A tasty Korean party is never complete without authentic and yummy side dishes. Side dishes are a great way to expand your palette, and enhance your cooking skills.
The main course may be the one everyone devours, but the addition of side dishes ensures that there is something for everyone served at your dinner.
These dishes may seem easy to consume and make, but it’s important to follow authentic recipes with respect – as can be seen shown in the links with the recipes below.
Contents
17 Easy Korean Side Dishes
These are 17 of the tastiest side dishes to pair with your main Korean dish, with a link to the recipe included.
1. Sigeumchi Namul
This is a simple dish made with blanched spinach, soy sauce, garlic, and even sugar! It is healthy and a popular dish in Korea even among children.
The Spruce Eats has a tasty recipe of this spinach that ensures the proper flavoring goes into it. It is almost always served with meals – given it’s benefits and popularity with everyone.
2. Kongnamul Muchim
This is a dish made with soybean sprouts and is easy to whip up quickly in less than 15 minutes.
This is a dish that a recipe should without a doubt be used to ensure it’s made correctly, like the one found at Kimchimari. There is another recipe on this site to make this dish in the spicy version.
3. Oi Muchim
This dish is a salad, that is mainly cucumbers and a tangy sauce. This dish is probably one of the easiest on this list.
This spicy dish can be made in 20 minutes or less, and the recipe can be found on Korean Bapsang.
4. Hobak Bokkeum
This is a tasty dish made with zucchini or summer squash. As most recipes on this list, they use sesame oil and seeds.
These tasty pan-fried slices of summer squash can be followed with this easy recipe at Crazy Korean Cooking.
5. Gaji Namul
Like most dishes on this list, this side dish also uses eggplants prepped in a way that is extremely healthy – high in anti-oxidants and vitamins.
A recipe for Gaji Namul can be found at the site, Zesty South Indian Kitchen. It’s important to make these dishes properly with a recipe.
6. Sukju Namul
Similar to the Kongnamul Muchim, this is a dish made with sprouts – however, these are bean sprouts not soy.
A recipe to follow to ensure the taste is top notch is at the site called Maangchi. This is another great steamed dish high in healthy vitamins.
7. Oi Bokkeum
Oi Bokkeum is a cucumber laden dish, that is traditionally stir-fried made with more sesame oil and seeds.
A great recipe for Oi Bokkeum can be found at My Korean Kitchen. A nice thing with many of these dishes is that they pair well with main dishes.
8. Watercress Namul
Watercress is hardly a popular vegetable to consume on it’s own, but this recipe ensures it will taste great – even paired with a strange main dish.
You can find a simple and easy recipe for Watercress Namul at Asian Inspirations. This is another dish that pairs well with the main dishes, and can even be used as a topping for the main dish.
9. My Saengchal
Radishes are not something seen in a traditional American diet, but in Korea, they are very popular – yummy and high, as usual, in healthy vitamins and other things to ensure a balanced diet.
A recipe for this tasty but spicy side dish salad can be found at the site, Drive Me Hungry.
10. Gamja Jorim
Potatoes are a popular side dish in American culture, but they aren’t seen as often in Korea. They are high in starches and calories for a side dish.
A tasty dish and one of the most authentic Korean ways to make this potato side dish can be found at Okonami Kitchen.
11. Putbaechu Doejang Muchim
This vegetable is truly smelly when it’s cooking, but it’s popular in many side dishes due to it’s moisture and versatility: cabbage.
This dish is tasty and simple, but a great recipe for it can be found at the Korea Harold.
12. Mu Namul
Mu Namul is another great radish dish – this one prepped by steaming the vegetable and seasoning as you like.
For the non-spice lovers here, a great recipe for Mu Namul can be found at the site, Aeris Kitchen.
13. Jangajji
Picked vegetables are popular for everyone – in Korea, these are Korean pickles that are then dunked in soy sauce – super high in sodium.
A great recipe to learn how to properly pickle the vegetables, and store them can be found at Seonk Young Longest, a Korean cooking site.
14. Gaji Bokkeum
Gaji Bokkeum is another spicy eggplant dish that is full of yummy vitamins and spices. This is again, a side dish that is pan fried – a healthier version than the deep fried version expected in the American diet.
A great recipe for Gaji Bokkeum can be found on the site, Asian Recipes At Home, an Asian recipe site.
15. My Saengchae
This is another radish dish – Sweet and Sour radish salad. It’s a nice side dish that pairs well with traditional beef dishes.
This simple radish recipe is tangy and sweet, and perfect for those who don’t like spicy dishes. A recipe for it can be found at the site, Fine Cooking.
16. Myulchi Bokkeum
This stir-fried dish of anchovies is certainly to turn a few heads from the smell alone, but with the added spices and sauces – anything can be made to taste great.
A recipe to follow to improve the taste of anchovies, a smelly fish, can be found at the site, Chopsticks and Flour.
17. Kongjang
The last dish on our list is Kongjang which is a soy and grilled recipe for soybeans also using sesame oil and seeds.
A recipe for this tasty Kongjang can be found at Connoisseur Us Veg, a vegetarian site for popular recipes.
Wrap Up
Like most Korean recipes, these dishes are full of tasty vegetables and spices and sauces.
A Korean diet is full of healthy vegetables, and ensures a balanced diet for everyone.
17 Easy Korean Side Dishes
Ingredients
- Sigeumchi Namul
- Kongnamul Muchim
- Oi Muchim
- Hobak Bokkeum
- Gaji Namul
- Sukju Namul
- Oi Bokkeum
- Watercress Namul
- My Saengchal
- Gamja Jorim
- Putbaechu Doejang Muchim
- Mu Namul
- Jangajji
- Gaji Bokkeum
- My Saengchae
- Myulchi Bokkeum
- Kongjang
Instructions
- Select your favorite recipe from the list above.
- Organize all the required ingredients.
- Prepare and enjoy in 30 minutes or less!
