Korean Chive Salad with Doenjang Dressing

Quick answer

Total time: 10 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 7

About this dish

Garlic chives -- buchu -- carry a sharper, more pungent bite than Western chives, and this banchan keeps them raw to preserve every bit of that intensity.

Chives are cut into short segments, rinsed in cold water to crisp up the cell walls, then tossed for no more than twenty seconds in a dressing of doenjang, vinegar, and gochugaru. Going beyond that window draws out moisture from the leaves, leaving the whole dish limp and waterlogged before it even reaches the table. The fermented paste locks onto the flat surface of each blade, releasing a salty, umami-heavy punch with every bite. Vinegar cuts through the richness of the doenjang with a light acidity that keeps the finish clean, and the gochugaru adds a dry, lingering heat. Best assembled minutes before serving and eaten alongside a bowl of rice.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmountUnit

garlic chives180 gg

doenjang1 tbsptbsp

vinegar1 tbsptbsp

red pepper flakes1 tsptsp

minced garlic½ tsptsp

sesame oil1 tsptsp

ground sesame1 tsptsp

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Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Prep

Sort 180 g garlic chives and remove any yellowed tips, then cut them into 5 cm lengths.

Do not cut them much shorter, because small pieces bruise quickly when tossed with the dense dressing.
2

Prep

Rinse the cut chives in cold water for only 30 seconds, moving them lightly with your fingers.

Do not soak them; lift them straight into a colander so the sharp aroma and crisp texture stay intact.
3

Finish

Shake the colander several times and drain the chives as thoroughly as possible.

If visible droplets remain on the flat leaves, the doenjang dressing thins out and the finished seasoning tastes weaker.
4

Prep

In a mixing bowl, combine 1 tablespoon doenjang, 1 teaspoon gochugaru, and 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic first.

Press the paste with a spoon until no firm lumps remain, so it coats quickly later.
5

Step

Add 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1 teaspoon sesame oil, then stir briefly.

The dressing should slide slowly from a spoon; if it sits in a stiff mound, it will bruise the chives during tossing.
6

Finish

Add the chives and toss for only 20 seconds, lifting them with your fingertips instead of squeezing.

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon ground sesame, give one final gentle turn, and serve immediately before moisture pools.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Raw garlic chives retain their pungent aroma when tossed in a thick doenjang dressing.
Finish cue: Add the chives and toss for only 20 seconds, lifting them with your fingertips instead of squeezing.
Avoid this: Do not cut them much shorter, because small pieces bruise quickly when tossed with the dense dressing.