Korean Spinach Recipe

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This Korean spinach recipe is super easy and only requires five ingredients! It is also extremely flavourful and the perfect accompaniment to Korean food or other Asian flavours.

If you've ever been to a Korean restaurant, you might be familiar with the tradition of multiple vegetable side dishes, called Banchan, served alongside the main meal, with seasoned Korean spinach being one that typically makes an appearance.

Banchan is thought to have originated as a result of Buddhist influence around the mid-Three Kingdoms period and the proscription against eating meat by the monarchies of these Kingdoms. The Korean people became very creative at developing ways to cook and present vegetable-based dishes.

Whilst the ban on meant no longer exists today, centuries on Banchan based eating have resulted in them becoming ingrained in Korean culture and forming an integral part of Korean cuisine. Apart from being very tasty, they are also very pretty to look at on the dining table!

Although this Korean spinach recipe requires only five ingredients -- spinach, garlic, sesame oil, salt and toasted sesame seeds -- each one is strong in flavour and combines together to create a taste to stimulate and excite the senses. There is no one dominant flavour - earthy, spicy, nutty and salty all come through equally.

I particularly like serving this dish in the warmer weather months, as it is light, only requires gentle cooking and is typically enjoyed at room temperature. It's a variation of salad that we love to work into our meal rotation.

Serve this Korean spinach recipe with this irresistible recipe for Korean chicken, or your favourite main course. It is easily scaleable, whether you're feeding a crowd or just cooking for yourself. The dish can also be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge until you need it and is best served at room temperature.

Here's what you'll need to make this Korean spinach recipe:
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400-600g fresh spinach
1 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
3/4 tsp pressed garlic
3 large pinches of sea salt, to taste
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

And here's what you'll need to do:

• Rinse and drain the spinach in a colander.
• Blanch the spinach until wilted. You can either plunge a colander full of spinach into boiling water or pour boiling water from a kettle over the spinach to wilt them. Refresh under cold running water.

• Take a handful of spinach at a time, squeeze out the excess water, and place it in a separate bowl. Use chopsticks or a fork to separate the spinach leaves.
• Add the sesame oil, garlic and salt to the spinach, and toss together until well combined.
• Sprinkle over the toasted sesame seeds, and toss again to combine.

• Serve with your favourite main course!

Korean Spinach Recipe

By Wendy | Serves 4

This seasoned Korean spinach recipe is simple yet flavourful and the perfect accompaniment to Korean or Asian themed meals.

Prep Time: 5 minutes plus time for dough to rise
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4
Course: Side, Vegetable
Cuisine: Korean
Tags: Korean Cooking, Asian Food

Ingredients

400-600g fresh spinach
1 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
3/4 tsp pressed garlic
3 large pinches of sea salt, to taste
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

1. Rinse and drain the spinach in a colander.
2. Blanch the spinach until wilted. You can either plunge a colander full of spinach into boiling water or pour boiling water from a kettle over the spinach to wilt them. Refresh under cold running water.
3. Take a handful of spinach at a time, squeeze out the excess water, and place it in a separate bowl. Use chopsticks or a fork to separate the spinach leaves.
4. Add the sesame oil, garlic and salt to the spinach, and toss together until well combined.
5. Sprinkle over the toasted sesame seeds, and toss again to combine.
6. Serve with your favourite main course!

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