Tender and Delicious Seasoned Spinach
Super Simple Spinach Side Dish: Fresh and Flavorful!
I received some large, yet incredibly tender and soft spinach from a friend. Instead of making soup, I decided to transform it into a delicious side dish. Enjoy this fresh and savory seasoned spinach!
Main Ingredients
- Spinach, about 400g
- 1 tsp coarse salt (for blanching)
- Scallions, a small amount (minced)
Seasoning Ingredients
- Fine salt, 4-5 pinches (or a little soy sauce for seasoning)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- Fine salt, 4-5 pinches (or a little soy sauce for seasoning)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Here’s the freshly harvested spinach. Although it’s large, the leaves are remarkably tender and soft.
Step 2
Trim the root ends of the spinach and separate the tender inner leaves from the outer leaves. If you have a large amount, separating them can prevent the inner leaves from becoming too mushy during blanching and makes it easier to portion later. You can save the tender inner leaves to make a delicious soybean paste soup – I’ll share that recipe soon!
Step 3
Bring water to a rolling boil and add 1 teaspoon of coarse salt. Blanch the prepared spinach for a very short time, about 40 seconds to less than 1 minute, to maintain its crisp texture. Immediately rinse the blanched spinach under cold running water 2-3 times to preserve its vibrant green color and stop the cooking process. Squeeze out as much water as possible with your hands.
Step 4
In a bowl with the squeezed spinach, add the minced scallions, minced garlic, fine salt (or a touch of soy sauce for umami), sesame oil, and toasted sesame seeds. Gently mix everything together with your hands until well combined. Since this spinach isn’t as sweet as winter spinach, you can optionally add a tiny splash of soy sauce or fish sauce for extra depth of flavor, according to your preference. (This is optional).
Step 5
As someone who absolutely loves side dishes, I find this seasoned spinach incredibly delicious, even though the spinach is large! It reminds me of the saying ‘seize the opportunity,’ and I’m thinking of making some kimbap (seaweed rice rolls) with plenty of this tasty spinach tomorrow. Why not make this delightful spinach side dish yourself!
