Korean Chive Sangchae (Banchan: Korean Side Dish)

I talked about the banchan, Korean side dishes, I made over the weekend in my last post, so here is the first recipe: Korean chive salad. I believe the Korean store where I bought my chives actually labeled them “Chinese chives.” Korean or Chinese chives are less round than regular chives and look more like grass.

Korean chives are delicious and one of my favorite side dishes. And they are very simple to make and truly a “no cook” dish. In fact, all the “sangchae” dishes, which can be made in variations with all kinds of vegetables, are really easy as they are simply assembled like a salad. However, usually the longer they marinate, the better they get, so you can make a big batch and keep it in the fridge. [Note: The picture that follows also shows “minari” next to the chives. It is not used in this dish.]



Korean Chive Sangchae

Ingredients

• 1 bunch Korean or Chinese chives
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce (I use reduced sodium soy sauce)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp Korean chili powder
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp sesame seeds

Directions

1. Thoroughly wash the chives and cut off the ends.
2. Cut into 2 inch long pieces.
3. Combine the soy sauce, garlic, chili powder, sesame oil, and sugar in a bowl and mix well.
4. Mix the sauce with the chives and chill.
5. Before serving, sprinkle with sesame seeds.

[Note: There are many variations of this dish, and I always play with the ingredients as I just “can’t” follow a recipe.]




Questions: Do you like chives? I love regular chives as well as Korean chives. What’s your favorite way to eat them? One of my favorite ways to eat regular chives is on a whole grain bagel with just a bit of cream cheese and tomato slices. The chives look so pretty on top of the tomatoes and taste great. Have you ever had Korean or Chinese chives? 

Be well,
Andrea