Seasoned Spinach

Siguemchi Namul

Mature spinach with its sweet purple roots has a heartier, meatier texture than its baby variety. My grandmother used to feed me small bites of this nutritious side dish with her fingers straight into my mouth while she was making it. She always mixed the spinach leaves with her hands to ensure the dressing was evenly coated.

Ingredients

Serves 4 (as a side dish)

  • 450g (1lb) mature spinach with stem and roots
  • sea salt

DRESSING

  • 2 tbsp roasted sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp spring onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds, crushed
  • 1 tsp sagwa-shikcho (Korean apple vinegar)
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 1 garlic clove, grated or finely chopped
  • black pepper, freshly ground

Method

Fill a large saucepan with water, salt well and bring to the boil. In a large bowl, prepare an ice bath. Rinse the spinach with cold water to remove any dirt, especially around the roots. Remove any hairs from the roots. Cut the spinach into 7cm (2.in) long pieces, keeping the purple roots intact. Split the roots in half horizontally and keep separately.

In a medium bowl, combine the dressing ingredients and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.

Blanch the spinach in two separate batches. In the boiling salt water, blanch the spinach stem and leaves until just wilted, about 1 minute, remove the spinach from the water and shock in the ice bath. Repeat with the spinach stem with roots, but cook for 1–2 minutes. Remove from the ice bath, drain well and gently squeeze out any excess water.

Gently loosen the clumps of spinach with your fingers and transfer to a bowl. Toss well with the dressing. Cover and chill for about an hour to allow the flavours to mellow before serving.

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Social media

@judyjoochef Instagram profile imageIn celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, I’m so honoured to join the @aramark family this year 🤝 - bringing Korean flavours 🇰🇷 to communities nationwide through corporate dining rooms 🏢 healthcare facilities 🏥 universities 🎓 and schools 🏫⁣
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✨ Look out for a plate of gochujang salmon or Korean barbecue chicken at your cafe. 🍽️⁣
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Aramark serves millions of meals daily across the U.S. and is deeply committed to showcasing diverse culinary traditions.⁣
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It was great to visit the Aramark HQ for a book signing and to celebrate with their brilliant team. I shared some Korean dishes, reflected on family traditions and had some meaningful conversations about food, culture and innovation. 🌟⁣
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#AAPIHeritageMonth #CulturalConnection #ChefJudyJoo #Aramark #TasteofHome #KoreanAmerican #WomenInFood #Koreanfood #Korea #Femalechefs #aapi #AsianVoicesInFood #futuresbetterserved23 hours ago via Instagram
@judyjoochef Instagram profile imageGood luck in the Europa League Final, Heung-min Son! ⚽🇰🇷 Go Sonny!  @hm_son7 
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I’ll be cheering you on in the lux vip H-Club while cooking tonight! 👩🏼‍🍳 A menu of braised Korean short ribs, gochujang duo of pork, K-barbecue chicken and more. @tottenhamhotspurstadium 
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Tag a @spursofficial 👇 fan who’s backing Sonny tonight! 🙌 #COYS! ⁣
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⁣@europaleague
#HeungMinSon #EuropaLeagueFinal #TottenhamHotspur⁣ #uelfinal 
#THFC #SpursArmy #SpursFans #FootballFinal #EuropaLeague2025 #FootballFans #KoreanFootball #ManchesterUnited #Cheflife #Bilbao #JudyJoo #ChefJudyJoo1 day ago via Instagram
@judyjoochef Instagram profile image📰 Some recent press coverage… ⁣⁣
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1. I shared my spring baking tips with @people ⁣🥖
2. Talked about ways to cut down on food waste with @goodfood ♻️⁣
3. K-Quick got a lovely mention in @starmagazine 📚⁣
4. I shared my quick Korean street toast recipe with @usweekly (trust me, it’s a must-try)⁣ 🥪
5. @columbia - where I studied -  gave me a sweet shoutout ✨⁣⁣
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Thanks so much for all the love and support! ❤️⁣⁣
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#judyjoo #judyjoochef #kquick#l #chefjudyjoo #koreancooking #koreanchef #cookbook #newcookbook #kcooking #presscoverage #cheflife #chefsofinstagram #femalechef2 days ago via Instagram
@judyjoochef Instagram profile imageHappy World Baking Day ✨ ⁣Or rather no-bake day! ⁣
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This Banoffee, Misutgaru & Soy Caramel Pie is a no-bake dream! 🍌⁣
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A biscuity base layered with creamy banana with a rich, nutty crunch of misutgaru, topped with a silky, soy caramel - the perfect balance of sweetness and depth. No oven needed 😉⁣

👈 Swipe for the recipe 
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Find more recipes like this in my new book K-Quick - linked in bio.⁣
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#recipes #workdbakingday #kquick #chefjidyjoo #judyjoo #baking #banoffeepie #misugaru #koreanstyle #koreanbaking #nobakedessert #koreancooking #koreancookbook #newcookbook #quickdessert #cheflife #caramel #easybaking #quickcooking #bakingathome @quartobooksuk @quartobooksus @whitelionpublishing4 days ago via Instagram
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