Vibrantly seasoned, crunchy Korean Romaine Salad is a favorite Korean side dish for so many reasons! Easy to assemble, made with pantry ingredients, and incredibly fresh and crispy! Make Sangchu Geotjeori or Korean Lettuce Salad in 15 minutes. A mouthwatering, obsessively delicious salad that will make everything else on the table taste better!
If you dislike boring salads, you’ve come to the right place!
Korean Romaine Salad or Sangchu Geotjeori
Korean Romaine Salad or Sangchu Geotjeori is a fantastically flavored, crispy and crunchy romaine lettuce salad with an exciting Korean dressing made of fish sauce, vinegar, Gochukaru, garlic + green onion, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. A simple dressing that delivers an explosion of umami flavor and subtle heat!
Similar to Cucumber Salad (Oi Muchim), it’s a fresh salad that’s mixed by hand and tossed together right before serving. Often served at KBBQ restaurants as a side salad, it’s incredibly flavorful, crisp, and juicy. You’ll be reaching for it again and again!
In Korean, Geotjeori is a general term that describes fresh kimchi that is not fermented. So Koreans think of this as a fresh or raw salad that’s quickly dressed and highly seasoned. The addition of apples — cut into crispy matchsticks — balances the savory and spicy heat by adding sweetness.
An easy Romaine Salad recipe that’s flavorful, exciting, and so delicious! Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- Romaine lettuce. Firm, sturdy, and crisp — romaine is the ideal lettuce because it stands up to the flavorful dressing. Although you could use softer lettuce leaves, they will start wilting almost immediately. Look for either romaine lettuce or romaine hearts.
- Apple or Korean Pear. Adds subtle sweetness. If you have access to it, Korean Pear is crisp and adds such good flavor. But any crisp, firm, sweet apple works. I like Gala apple as they are accessible and easy to find. Fuji apple is also a nice, crisp choice.
- Fish Sauce. Salty, sharp flavor with umami depth makes for a spectacular dressing. For a vegan or vegetarian option, use soy sauce.
- Rice vinegar. For a sharp, tangy kick. Can be subbed with white distilled vinegar or Korean apple vinegar, which is more floral and fragrant.
- Gochukaru. Korean dried chili flakes. Adds a spicy, slightly smoky flavor and nice texture.
- Sugar. A little sweetness balances all the other flavors. Can be subbed with maple syrup, honey, or agave.
- Sesame Oil. Fragrant, nutty aroma and flavor.
- Sesame Seeds. Adds crunch and lots of nutty flavor.
- Garlic + Green onions. The essential aromatics.
Instructions:
- Prep lettuce + apple. Chop romaine lettuce into 2-inch pieces. Juliene apple into matchsticks.
- Make dressing. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients and mix well.
- Add dressing and mix together. Using food preparation gloves, mix the dressing gently with the lettuce and apples.
- Serve. Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy immediately!
Watch how to make it:
PRO Tips:
- Adjust the spicy level. I’ve made this moderately spicy with 2 Tbsp Gochukaru. But adjust the heat level to your liking! Add 1 Tbsp Gochukaru for a less spicy version. Or remove it altogether.
- Dress the romaine lettuce right before serving. The Korean-style dressing can quickly wilt lettuce leaves. Dress right before serving to maximize the crunchiness of the romaine.
- Use food preparation gloves. The Korean way to prepare this salad is to mix by hand, which enhances the flavor and texture. Use your hands to toss and mix the lettuce with the dressing. Food preparation gloves are optional but helpful for the hand-mixing.
- Crisp up romaine. If your romaine looks sad and soggy, stand the cut ends in ice-cold water for 10-15 minutes after washing the leaves. The ends will suck up the water and rehydrate the lettuce leaves.
Variations:
Although you can eat Korean BBQ salad plain, I like to add apple matchsticks for sweetness. Other suggestions to include instead of apples:
- Cucumbers. For additional freshness and crunch! I like adding mini cucumbers, Korean curly cucumbers, or Persian cucumbers as they stay crunchy when tossed in the Korean dressing. English cucumbers (the long, plastic-wrapped green ones sold in most grocery stores) will get soggy and waterlogged quickly.
- Carrot + Daikon. Julienne carrot and daikon into matchsticks to add more flavor and crunch. A popular Korean addition in salad.
- Avocado. Not traditional but creamy, buttery avocado adds smooth richness and freshness!
