Korean Marinated Spinach Banchan (Sigeumchi Namul)

Name: Korean Marinated Spinach Banchan (Sigeumchi Namul)
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 1 pound (450 g) Mature spinach, bottom half-inch of stems trimmed, washed and drained; Kosher salt; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) Unseasoned rice wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon (15 g) Korean fermented soybean paste (doenjang); 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Honey; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) Fish sauce; 1 teaspoon (2 g) Freshly ground black pepper; 1 medium clove (5 g) Garlic clove, finely grated; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) Toasted sesame oil; 2 tablespoons (20 g) Toasted sesame seeds; 2 medium (40 g) Scallions, sliced on the bias into 1/4-inch pieces

Recipe GLPRdd8be3c2f04a87

Korean

Side Dish

15 min

373 cal

Servings: 3

Stovetop

SNAP eligible

A traditional Korean side dish of tender blanched spinach dressed in a savory-sweet marinade with toasted sesame oil, fermented soybean paste, and aromatic garlic. This vibrant banchan is served cold or at room temperature and makes an excellent accompaniment to any meal.

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Ingredients

1 pound (450 g) Mature spinach, bottom half-inch of stems trimmed, washed and drained

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons (30 ml) Unseasoned rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon (15 g) Korean fermented soybean paste (doenjang)

1 tablespoon (15 ml) Honey

1 teaspoon (5 ml) Fish sauce

1 teaspoon (2 g) Freshly ground black pepper

1 medium clove (5 g) Garlic clove, finely grated

2 tablespoons (30 ml) Toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons (20 g) Toasted sesame seeds

2 medium (40 g) Scallions, sliced on the bias into 1/4-inch pieces

Directions

Fill a large pot with water, bring to a boil, and season generously with kosher salt until it tastes like the sea.
Add the prepared spinach to the boiling salted water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the leaves are tender and wilted.
Drain the spinach in a colander and rinse under cold running water until completely cooled. Gently squeeze out excess moisture and place in a bowl.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the rice wine vinegar, doenjang, honey, fish sauce, black pepper, and grated garlic until well combined.
Drizzle the toasted sesame oil over the cooled spinach, then pour the vinegar marinade over it and toss gently but thoroughly to coat evenly.
Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds and bias-cut scallions over the spinach and give it a final gentle toss to combine.
Transfer to a serving dish and serve at room temperature or chilled. This banchan keeps well refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4.25

Doenjang and fish sauce are the real obstacles here—neither Harris Teeter, Food Lion, nor Walmart stock them reliably, so you're looking at a trip to an Asian market in Charlotte, which is a real cost for a weeknight side. Fresh spinach, sesame oil, and sesame seeds are easy everywhere, and at maybe $1.50 for the whole dish it's genuinely cheap. The 15 minutes is honest if you have the pantry items already; the actual prep (blanching, squeezing, mixing) takes less than that. It reheats fine in a cold bowl, keeps for three days, and works as a side for almost any dinner rather than a standalone, which is how it's meant to be eaten.