Salads Recipes

🍺 Bar Snacks 🥗 Lighter Meals

Pollock Roe Potato Crisp Salad

Thin pan-crisped potato, salty pollock-roe dressing, and the sea flavor of crumbled laver all land on one plate. Myeongran, salted pollock roe, is scraped from its membrane and loosened with Greek yogurt and mayonnaise, which tame its saltiness into a creamy dressing.

Prep 18min Cook 20min 2 servings

Chilled Mustard Pork Trotters

Cold slices of pork trotter are topped with jellyfish, cucumber and carrot and dressed with a mustard and vinegar sauce sharp enough to sting the nose. Chilling the sauce ahead of time makes it all the more refreshing.

Prep 20min Cook 10min 3 servings

Naengi Beef Salad (Shepherd's purse)

The bitter, earthy smell of naengi (shepherd's purse), a Korean spring green, plays against the rich fat of quickly seared beef sirloin. Thin strips of Korean pear add sweetness and moisture, and the soy dressing gets its sweet-sour edge from vinegar and plum extract. After blanching, the greens are pressed gently by the handful rather than wrung hard, which keeps their aroma. Letting the dressed salad sit for about 5 minutes before serving helps everything come together.

Prep 25min Cook 10min 4 servings

Naengi Doenjang Mushroom Salad

Oyster mushrooms seared in a dry pan lose their water, brown at the edges, and concentrate their savory flavor. They are tossed with baby greens and briefly blanched naengi (shepherd's purse), which keeps its earthy spring smell. The dressing loosens doenjang, Korean fermented soybean paste, with yuja marmalade and vinegar. The result tastes nutty, tangy, and lightly citrusy at once. Halved cherry tomatoes burst with juice that lightens the heavy fermented notes.

Prep 15min Cook 10min 2 servings

🥗 Lighter Meals 🎉 For Guests

Naengi Scallop Yuja Salad

Seared in butter just until golden outside, the scallops pick up a caramelized aroma while their centers stay translucent and tender. Keeping them chilled until the moment they hit the pan helps them sear better. Blanched naengi (shepherd's purse) brings a bitter spring note and arugula a peppery bite, both contrasting with the scallops' sweetness, while orange segments add sweet acidity and color. Yuja marmalade, from a fragrant Korean citron, is whisked into white wine vinegar and olive oil, and its floral citrus scent ties the seafood to the greens. The salad is dressed only just before eating, so the naengi keeps its aroma. The plate works well as a starter for guests.

Prep 20min Cook 6min 2 servings

Napa Cabbage Pear Black Sesame Salad

Napa cabbage cut into fine shreds and crisped in cold water tastes clean and refreshing, and Korean pear cut to the same width adds a clear sweetness. The pear is sliced only at serving time to avoid browning, and the soaked cabbage is drained well so it does not blur the dressing. The dressing is plain yogurt with rice vinegar and honey, creamy but light enough not to hide the produce. Toasted black sesame goes on at the very last moment so the seeds stay dry and pop with nutty flavor when bitten. With only a pinch of salt, it makes a good palate cleanser after a rich main dish.

Prep 15min 0 2 servings

Narae (Seven-Ingredient Vinegar Salad)

Daikon, carrot, lotus root, shiitake, fried tofu, burdock and koya-dofu (freeze-dried tofu) are cooked in three separate batches before meeting one sweet rice-vinegar dressing. Each group keeps its own texture: crunchy lotus root and burdock, tender daikon, and koya-dofu that holds stock like a sponge. Spreading the cooked pieces in a sieve until they stop dripping keeps the vinegar dressing from turning thin. The simmered koya-dofu cools in the sieve on its own, untouched: pressing it while hot would break it and squeeze out the stock it absorbed. White sesame and fine threads of yuzu peel are scattered on top, adding toastiness and a citrus lift.

