Korean Spinach Recipe: How to Make Sigeumchi Namul

Sigeumchi namul (시금치 나물) is a traditional Korean side dish made by blanching fresh spinach in boiling water and tossing it in a flavorful, umami-rich dressing consisting of popular Asian ingredients like soy sauce, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, garlic, and sesame oil.

Chefs and home cooks typically serve sigeumchi namul at room temperature. It is a staple of the banchan (or side dish) spread that accompanies many of the entrées from your favorite Korean BBQ restaurant.

You can serve this versatile vegetable dish on top or alongside a variety of classic Korean dishes. Some of the most popular ways of serving sigeumchi namul include:

• Korean barbecue: Sigeumchi namul is a classic addition to any Korean BBQ banchan spread, alongside kimchi, kongnamul-muchim (soybean sprout side dish), fishcake, and oi muchim (spicy cucumber salad).
• Bossam: This tasty side dish typically accompanies bossam, which is a dish of boiled and thinly-sliced pork shoulder wrapped in cabbage leaves.
• Bibimbap: Sigeumchi namul is an excellent addition to any bibimbap, a Korean rice dish consisting of white rice topped with various meats, vegetables, and condiments.
• Guksu: You can add sigeumchi namul into any hearty guksu (Korean noodle soups). Eat the spinach dish alongside sujebi (hand-torn noodle soup) or kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup).
• Japchae: Japchae, a tasty stir-fried Korean noodle dish, typically features sigeumchi namul.
• Jjigae: This refreshing spinach side dish pairs well with a variety of jjigae, or stews, such as doenjang-jjigae (made with soybean paste stew), sundubu-jjigae (made with tofu), and kimchi-jjigae (made with kimchi).
• Kimbap: You can roll sigeumchi namul up into kimbap rolls, which are seaweed-and-rice rolls filled with a medley of meats, seafood, veggies, and pickles.

Home cooks of all experience levels can successfully craft this tasty spinach recipe. Follow these tips to create a delicious sigeumchi namul:

1. 1. Use fresh produce. Spinach is the star of this dish, so it’s important to use fresh, mature spinach that is bright green with no signs of wilting or browning. Avoid using baby spinach because the texture won’t hold up well in the blanching process.
2. 2. Experiment with additions. You can customize this simple spinach banchan to your taste. Add additional vegetables like arugula, bok choy, bean sprout, and other leafy greens; incorporate some heat by adding red pepper flakes, gochujang, or chili garlic sauce; finish the dish with flavorful toppings like kimchi and thinly sliced green onions.
3. 3. Make it in advance. You can keep this nutritious side dish in the refrigerator for up to three days if you store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to serve it, simply take the spinach out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature.