Sigeumchi namul

Name: Sigeumchi namul
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 3 min
Total time: 8 min
Ingredients: 300 g spinach; ¼ tsp salt; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1 tsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil; 1 tsp sesame seeds; 1 spring onion, finely sliced (optional)

Vegetarian

시금치나물 · sigeumchi-namul

Blanched spinach squeezed dry and seasoned simply with garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds.

Sigeumchi namul is a Korean side dish from South Korea, ready in about 8 minutes and made with spinach and toasted sesame oil. It serves 4 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking

Korean seasoned spinach namul with sesame seeds — Photo: Hyeon-Jeong Suk / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-2.0

Prep: 5 min
Cook: 3 min
Total: 8 min
Serves: 4
Level: Beginner
Calories: 54

Ingredients

4 side servings

300 g Spinach (opens in a new tab)
¼ tsp (1.5 g) Salt (opens in a new tab)
1 clove (4 g) Garlic (opens in a new tab), minced
1 tsp (5.5 g) Soy sauce (opens in a new tab)Swap: Tamari (Use tamari labelled gluten-free to avoid wheat.)Contains soy, wheat, gluten
1 tbsp (14 g) Toasted sesame oil (opens in a new tab)Contains sesame
1 tsp (3 g) Sesame seeds (opens in a new tab)Contains sesame
1 (15 g) Spring onion (opens in a new tab), finely sliced (optional)

Equipment

Saucepan (opens in a new tab)

Method

1
Step 1
Blanch the spinach (opens in a new tab) in boiling water for 30 seconds, then plunge into cold water.
- 2 min
- high heat
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
2
Step 2
Squeeze out as much water as possible and cut into 5 cm lengths.
- 2 min
3
Step 3
Toss with the salt, garlic (opens in a new tab), soy sauce (opens in a new tab), sesame oil (opens in a new tab), sesame seeds (opens in a new tab) and spring onion (opens in a new tab), using your fingers to loosen the strands.
- 2 min

About this dish

Origin: South Korea · Well documentedMore food from South Korea
Dish: Lunch · Dinner · Side dishes
Cooking method: Blanched
Taste: nutty, fresh, garlicky, mild
Diet: Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Keto-style · Low-carb
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Keto-style · Low-carb · DASH-style
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Make-ahead · Budget-friendly · Meal-prep friendly
Cook more with: Spinach · Toasted sesame oil · Garlic · Soy sauce · Sesame seeds
Techniques: Boiling · Blanching · Knife skills

Allergens

Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom soy sauce
Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom soy sauce
Contains: Soyfrom soy sauce
Contains: Sesamefrom toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

54 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 82 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

Protein 17%
Carbohydrate 22%
Fat 61%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	54 kcal	66 kcal
Protein	2.5 g	3 g
Carbohydrate	3.3 g	4 g
Net carbohydrate	1.5 g	1.9 g
Sugars	0.3 g	0.4 g
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	1.8 g	2.2 g
Fat	4.1 g	5 g
Saturated fat	0.6 g	0.7 g
Trans fat	—	—
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	283 mg	345 mg
Salt equivalent	0.7 g	0.9 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 432 mg
Calcium: 84 mg
Iron: 2.2 mg
Magnesium: 63 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 352 µg
Vitamin C: 21 mg
Vitamin D: 0 µg
Vitamin B12: 0 µg
Folate (DFE): 146 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
Optional ingredients are not included: spring onion.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

Don't over-blanch — the spinach should stay bright green.

Common mistakes

Overblanching: 30 seconds is enough, or the spinach turns slimy.
Not squeezing hard enough, which dilutes the seasoning.

Serve with

A staple banchan and a classic bibimbap and kimbap filling.

Storage

Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 26 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Compare with

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Spinach300 g

Used in steps 1, 2

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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