Crisp 5-Minute Bomdong Geotjeori (Fresh Spring Cabbage Salad)
An instant side dish tossed together in 5 minutes by lightly coating un-salted tender inner leaves of spring napa cabbage in a fish sauce dressing.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This fresh salad skips the salt pickling and uses raw, tender inner leaves of spring napa cabbage to bring out their nutty flavor and crisp texture. Because spring napa cabbage holds very little moisture, adding water to the seasoning paste keeps it moist and makes tossing effortless in just 5 minutes. Mild and refreshing, it makes an ideal side dish for grilled meats or bibimbap.
- Servings
- 3–4 servings
- Cook time
- 5 minprep not included
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Mildly spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Bomdong (spring napa cabbage)200 g (after cleaning)
Seasoning
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)3 tbsp
- Sand lance fish sauce (or dried anchovies)2 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Minced ginger1/2 tsp
- Vinegar1–2 tbsp
- Sugar (or green plum syrup (maesil-cheong))1 tbsp
- Salta little
- Water3 tbsp
- Toasted sesame oila little
- Toasted sesame seedsa little
- From one bunch of spring napa cabbage, use only the small, yellowish inner leaves for tossing.
- The green outer leaves are great blanched for doenjang soup or pan-fried into savory pancakes, while the yellowish inner leaves are best tossed fresh.
- Because the outer leaves close to the ground collect a lot of dirt, soak them briefly in water and then rinse thoroughly under running water.
Steps
Prepare the spring napa cabbage
Hold the spring napa cabbage with your hand and cut off the base with a knife.
The green outer leaves are great blanched for doenjang soup or pan-fried into savory pancakes.
The yellowish inner leaves are best tossed fresh for a crisp, refreshing bite.
Because the outer leaves close to the ground collect a lot of dirt, soak them briefly in water and then rinse thoroughly under running water.
Slice
Cut the spring napa cabbage in half, then slice it diagonally into bite-sized pieces.
Place the sliced spring napa cabbage into a bowl.
Make the dressing
Except for the salt, toasted sesame oil, and toasted sesame seeds, mix all the seasoning ingredients in advance.
Because spring napa cabbage has very little moisture, if the seasoning feels too thick, adding about 3 tbsp of water like I do makes it moist and much easier to toss.
Toss
Add the seasoning to the spring napa cabbage and toss well to coat evenly.
If it needs more seasoning, adjust with salt, add vinegar or sugar to taste, and finish by adding toasted sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds.
6. Finished
Ppunwife's tips
- For open-headed spring napa cabbage, rather than keeping it around for long, it is best to toss just enough for one meal and enjoy it fresh.
- Because spring napa cabbage has very little moisture, if the seasoning feels too thick, adding about 3 tbsp of water makes it moist and much easier to toss.
FAQ
Can I toss the spring napa cabbage right away without pickling it in salt?
Tossing it raw preserves its signature nutty flavor and crisp texture completely. However, rather than storing leftovers, it is best to toss just the amount you plan to eat in one sitting.
What should I do if the seasoning is too thick?
Spring napa cabbage itself has little moisture, so mixing about 3 tbsp of water into the seasoning paste to moisten it makes tossing much easier.
How can I use the leftover green outer leaves?
Use only the yellow inner leaves for the fresh salad, and blanch the dark outer leaves to use in doenjang soup or pancake batter so nothing goes to waste.
Can I use anchovy fish sauce instead of sand lance fish sauce?
The recipe ingredients allow either sand lance fish sauce or anchovy fish sauce, so you can use the same 2 tbsp.