Serve with:
As a side dish salad, Sangchu Geotjeori goes with anything and everything! Some menu ideas to get you started:
For a weeknight-friendly meal, serve with:
- Rice or Korean Purple Rice
- Beef Bulgogi or Chicken Bulgogi
For a vegetarian meal, serve with:
For a KBBQ party, serve with:
- Rice or Korean Purple Rice
- LA Galbi BBQ Ribs or Spicy Pork Belly Bulgogi (or both)
- Soybean Paste Stew (Doenjang Jjigae)
- Soy Sauce Quail Eggs
FAQ:
Is there another substitute for Gochukaru?
Unfortunately, there is no substitute for Gochukaru or Korean dried chili flakes. Gochukaru adds spicy, smoky flavor and a nice texture to the dressing. Some recipes call for swapping with Italian dried chili flakes, paprika, cayenne, or red chili powder — but it is NOT the same. If you don’t have it, leave it out.
How do I store Korean Salad?
Korean Romaine Salad tastes best the day it’s made, immediately after being dressed. The next day, it will be somewhat soggy. Make an amount that is sure to be eaten on the same day.
If you do have leftovers, store in an air-tight container in the fridge. The next day, if it’s too soggy for your liking — eat with rice and a fried egg and mix together like Bibimbap. That’s my favorite way to eat leftovers of this dish!
Other salad recipes to enjoy:
- Korean-style Rotisserie Chicken Salad
- Spicy Cucumber Salad (Oi Muchim)
- Korean Potato Salad
- Wakame Seaweed Salad
Easy Korean Romaine Salad (Sangchu Geotjeori)
Equipment
- Large Bowl
- food preparation gloves (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 head romaine lettuce or romaine hearts
- 1 small or medium Gala apple or 1/2 Fuji apple or 1/2 Asian pear (peeled)
Dressing:
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar (white distilled vinegar or apple vinegar also work)
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp Gochukaru (Korean dried chili flakes)
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil (plus more, if the dressing looks a little dry)
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 green onions, minced
- 1/4 tsp black pepper (freshly cracked)
Instructions
- Prep vegetables. Chop washed lettuce into 2-inch chunks. Julienne apple or pear into matchsticks.
- Make dressing. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the dressing. Mix well.
- Add dressing to lettuce. Transfer lettuce from the colander to a large bowl. Add the julienned apples. Drizzle the dressing all over. Using food preparation gloves, mix the dressing gently with the lettuce and apples. If it looks dry, add a little more sesame oil.
- Serve. Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy immediately!
Video
Notes
-
- Adjust the spicy level. I’ve made this moderately spicy with 2 Tbsp Gochukaru. But adjust the heat level to your liking! Add 1 Tbsp Gochukaru for a less spicy version. Or remove it altogether. the heat level to your liking!
-
- Dress the romaine lettuce right before serving. The Korean-style dressing can quickly wilt lettuce leaves. Dress right before serving to maximize the crunchiness of the romaine.
-
- Use food preparation gloves. The Korean way to prepare this salad is to mix by hand, which enhances the flavor and texture. Use your hands to toss and mix the lettuce with the dressing. Food preparation gloves are optional but helpful for the hand-mixing.
-
- Crisp up romaine. If your romaine looks sad and soggy, stand the cut ends in ice-cold water for 10-15 minutes after washing the leaves. The ends will suck up the water and rehydrate the lettuce leaves.
-
- Cucumbers. For additional freshness and crunch! I like adding mini cucumbers, Korean curly cucumbers, or Persian cucumbers as they stay crunchy when tossed in the Korean dressing. English cucumbers (the long, plastic-wrapped green ones sold in most grocery stores) will get soggy and waterlogged quickly.
-
- Carrot + Daikon. Julienne carrot and daikon into matchsticks to add more flavor and crunch. A popular Korean addition in salad.
-
- Avocado. Not traditional but creamy, buttery avocado adds smooth richness and freshness!
I really enjoyd this recipe!! It was a great base to work off of. I made a slight change reducing 2T of sesame oil to 1/2T and increasing 1T of vinegar to 2T. Its just my personal preference since I love the freshness of vinegar. I also added perilla leaves, cucumbers, carrots and a little cabbage. I used Korean pear and it was so delicious. This became my main dish of the night I couldn’t stop eating it!