Fresh and Simple Blanched Amaranth Salad
Easy and Quick Blanched Amaranth Salad with Simple Seasoning
I went to buy spinach but it was 4,000 won per bunch, and cabbage was 9,800 won per head! Wow… While other vegetables are slowly coming down in price, spinach and cabbage are still staying high. I was debating between buying amaranth or ‘gogip’ (young radish leaves), and ended up buying a bunch of amaranth. It’s often seasoned with gochujang or doenjang, but today I’ll show you how to make it simply with just salt. It’s a refreshing side dish.
Ingredients- 1 bunch Amaranth (prepared)
- Salt, to taste
- 1/2 tsp Minced Garlic
- 1 tsp Toasted Sesame Seeds
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Prepare the Amaranth: First, trim any wilted or dirty leaves from the amaranth. If the stems are too tough, discard them and use mainly the tender young leaves. (Tip: If you remove too many stems, the quantity will be small, so you can use tender stems too.)
Step 2
Blanch Briefly: Bring a pot of water to a boil, add a pinch of salt, and then add the amaranth. Blanch for just about 1 minute. Since we’re using mostly young leaves, over-blanching can make them mushy. Blanch just until the color becomes vibrant.
Step 3
Rinse in Cold Water: Immediately after blanching, rinse the amaranth in cold running water several times to cool it down and maintain its bright green color. This step helps the greens stay crisp.
Step 4
Squeeze and Loosen: Gently grab the blanched amaranth with both hands and squeeze out as much water as possible. Thoroughly draining the water prevents the salad from being watery and allows the seasoning to adhere well. After squeezing, gently loosen any clumped greens.
Step 5
Season and Mix: Place the prepared amaranth in a bowl. Add salt, minced garlic, sesame oil, and toasted sesame seeds. Gently mix with your fingertips, being careful not to mash the greens. (Tip: One bunch made a small amount. Preparing 2-3 bunches would yield a more generous portion.)
