Crisp & Tangy Sweet Potato Salad (Saengchae)
✨ Your Go-To Recipe for a Flavorful Sweet Potato Salad!
This recipe features sweet potatoes enjoyed raw, seasoned with a delightful sweet, sour, and spicy dressing. It’s delicious on its own or perfect for mixing with rice. Discover the simple yet incredibly tasty Sweet Potato Saengchae!
Main Ingredients- Sweet Potatoes: 400g (about 2 medium-sized)
- Green Onion or Scallion: a small amount
Sweet, Sour & Spicy Seasoning- Anchovy sauce or Flish sauce: 2 Tbsp
- Fine Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes): 2 Tbsp
- Regular Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes): 2-3 Tbsp (adjust to spice preference)
- Sugar: 1 Tbsp
- Minced Garlic: 1/2 Tbsp
- Vinegar: 3 Tbsp
- Plum Extract (Maesilcheong): 2-3 Tbsp (adjust sweetness)
- Fine Salt: 1 tsp
- Sesame Seeds: 1 Tbsp
- Sesame Oil: 2 Tbsp
- Anchovy sauce or Flish sauce: 2 Tbsp
- Fine Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes): 2 Tbsp
- Regular Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes): 2-3 Tbsp (adjust to spice preference)
- Sugar: 1 Tbsp
- Minced Garlic: 1/2 Tbsp
- Vinegar: 3 Tbsp
- Plum Extract (Maesilcheong): 2-3 Tbsp (adjust sweetness)
- Fine Salt: 1 tsp
- Sesame Seeds: 1 Tbsp
- Sesame Oil: 2 Tbsp
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Thoroughly wash the sweet potatoes under running water. Keeping the skin on retains nutrients and adds a delightful crispness to the saengchae. Unless there’s a specific reason not to, we recommend using them with the skin on.
Step 2
Slice the washed sweet potatoes into thin matchsticks, about 2-3mm thick. Using a mandoline slicer can help achieve uniform cuts quickly. Be cautious while slicing, as sweet potatoes are firm.
Step 3
Place the julienned sweet potatoes in a bowl of cold water for about 10 minutes to soak and remove excess starch. This step prevents the sweet potato strands from sticking together and ensures a clean, crisp texture when dressed.
Step 4
Finely chop the green onions or scallions. Adjust the amount to your preference. Adding green onions will enhance the fragrance and flavor of the dish.
Step 5
Drain the sweet potato matchsticks from the cold water and rinse them lightly under running water. Squeeze out as much moisture as possible by hand or drain thoroughly in a sieve. Removing excess water is crucial to prevent the saengchae from becoming watery and to allow the dressing to adhere well.
Step 6
In a large bowl, combine the drained sweet potato matchsticks with all the seasoning ingredients (anchovy sauce, fine gochugaru, regular gochugaru, sugar, minced garlic, vinegar, plum extract, fine salt). Gently mix to coat. Taste and adjust the sweetness or sourness to your liking. Finally, add the chopped green onions, sesame seeds, and sesame oil, and toss lightly to combine.
Step 7
Your delicious Sweet Potato Saengchae is ready! The refreshing sweet, sour, and spicy flavors perfectly complement the natural sweetness and crisp texture of the sweet potatoes.
Step 8
This saengchae is a wonderful side dish on its own, but it’s truly a flavor explosion when mixed with a bit of cho-gochujang (spicy chili paste with vinegar) and served over rice! Enjoy a satisfying meal with this simple yet impressive dish. Wishing you a delicious and healthy day!
