Roasted Sweet Potato Chwinamul Salad
Quick answer
Roasted sweet potato chwinamul salad combines skin-on sweet potato cubes roasted at 200 degrees Celsius for 22 minutes with chwinamul blanched for just 20 seconds to pres...
What makes this special
- Sweet Potato Chwinamul Salad balances oven-roasted cubes with bitter, herbal mountain greens.
- 22-minute 200°C roast gives sweet potato cubes crisp skin and moist center
- 20-second blanch keeps chwinamul's distinct bitter mountain herb aroma
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Cut 450 g sweet potato, skin on, into 2 cm cubes and spread them without crowding.
- 2 Trim only the tough stems from 140 g chwinamul and bring water to a full boil.
- 3 Squeeze the cooled chwinamul firmly by hand, then loosen the strands so the...
Roasted sweet potato chwinamul salad combines skin-on sweet potato cubes roasted at 200 degrees Celsius for 22 minutes with chwinamul blanched for just 20 seconds to preserve its distinctive herbaceous bitterness. A dressing of perilla oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and minced garlic delivers a rich nuttiness underscored by sharp acidity, which frames the sweet potato's natural sugars without masking them. Chickpeas contribute a mild, starchy body that balances the sweetness, while sunflower seeds and sesame seeds add scattered crunch throughout. Tossing the salad while the sweet potato is still warm rather than fully cooled allows the dressing to absorb into the starchy surface rather than sliding off. Blanching chwinamul longer than 20 seconds causes it to lose its characteristic bitter note and turn dull in color, so transferring it immediately to cold water after blanching is necessary to preserve both flavor and appearance.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Cut 450 g sweet potato, skin on, into 2 cm cubes and spread them without crowding.
Roast at 200C for about 22 minutes, until the edges look browned and the centers feel soft, then let the steam settle.
- 2Heat
Trim only the tough stems from 140 g chwinamul and bring water to a full boil.
Blanch for just 20 seconds, then rinse immediately in cold water so the color stays clear and the bitter herbal aroma does not fade.
- 3Heat
Squeeze the cooled chwinamul firmly by hand, then loosen the strands so the dressing will not taste diluted.
Thinly shred 100 g red cabbage, and drain 160 g cooked chickpeas well so they do not water down the bowl.
- 4Season
In a bowl, combine 1.5 tbsp perilla oil, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar, and 0.5 tsp minced garlic.
Whisk until the garlic is evenly dispersed so no harsh clumps hit one bite.
- 5Step
While the sweet potato is still warm, not fully cooled, place it in a large bowl.
Add chwinamul, red cabbage, and chickpeas, pour the dressing around the sides, and toss gently to avoid breaking the soft cubes.
- 6Finish
Once the dressing clings to the sweet potato surfaces, sprinkle over 20 g sunflower seeds and 1 tsp sesame seeds.
Serve right away or let it rest briefly, but add the seeds at the end to keep their crunch.
After the steps
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