Korean Lettuce Kimchi (Quick Leaf Gochugaru Dressed)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 20 min
- Level
- Easy
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Ingredients
- 8
About this dish
Sangchu kimchi is a quick Korean lettuce kimchi that starts with leaf lettuce torn into bite-sized pieces, salted lightly for ten minutes to relax the leaves without fully collapsing them, then tossed in a seasoning of gochugaru, sand lance fish sauce, minced garlic, vinegar, and sugar.
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As the lettuce absorbs the dressing it softens, but eating it before it fully wilts keeps a faint crispness at the leaf edges along with the lettuce's characteristic mild bitterness. The fermented depth of the fish sauce adds weight to the lettuce's grassy, clean flavor, while vinegar contributes a bright, tangy finish that cuts through the richness. Sesame seeds scattered through the mix give a faintly toasted crunch with each bite. Drying the leaves thoroughly after salting is the step that most directly controls flavor: any residual water dilutes the seasoning rapidly and turns the kimchi watery and dull within an hour or two. This kimchi is best made moments before serving and eaten immediately while the textures are still distinct. A small amount of ssamjang folded in adds a deeper, earthy fermented note for variation.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Rinse 250 g leaf lettuce under running water and trim away any damaged leaf tips.
Shake off water from between the leaves, then tear the lettuce by hand into bite-size pieces so the seasoning can coat it evenly.
- 2Season
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon coarse salt evenly over the lettuce and let it stand for only 10 minutes.
Stop once the leaves look slightly relaxed, because longer salting makes this quick kimchi collapse too much.
- 3Finish
After salting, shake off moisture without squeezing the lettuce hard.
Blot the leaf surfaces carefully, because visible water quickly thins the seasoning and leaves the finished kimchi watery and dull.
- 4Season
Mix 1.5 tablespoons gochugaru, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon sand lance fish sauce, 1 teaspoon vinegar, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Stir until the sugar begins to dissolve and the chili flakes look evenly moistened.
- 5Season
Add the seasoning to the lettuce and toss quickly with your fingertips so the leaves do not tear.
Stop when the leaves are coated and softened, while the edges still keep a faint crisp texture.
- 6Finish
Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sesame seeds and serve right away for the clearest texture.
If serving chilled, keep it within about 2 hours and drain off any pooled liquid before bringing it to the table.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Sangchu-kimchi uses a light ten-minute salt to relax lettuce leaves without losing their shape.
- Finish cue
- Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sesame seeds and serve right away for the clearest texture.
- Avoid this
- Add the seasoning to the lettuce and toss quickly with your fingertips so the leaves do not tear.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
20min, 8 ingredients
Category median
32min, 7 ingredients
Based on 163 recipes
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