Easy Korean Romaine Salad (Sangchu Geotjeori)
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 Salad in 15 minutes. A mouthwatering, obsessively delicious salad that will make everything else on the table taste better!
Servings: 4 as side
Calories: 119kcal
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
Tips:
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- 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!
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- Carrot + Daikon. Julienne carrot and daikon into matchsticks to add more flavor and crunch. A popular Korean addition in salad.
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- Avocado. Not traditional but creamy, buttery avocado adds smooth richness and freshness!
Nutrition
Calories: 119kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 421mg | Potassium: 159mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1286IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg