Korean Marinated Spinach Banchan: Sigeumchi Namul

Korean Marinated Spinach Banchan: Sigeumchi Namul. Sigeumchi Namul is a classic Korean banchan of blanched spinach mixed in a garlic and sesame oil mixture. This is one of my favorites and is so easy to make! 

If you’ve ever dined at a Korean restaurant, you’ve had banchan. Banchan are the small dishes that often accompany a Korean meal. They are usually served before your main entree comes out. They are usually vegetable dishes but can also be marinated meats and fish. When I was young, I would judge how good a Korean restaurant was by their banchan. If they made good banchan, you know the food would be good. 

Korean Marinated Spinach Banchan: Sigeumchi Namul

Spinach banchan, Sigeumchi Namul, is probably the simplest and easiest to make. It’s a simple recipe of blanched spinach, mixed with sesame oil, green onions, garlic and salt. Some people like to add soy sauce and fish sauce but I’ve always liked mine with just the sesame oil, green onions, garlic and salt. 

In fact, you can easily make a Korean banchan by mixing a vegetable with sesame oil, green onions, garlic and salt. And if you want to make it spicy, you can add gochugaru, Korean red pepper powder. I love eating Korean banchan with rice and gim. It’s comfort food for me and it’s so delicious!

Print Recipe

Korean Marinated Spinach Banchan: Sigeumchi Namul

Some people like to add soy sauce but I think the Sigeumchi Namul is fine without it. But feel free to add a splash if you think it needs it.

*Do not use baby spinach, or bagged baby spinach leaves from the grocery store for this. If you can, buy the spinach bundles. You can definitely find this at Hmart, or any Asian or Korean grocery store.

Prep Time10 mins

Total Time10 mins

Course: Appetizer or Side Dish

Cuisine: Korean

Keyword: banchan, korean banchan, Sigeumchi Namul, spinach banchan

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 bundles spinach (about 8 to 10 oz)* rinsed
• 1 to 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 green onion diced
• 1 to 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• sesame seeds

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch the spinach for about 30 to 45 seconds and then immediately into an ice bath, or just rinse the spinach immediately in cold water. Using your hands, squeeze out any excess water from the spinach. You will need to do this a few times to get all the water out.
• Place the spinach into a medium sized mixing bowl. You can cut the spinach into smaller pieces but I like to keep my spinach in long pieces. Using your hands, mix in the garlic, green onions, sesame oil and salt. Taste and adjust any ingredients as needed. Garnish with sesame seeds and enjoy!