Prep 35min Cook 25min 4 servings

Nuta (Wakegi and Whale Skin with Mustard Miso)

Nuta pairs blanched wakegi, a slim Japanese scallion, with obaike, the cooked skin of a whale's tail, under a thick karashi su-miso of white miso, sugar, vinegar and hot mustard. After blanching, the wakegi is pressed with the back of a knife from base to tip to push out its slippery inner liquid, which would otherwise thin the dressing.

Prep 20min Cook 10min 4 servings

Ohitashi (Seri and Spinach in Dashi)

Briefly blanched seri and spinach soak for 8 to 12 hours in chilled dashi seasoned with mirin and light soy sauce, long enough for the broth to seep all the way into the greens. Instead of being tossed in a dressing, the vegetables are served moistened with that clear liquid, letting their own fragrance come through. The two greens are blanched separately so the tender spinach does not overcook while the seri stems keep a distinct bite. Twisting them dry would crush the stems and leave the dashi soaking in unevenly, so they are lined up and pressed between the palms instead. Seri, a Japanese water dropwort, gets swapped for Korean minari when Kuroda seri is hard to find.

Prep 15min Cook 10min 4 servings

Korean Cucumber Doenjang Salad

Doenjang, Korean fermented soybean paste, carries this cucumber side dish, with only half a tablespoon of chili flakes, and it tastes gentler than the red, spicy oi-muchim. The cucumbers are cut fairly thick and salted only briefly to stay cold, juicy and crisp under a thin coat of paste.

Prep 10min 0 2 servings

Korean Spicy Cucumber Salad

Sliced paper-thin on the bias, about 0.1cm, the cucumber takes on the dressing quickly and turns tender while keeping its crunch. Vinegar brightens the cucumber's cool, watery freshness, and the chili heat follows quietly behind. It shows up constantly on Korean summer tables, on its own with rice or piled onto naengmyeon and bibimbap. It is mixed close to mealtime, since after about 30 minutes the cucumber starts weeping water and goes limp.

Prep 15min 0 4 servings

Squid and Cucumber Chojang Salad

Squid scored on the inside, blanched briefly, and plunged into ice water stays chewy without turning rubbery. Half-moon cucumber slices add crisp juiciness, and shredded red cabbage brings a purple contrast. The chojang dressing, gochujang (Korean chili paste) thinned with vinegar and maesil-cheong, a green plum syrup, is spicy, sweet, and sour all at once, giving the mild squid a strong accent. Served cold, it makes a light meal on hot summer days when appetite is low.

Prep 16min Cook 4min 2 servings

⚡ 20-Minute Recipes 🍺 Bar Snacks

Korean Spicy Squid Salad (Gochujang Blanched Squid)

Blanched squid tossed in gochujang, chili flakes and vinegar works as both a drinking snack and a side dish with rice. Timing decides almost everything: past a minute to a minute and a half in boiling water the flesh contracts and turns rubbery, while undercooked squid stays translucent in the middle. An ice bath right after stops the carryover heat and locks in the springy bite.

Prep 15min Cook 5min 4 servings

Squid Naengi Chojang Salad

The earthy smell of early-spring naengi (shepherd's purse) gives this squid salad with chojang, a sweet-sour chili dressing, its seasonal character. The greens are cleaned of roots and grit, then dipped only briefly in salted boiling water to soften their bitterness while keeping their aroma.

Prep 20min Cook 4min 2 servings

Korean Scallion Salad (Spicy Green Onion Grilled Meat Side)

Leek-like daepa scallions are shredded into fine threads along the grain and soaked in cold water, which takes off the harsh bite and makes the strands curl lightly. The mellowed shreds are heaped beside grilled meat and picked up together with each slice.

Prep 10min 0 4 servings

Panzanella Salad (Italian Ciabatta Bread Salad)

Tuscan cooks made this salad in summer to use up stale bread, and the recipe still starts with dried ciabatta. The juice that tomatoes release after salting is not discarded; whisked into the red wine vinegar dressing, it seeps into the oven-toasted bread and gives it a sweet-sour flavor.

