Name: Bomdong-geotjeori (Spring Cabbage Salad)
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings as banchan
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 450g bomdong (spring cabbage), about 2 small heads; 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt, only if the stem ends are thick; 2 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal; 1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), medium-coarse; 1 tablespoon fish sauce (aekjeot), preferably anchovy or sand lance; 1 teaspoon soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang) or regular soy sauce; 2 teaspoons rice vinegar; 1 teaspoon maesil-cheong (green plum syrup) or 1/2 teaspoon sugar; 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil; 1 small garlic clove, finely minced; 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, lightly crushed

Question 1

Do I need to salt bomdong cabbage for geotjeori?

Accepted Answer

Salt bomdong cabbage only when the stem ends are thick and stiff. Sprinkle the leaves with 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt, toss once, rest for 8 minutes, then rinse quickly and dry thoroughly. Tender, sweet bomdong cabbage should skip salting so the salad stays crisp.

Question 2

What can I substitute for bomdong cabbage?

Accepted Answer

Use tender inner leaves of napa cabbage or small savoy cabbage when bomdong cabbage is unavailable. Slice thicker stems thinly on the diagonal so the stems season at the same pace as the leaves. The best substitute should have sweet ribs and flexible leaves.

Question 3

Why is my bomdong geotjeori watery?

Accepted Answer

Bomdong geotjeori turns watery when the cabbage leaves are not dried thoroughly or when the dressed salad sits too long. Spin or towel-dry the rinsed bomdong hard before seasoning. Serve the finished Korean spring cabbage salad within 20 minutes before salt pulls water from the leaves.

Question 4

Can I make bomdong geotjeori ahead of time?

Accepted Answer

Prepare bomdong geotjeori components ahead, but toss the salad at the last minute. Wash and dry bomdong cabbage up to 6 hours ahead, then refrigerate it wrapped in a clean towel. Mix the seasoning up to 2 hours ahead, adding sesame oil just before tossing.

Question 5

Why should gochugaru sit in the seasoning before tossing?

Accepted Answer

Letting gochugaru sit in the fish sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, maesil-cheong, garlic, and sesame mixture for 3 minutes blooms and softens the Korean chili flakes. This keeps the gochugaru from tasting dusty and helps the seasoning coat bomdong cabbage evenly.

Question 6

What should I serve with bomdong geotjeori?

Accepted Answer

Serve bomdong geotjeori immediately as banchan with hot rice, grilled fish, doenjang-jjigae, or a simple fried egg. The fresh Korean spring cabbage salad should taste like sweet cabbage first, followed by clean chili heat, fish sauce depth, sesame oil, and garlic.

Ingredient	Quantity
bomdong (spring cabbage)outer leaves separated, washed, dried, and torn bite-size	450g, about 2 small heads
coarse sea salt (optional)use only if the stem ends are thick	1 teaspoon
scallionsthinly sliced on the diagonal	2

Culinary Explorer

Bomdong-geotjeori (Spring Cabbage Salad)

Ingredients

bomdong (spring cabbage)

coarse sea salt (optional)

scallions

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