wash it thoroughly under running water to ensure all soil is removed from the roots. In a pot, bring plenty of water to a rolling boil and add the coarse salt. Once boiling, add the prepared spinach and blanch for a very short time, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until the leaves wilt. Be careful not to over-blanch, as this will make it mushy and lose its crisp texture.
Step 2
Immediately after blanching, remove the spinach from the hot water and rinse it quickly under cold running water to cool it down. This step helps to preserve the vibrant green color of the spinach and maintain its crisp texture.
Step 3
Gently squeeze the spinach by hand to remove excess water. Avoid squeezing too hard, as this can release a raw flavor. Cut the squeezed spinach into manageable pieces, about 3-4 cm in length, and place them in a mixing bowl. Now, add all the seasoning ingredients: minced garlic, salt, soup soy sauce, and a generous amount of sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds for that wonderful nutty aroma.
Step 4
Using your hands, gently toss and mix the ingredients to evenly coat the spinach. This ‘jobal-jobal’ motion helps the flavors meld beautifully without crushing the delicate leaves. Taste the salad and adjust seasoning with more salt if needed. For a richer flavor, you can add a tiny bit more soup soy sauce. Your delicious seasoned spinach salad is ready!