Prep 15min Cook 10min 2 servings

Korean Tofu and Bell Pepper Salad

Coarse, soft lumps of tofu sit between thin strips of red and yellow pepper and cucumber, and each bite alternates between creamy and crisp. The soy and vinegar dressing is a small amount, and any water left on the tofu or vegetables thins it quickly and pools at the bottom of the bowl.

Prep 12min Cook 3min 2 servings

Pazı Borani (Turkish Swiss Chard with Yogurt)

Wilted chard, leaves and stems both, gets folded into thick Greek yogurt with garlic, then olive oil warmed with chili flakes is drizzled across the top in a red streak. It is served cold, as part of a Turkish meze spread. Only half the minced garlic is cooked with the onion, while the rest stays raw in the yogurt, where its sharp edge survives. Most watery borani comes from mixing the chard while it still holds heat, which pulls liquid out into the sauce. A low-moisture strained yogurt keeps the coating thick for the same reason. Done right, the plate holds no loose water, and the cool yogurt and warm chili oil stay distinct.

Prep 10min Cook 15min 2 servings

🥗 Lighter Meals 🎉 For Guests

Danggam Jogae Naengchae Salad (Persimmon Clam Chilled Salad)

Briny clams and the clear sweetness of persimmon come together cold in a hot-mustard dressing, a Korean naengchae, or chilled salad. The clams are blanched briefly and moved straight into ice water so residual heat does not keep cooking them. Minari (water parsley) adds a grassy bitterness that balances sweet and salty, and red cabbage contributes crunch and purple color. Fine strips of Korean pear release juice that spreads the dressing through the bowl. Firm persimmon works better than soft, holding its bite even when sliced thin. Vinegar and hot mustard paste leave a sharp, clean finish, so it suits a seasonal starter for guests.

Prep 20min Cook 6min 4 servings

Turkish White Bean Salad (Turkish Cooked White Beans Salad)

Sumac, a tangy red spice, stacks another layer of sourness on the lemon and vinegar and turns mild white beans bright. Thin red onion and coarsely chopped parsley add crunch and a grassy note among the soft beans. The onion spends about 5 minutes in cold water to tame its bite and is drained well so it does not thin the dressing. The beans are already cooked, so rough stirring mashes them quickly. Sumac is scattered evenly over everything at the end so no spoonful is all sourness, and the salad rests for about 10 minutes at room temperature. As in Turkey, it is served alongside bread or grilled meat.

Prep 15min 0 2 servings

Quinoa Salad

Cooked quinoa shows a tiny ring around each grain, and its light pop contrasts with juicy cucumber and tomato. Rubbing the grains while rinsing removes their bitter coating, which lets the lemon dressing taste clean. Chopped parsley and thin red onion give the mild grain aroma and bite. Dressed only with olive oil and lemon juice, it goes to the table right after tossing.

Prep 15min Cook 15min 2 servings

Spanish Orange Cod Salad (Spanish Salt Cod Salad)

Salty flakes of cod meet sweet, juicy orange in this Andalusian salad, and that contrast carries the dish. The cod is torn along its grain into light, chewy shreds, while red onion and black olives sharpen the edges. The fish only poaches in barely moving water, because a hard boil turns it tough. Soaking out the salt takes most of a day and has to begin the night before, but on the day itself the salad goes together in minutes and sits well beside a glass of sherry as a tapa.

Prep 20min Cook 8min 2 servings

Roasted Brussels Sprout Salad

Roasted hard, Brussels sprouts char at the loose outer leaves and turn sweet and brown on the cut face. A crowded pan steams them in their own moisture, and the leaves never crisp. A sharp Dijon and cider vinegar dressing pushes back against that sweetness, while dried cranberries bring tartness and parmesan adds salt. Walnuts carry the same toasty note as the browned sprouts and give the salad more to chew on. After a winter frost, sprouts lose much of their bitterness and turn noticeably sweeter, and the salad is at its best in the cold months.