Sigeumchi Namul: Korean Spinach Side Dish Two Ways

Make Korean spinach side dish, sigeumchi namul, two ways — mild with soy sauce and sesame oil or bold with gochujang and doenjang. A short, lighter spinach banchan you’ll want with every meal.

In Korea, no meal feels complete without a few small side dishes, called banchan. Among them, spinach namul (시금치나물) is one of the simplest and most loved. Just a short blanch, a squeeze, and a light seasoning turn fresh spinach into a lighter, flavorful dish that appears on everyday tables and in bibimbap

The soy sauce and sesame oil version is the one most Koreans know best — mild, nutty, and comforting. But in our hometown of Gyeongsang province of the south, we make spinach namul with gochujang and a little doenjang for a deeper, spicier flavor.

That’s the way our mom always prepared it. We enjoy both styles, but we often miss the hometown version — and our family loves it just as much as we do.

We'll be sharing both versions here — the mild soy sauce style and the bold, spicy Gyeongsang style. They’re short, unfussy, and each has its own charm. Try them both and see which one becomes your favorite.

Featured Review

“we made this side dish (both versions) for a dinner party we hosted today and everyone loved it! So direct, tasty and full of flavor! We just ate the left overs as a snack.”

Jolien

Read more reviews

Preparing the Spinach

Spinach for namul needs a thorough wash since dirt often hides around the roots and stems. We usually soak the bunch in a large bowl of water, then lift it out so the grit stays behind. A couple of rinses are enough to get it clean and ready to blanch.

Don’t skip this step — even a little grit can ruin the soft, delicate texture of the namul.

How the dish comes together

Classic Soy Sauce & Sesame Oil Version

Blanch the spinach quickly, rinse in cold water.

Squeeze out the excess moisture and cut the spinach into bite size pieces if the strands are too long.

A light mix with soup soy sauce, garlic, and sesame oil is all it takes. This is the version most Koreans serve every day.

Tip: Use soup soy sauce (gukganjang) if you can — it seasons without darkening the spinach.

Spicy Gochujang & Doenjang Version

The base steps are the same, but the seasoning is bold and earthy with gochujang, a touch of doenjang, garlic, and sesame oil. Just rub the pastes between your fingers and toss everything up. Our family loves when we make this version for a little extra kick at the table.

Tip: Adjust the spice level to your taste — we keep ours milder than our mom did.

We often make this spinach banchan when we cook beef bulgogi or LA galbi — the fresh, nutty flavor balances out the rich, marinated meat so well. If you’re planning a Korean BBQ night, we highly recommend pairing them together.

Keeping leftovers

Store in a container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can serve them chilled right out of fridge. Do not freeze. This spinach side dish doesn’t freeze well.

We first published this post in Feb, 2012 and have since updated it with additional write-up, images, and a video.

• Yield: 4 people each
• Prep: 15 minutes
• Cook: 5 minutes
• Total: 20 minutes

Ingredients

For classic spinach banchan

• 1 bunch spinach, cleaned
• 2 tsp (10 ml) Korean soup soy sauce (gukganjang), or 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 2 tsp (10 ml) sesame oil
• 2 tsp (6 g) toasted sesame seeds
• 1 green onion, finely chopped

For spicy spinach banchan

• 1 bunch spinach, cleaned
• 2 tsp (12 g) Korean chili paste (gochujang)
• 1 tsp (6 g) Korean soybean paste (doenjang)
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 2 tsp (10 ml) sesame oil
• 2 tsp (6 g) toasted sesame seeds

Method

1. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add some salt and the spinach to the water; blanch for 30 seconds. Drain the spinach in a colander and rinse under cold water until all the heat from the spinach has been cooled. Squeeze the spinach firmly to remove excess water. Place spinach on the cutting board and cut the spinach into 3-inch long pieces.
2. Put spinach in a mixing bowl. Add Korean soup soy sauce (or soy sauce), garlic, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Toss with your hand to incorporate the seasoning into the spinach.
3. Put spinach in a mixing bowl. Add gochujang, doenjang, garlic, sesame oil, and sesame seeds.
4. Smear the Korean pastes together with your fingers to mix them first, then toss everything together to incorporate the seasoning into the spinach.