Korean Seasoned Amaranth Greens
Quick answer
Amaranth greens, biryeom in Korean, are a short-season summer vegetable with deep green, purple-tinged leaves that bleed red into the blanching water.
What makes this special
- Short-season amaranth greens produce a purple-tinged, tender summer side dish.
- Deep green and purple leaves available only for a brief summer window
- Must be lifted within 1 minute before the leaves go limp
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Snap off any thick, woody stem ends from the amaranth greens by hand, then r...
- 2 Bring a pot of water to a full boil, add a generous pinch of salt, then blan...
- 3 Transfer the blanched greens right away to a bowl of cold water and let them...
Amaranth greens, biryeom in Korean, are a short-season summer vegetable with deep green, purple-tinged leaves that bleed red into the blanching water. They need to come out in under a minute or the leaves lose their structure. After squeezing out the water, the greens are dressed with doenjang, soup soy sauce, garlic, and scallion. Perilla oil stands in for sesame oil, lending a herbal, grass-edged nuttiness that matches the mineral character of amaranth. The leaves are firmer than spinach or mallow, so the dressing clings without the greens collapsing into a wet mass. The unsaturated fats in perilla oil also increase the nutritional density of the dish. A countryside banchan available only during its brief summer window.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Step
Snap off any thick, woody stem ends from the amaranth greens by hand, then rinse under cold running water two or three times to remove all grit, debris, and sandy residue.
- 2Season
Bring a pot of water to a full boil, add a generous pinch of salt, then blanch the amaranth greens for under 1 minute.
Lift them out while the leaves are still bright green.
- 3Step
Transfer the blanched greens right away to a bowl of cold water and let them sit for 1 minute to lock in the color.
Squeeze firmly in handfuls until almost no water remains.
- 4Prep
Cut the squeezed greens into 4 to 5 cm lengths.
Trim the thicker stem sections a little shorter than the leaf parts so the texture stays consistent once everything is dressed and tossed.
- 5Season
Add 1 tablespoon doenjang, 1 teaspoon soup soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion, and 1 tablespoon perilla oil, then toss until every piece is evenly coated.
- 6Finish
Taste and adjust saltiness with a little more soup soy sauce.
Finish with a generous sprinkle of whole sesame seeds. Refrigerate any leftovers and the greens hold their flavor well the next day.
After the steps
Pick a recipe that fits this dish.
Continue with shared ingredients, meal pairings, or a similar method.
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