Minari-chomuchim (Tangy Water Dropwort Salad)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large mixing bowl
• •Salad spinner or clean kitchen towels
• •Sharp knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Trim the minari

   Cut off the roots and any tough lower ends. Pick off most of the leafy tops and save them for soup, jeon, or stew. For this salad, keep the clean stems because they hold the crunch and the clear bite. Cut the stems into 2-inch lengths so they are easy to lift with chopsticks.

2. 2

   Wash it well

   Put the stems in a large bowl of cold water and swish them hard with your fingers. Lift them out, change the water, and repeat 2 more times, until no grit sits at the bottom of the bowl. Minari grows close to water and soil, so washing is not a polite suggestion. It is the step that lets you serve it raw.

   If the minari looks tired, soak the trimmed stems in very cold water for 5 minutes, then drain well. This refreshes the snap without changing the flavor.
3. 3

   Dry the stems

   Drain the minari and dry it in a salad spinner or between clean kitchen towels. Do this properly. Water clinging to the stems thins the dressing, and then you will blame the vinegar when the real fault was wet greens.

4. 4

   Mix the dressing

   In a wide bowl, stir together the gochujang, rice vinegar, soy sauce, maesil-cheong or sugar, gochugaru, minced garlic, sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds. Taste it before the greens go in. It should be bright and sour, lightly sweet, and only moderately hot. This is minari-chomuchim, not gochujang with leaves attached.

5. 5

   Toss at the end

   Add the dried minari stems and sliced onion to the dressing. Toss lightly with your fingers spread, lifting from the bottom and turning the stems over 6 to 8 times. Stop as soon as everything is thinly coated. The salad should look glossy, not soaked, and the stems should still stand up a little in the bowl.

6. 6

   Taste and serve

   Taste one stem. If it tastes flat, add up to 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, a pinch at a time. If it tastes heavy, add 1/2 teaspoon more vinegar. Scatter a small pinch of sesame seeds over the top and serve within 10 minutes, before the salt pulls water from the minari.

Chef Tips

• •Buy minari with firm, pale-green stems and perky leaves, not blackened joints or a sour smell. The stems should snap when bent. Limp minari belongs in soup, not raw salad.
• •Use the stems for chomuchim and save the leaves. This is not waste. The leaf has its place, but here it collapses quickly and makes the salad taste muddy.
• •Dress it at the last minute. You can wash and cut the minari ahead, and you can mix the sauce ahead, but once salt and vinegar touch the stems, the clock starts.
• •Maesil-cheong gives clean fruit sweetness and is common in Korean vinegar dressings. If you use sugar, measure less and stir until it dissolves fully, so the dressing does not grit between your teeth.

Advance Preparation

• •Trim, wash, and dry the minari up to 6 hours ahead. Wrap it in a barely damp towel, place it in a covered container, and refrigerate until serving.
• •Mix the dressing up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate it. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes and stir again before tossing with the greens.
• •Do not dress the salad ahead. It is best within 10 minutes and begins to lose its crunch after 20 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 85g)