Listed here are some scrumptious Korean dishes you may make with contemporary, seasonal greens this spring!
Spring is right here! There are many fantastic spring greens obtainable in grocery shops and farmers markets. Search for contemporary ramps, younger spinach with stunning purple stems, skinny spring scallions, and even mugwort (ssuk, 쑥)! You may also discover dandelion leaves and garlic scapes at your native grocery retailer or farmer’s market, and positively everybody ought to seize some asparagus this time of yr!
Spring greens are so scrumptious as a result of they’re sweeter and extra tender than after they mature later within the rising season. Consuming these tasty greens within the spring have numerous well being advantages too.
In Korea, there are an infinite variety of completely different farmed and wild greens that peak this time of yr. One of many causes that I like visiting Korea in springtime! As a younger little one, I grew up within the countryside, not too removed from Seoul, with lots of fields and small hills. I’ve many fond recollections of simply going out into the sphere with mates and choosing all types of untamed greens resembling ssuk, (쑥, mugwort), dallae (달래, Korean wild chives), naengi (냉이, Shepherd’s purse), and so forth. We simply picked them for enjoyable, however they have been become scrumptious dishes by our moms.
Over time, I began to develop a number of completely different Korean wild greens in my yard. I’ve been harvesting and having fun with them in lots of dishes. I hope to share extra about them sooner or later.
To encourage you, here’s a round-up of a few of my favourite recipes you may make to take pleasure in your spring veggies!
Spinach
Spinach (sigeumchi, 시금치) is offered yr spherical, however spring spinach is very tender and flavorful! In Korea, spinach bunches are normally bought with roots connected. Each the leaves and stems, together with the foundation crowns, are utilized in cooking, which supplies a pleasant candy taste and chewy texture to the dish. So, attempt to discover younger spring spinach with their purple-red root crowns, for those who can.
1. Sigeumchi Namul
A easy, however extremely widespread aspect dish! Additionally attempt the identical strategies and seasonings with child kale, watercress, snow pea ideas, and so forth.
2. Sigeumchi Doenjang Guk
This spinach soup made with doenjang is a well-liked soup in Korea, particularly in spring. Generally made with anchovy broth, the soup is gentle and refreshing! My mom typically used clams within the soup, which is how I make it.
Additionally, spring spinach is scrumptious in kimbap and bibimbap.
Dandelion
Dandelion leaves could be fairly bitter, however are additionally filled with vitamins! They’ve been utilized in natural drugs in Korea and different Asian international locations. Dandelion greens could also be obtainable at your Korean markets and even your native grocery shops in springtime.
3. Mindeulle Muchim (Dandelion salad)
This barely spicy, candy and vinegary salad turns dandelion leaves right into a scrumptious salad. If you happen to can’t discover dandelion leaves in your space, this sauce recipe can be nice with spring combine, arugula, child spinach, or crown daisy (ssukgat, 쑥갓). I additionally use it to make a salad with dolnamul (돌나물, stonecrop) I develop in my yard.
Asparagus
You can too get asparagus yr spherical, however this vegetable is really the perfect when it’s in season within the spring. You should utilize it in lots of Korean recipes resembling bibimbap and kimbap. along with the recipes under.
4. Asparagus with Gochujang Sauce
Additionally, asparagus is scrumptious as this banchan dish in spicy gochujang sauce.
5. Myulchu kimbap
I used asparagus on this spicy anchovy kimbap, however you should use it in any kimbap recipes.
Watercress
Watercress is loaded with many essential vitamins resembling essential nutritional vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamin Ok. I like its barely bitter, spicy and peppery style.
6. Watercress namul
Watercress namul is ready similar to siguemchi (spinach) namul — blanched and seasoned with a number of primary elements. When calmly cooked, watercress has that crunchy and chewy texture Korean namul is thought for.
Ramps
Referred to as wild garlic or wild leek, they’ve a light onion taste, and are extra garlicky than scallions. Every plant has a few flat, broad leaves with a protracted, reddish stem with a small spherical bulb. Ramps are similar to (if not the identical as) myeongi namul (명이나물) in Korea, which is loved many alternative methods — contemporary, cooked or pickled.
7. Spring Bibimbap with Tuna
On this spring bibimbap recipe, I used ramps together with different spring greens resembling asparagus and peas. I typically add some Korean greens resembling minari, buchu, and kkaennip as properly. A gochujang sauce is normally utilized in conventional bibimbap, however a soy sauce-based sauce works splendidly properly with this dish.
8. Jangajji (Vegetable Pickles)
Ramp season is brief, so you can even protect your ramps by pickling them with my jangajji recipe and revel in all year long. Nice with Korean BBQ!
Inexperienced Onions (Scallions)
You should utilize any varieties of scallions for these dishes, however spring skinny scallions resembling jjokpa (쪽파) and silpa (실파) are particularly scrumptious.
9. Pa kimchi
Additionally, you’ll want to make this simple pa kimchi with these spring inexperienced onions. This pa kimchi goes nice with any grilled meat, like samgyupsal, or added to kimchi jigae particularly when it will get extra bitter. This kimchi can be wonderful in a bowl of immediate ramyun.
10. Haemul Pajeon (scallion pancakes)
You may make pajeon with any varieties of scallions, however spring skinny scallions resembling jjokpa (쪽파) and silpa (실파) are nice for pajeon as they’re candy and tender.
11. Inexperienced onion tied shrimp and asparagus
Tender skinny inexperienced onions known as shilpa (실파) in Korean, which suggests skinny as a thread. Often you may get scallions all yr spherical, but when you will discover the skinny spring inexperienced onion, this shrimp dish will elevate this vegetable (and impress your pals!).
Minari
Referred to as water dropwort within the U.S., minari is a long-stemmed inexperienced vegetable with hole stems and small inexperienced leaves with serrated edges. It has a barely bitter and peppery style with a pointy, distinctive contemporary natural accent. Minari is a well-liked herb and vegetable in Korea not just for its taste however for a lot of well being advantages together with detoxifying results.
12. Minari Jeon
A easy Korean savory pancake made with minari (aka water dropwort or Korean watercress) is a good way to benefit from the vegetable’s distinctive contemporary natural taste.
Onion
Onions (yangpa, 양파) are versatile and obtainable all yr lengthy. Nonetheless, when spring comes round, freshly-harvested onions are tender and candy. It’s the perfect time to make some kimchi with them.
13. Yangpa (onion) kimchi
Garlic scapes
Garlic scapes (maneuljjong, 마늘쫑 ) are normally obtainable within the late spring and early summer season, when scapes are most tender and candy. Garlic scapes are the curly flowering shoots/stalks of garlic vegetation which are snipped off to permit the bulbs to develop greater. They’ve a milder taste than garlic cloves however are nonetheless fairly garlicky. When cooked, the scapes turn out to be sweeter with a refined garlic undertone and have a texture much like that of skinny asparagus.
14. Stir-fried Garlic Scapes (Maneuljjong Bokkeum)
If you happen to see some garlic scapes at your grocery retailer, do that easy stir-fried banchan dish.
15. Maneuljjong Muchim (Spicy Garlic Scapes)
For this recipe, blanch the scapes in boiling water. Blanching brings out mildly candy garlic taste and tenderizes the scapes. After rinsing them in chilly water and draining, combine with a number of primary seasoning elements.
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