Korean spinach side dish that’s amazingly delicious yet so simple to make. This dish is very lightly seasoned and cooked so the flavor and texture of the spinach can be fully appreciated and enjoyed.
Korean Spinach Side Dish (Shigeumchi Namul 시금치 나물)
This Korean spinach side dish is how Koreans love to have vegetables. By letting the flavor of the vegetable shine with a very simple classic Korean flavor combination of sesame oil, good Korean sea salt and green onions. It is something you can make as a side to any meal but can also use as a topping for Bibimbap.
I have been meaning to share this recipe for years but somehow I just was never able to get to it. But this year, I just HAD to do it!! Because I grew my own Korean spinach in my garden for the first time!!! YAY ME!!! BTW, this is the variety I grew, you can buy seeds from my Kimchimari shop.
While thinking about spinach.. I realized one interesting thing.. Koreans usually cook spinach and never really eat them raw. And I think that’s why the spinach that’s used in Korean cooking is one that is more fibrous and stands up to cooking better – it’s usually of the Flat or Smooth Leafed variety or a short stout Savoy variety called that grows through freezing winters. In the US, the crinkly with round-edged Savoy spinach variety is more commonly available or the flat leaves are available in baby spinach form for salads.
Also, a thing to note here is that a whole bunch or two of spinach or 8 oz of it ends up making just one small side dish when it’s all cooked and done. You can eat a large amount of spinach when they are blanched and squeezed like below.
Here’s a picture that I took of the commonly available Savoy spinach leaf (on the left) which is also mostly called Western Spinach (Seoyang Shigeumchi 서양시금치) in Korea vs Smooth Leafed Korean spinach (on the right) which is also called Eastern or Asian Spinach (Dongyang Shigeumchi 동양시금치) in Korea.
Of course, note, that the ones I have below on the right that have pointy leaves are JUST ONE TYPE of commonly eaten spinach in Korea. Koreans also grow different varieties for summer vs winter.
The summer ones usually have slender, longer stems and are slow to bolt during hot temperatures. The winter varieties are usually shorter, more close to the ground but also have more curly Savoy-type leaves. They either go Pohangcho 포항초 (known to be grown in Pohang area) and Seomcho 섬초 (grown on islands).
Of course, there’s a whole list of varieties within each group of these and I can’t list them all here but the main difference is that the flat or smooth leafed Korean spinach is more suitable for cooking while the curly Savoy spinach variety is a bit more suitable for fresh or just very light blanching or sauteeing.
FROM JINJOO!
Tips for Korean Spinach Side Dish
- Substituting other spinach – if you can’t find Korean spinach, it’s ok to sub more commonly available spinach. But do try to use bunches, not the baby spinach or ones that come in a bag. And flat-leaf or semi-savoy works best.
- Good Salt makes all the difference – because the seasoning for this Korean Spinach side dish is so simple, good quality sea salt is VERY important for this dish. Please use Korean Cheonilyeom (solar sea salt) or at least a good quality sea salt like French Geurande Salt or Kosher salt. Please don’t use table salt.
- Good sesame oil is important – if you are a foodie, you probably know what a good quality olive oil can do to a dish. Sesame oil is Koreans’ EVOO. I sell the best tasting Jin sesame oil on my Kimchimari shop should you want to buy one.
- Ways to Enjoy Korean Spinach Side Dish – besides just enjoying it as banchan, you can add as topping to Bibimbap or add to Japchae.
How to make Korean Spinach Side Dish (Shigeumchi Namul)
Ingredients
- 8 oz spinach (Korean flat-leaf preferred but American savoy also works)
- 1/2 tsp Korean sea salt (fine) – sub a little more than 1/2 tsp of Kosher salt
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1-2 green onions, chopped
- For blanching – 6 cups water + 1 Tbs Korean sea salt
Step-by-Step instructions
- Cut the root ends off if it’s flat-leafed Korean spinach that comes with the roots. If it’s spinach with the root ends already cut off then skip this step.
- Rinse spinach leaves in the water a couple of times and drain them to clean off any dirt.
- Boil a pot of water with salt added. 1 Tbs sea salt or kosher salt to 6 cups of water.
- Chop green onions.
- Have a bowl of ice bath ready next to your pot of boiling water or in the sink.
- Add spinach to boiling water and blanch for 1 min or so. A little more or less depending on how big your spinach stems are. Using a tong, gently turn the spinach so they are evenly cooked.
- Test doneness by bending the thickest part of the spinach stems. If they bend easily but with a little resistance and it’s been about 1 min, then you need to stop cooking. Turn heat off, and quickly transfer the blanched spinach into the ice bath.
- Once the spinach is fully cooled, take a handful out of the water and make a ball between your hands, gently squeezing excess water out. Squeeze and press gently until no water drips from them. Take care to not bruise it too much since cooked spinach is quite tender.
- In a mixing bowl, add the spinach then loosen them and separate the leaves so they will be evenly seasoned.
- Season spinach with sea salt, sesame oil, chopped green onions and sesame seeds. Mix them well with your hands. Taste and see if you need to add more salt and adjust. And there you go!
Turn heat off, and quickly transfer the blanched spinach into the ice bath.
Squeeze and press gently until no water drips from them. Take care to not bruise it too much since cooked spinach is quite tender. 
2 min video for Korean spinach side dish
9 MIN (fully narrated) YT video of HOW to make Shigeumchi Namul
I explain about differences in spinach and other important tips on how to make the dish successfully.
Korean Spinach Side Dish (Shigeumchi Namul)
Ingredients
- 8 oz spinach Korean flat-leaf preferred but American savoy also works
- 1/2 tsp Korean sea salt fine – sub a little more than 1/2 tsp of Kosher salt
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1-2 green onions chopped
- For blanching – 6 cups water + 1 Tbs Korean sea salt
Instructions
- If it’s flat-leafed Korean spinach that comes with the roots, cut the root ends off.
- Rinse spinach leaves in the water a couple of times and drain to clean off any dirt.
- Boil a pot of water with salt added. 1 Tbs sea salt or kosher salt to 6 cups of water.
- Chop green onions.
- Have a bowl of ice bath ready next to your pot of boiling water or in the sink.
- Add spinach to boiling water and blanch for 1 min or so. A little more or less depending on how big your spinach stems are. Using a tong, gently turn the spinach so they are evenly cooked. Test doneness by bending the thickest part of the spinach stems. If they bend easily but with a little resistance and it's been about 1 min, then you need to stop cooking.
- Turn heat off, and quickly transfer the blanched spinach into the ice bath.
- Once the spinach is fully cooled, take a handful out of the water and make a ball between your hands, gently squeezing excess water out. Squeeze and press gently until no water drips from them. Take care to not bruise it too much since cooked spinach is quite tender.
- In a mixing bowl, add the spinach then loosen them and separate the leaves so they will be evenly seasoned.
- Season spinach with salt, sesame oil, chopped green onions and sesame seeds. Mix them well with your hands. Taste and see if you need to add more salt.
Will enjoy this simple healthy side dish.
Thank you Betsy! You can do the same thing with most veggies – like with steamed broccoli, broccolini and other greens like chard. Enjoy!