A recipe for Pajeori (Korean Green Onion Salad)! Thinly sliced green onions are lightly tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce.
Disclosure: I received salt from Josu Salt Co. in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own.
Josu Salt Co.
My friend JinJoo from Kimchimari recently collaborated with Josu Salt Co. to highlight sea salt with Korean flavors and asked me to try them!
I received her Korean Chili Salt and Seoul BBQ Salt along with Josu Salt Co’s 5-Year Aged Cheonilyeom Salt.
The Korean Chili Salt includes a blend of sea salt, Korean red chili flakes (gochugaru), sesame seeds, chives, lemon, vinegar, and onion. This wonderful combination easily adds an extra kick of flavor to a variety of vegetables.
I featured the salt in the Pajeori (Korean Green Onion Salad) and can’t wait to try it with other salads as well.
The Seoul BBQ Salt was a particular favorite with the whole family. This fragrant spice mix has a blend of Korean sea salt, pepper, garlic, sesame seeds, gochugaru (chili flakes), scallions, and onion.
We sprinkled the salt over a small bowl of sesame oil and used it as a dip for grilled pork belly. It is also delicious as a seasoning for other grilled meat/seafood and steamed vegetables.
It is available in a grinder (which I used) or in a jar.
Translating to Sky-Day-Salt, Cheonilyeom (천일염) refers to the traditional process of naturally drying the sea salt in salt flats via the sun until the liquid has evaporated.
The resulting large, coarse salt grains have an earthy, rich flavor with an abundance of calcium, potassium, and magnesium.
So far, I have used the salt to lightly season mushrooms after grilling. I will also be using it soon to make kimchi!
Pajeori (Korean Green Onion Salad)
To highlight the Korean Chili Salt, I made Pajeori (파절이, Korean Green Onion Salad)!
Also known as Pachae Muchim (파채무침) or Pa Muchim (파무침), this refreshing salad pairs very thinly sliced green onions with a sweet and savory coating.
The bright and vibrant flavors are a perfect contrast for grilled meat and other accompaniments.
Simply slice the green onions, soak briefly, then dry and toss in the sauce ingredients before serving immediately.
Slicing the Green Onions
Slice the green onions as thinly as possible in about 3 inch (7.5 centimeter) long pieces.
I picked up a Green Onion Slicer while traveling last year. It was perfect for quickly shredding the green onions. If you do not have one, use a sharp knife and finely slice.
Some Korean grocery stores also have bags of pre-shredded green onions for easy prep.
A Few More Pajeori Tips
For this recipe, I used about 3 larger Korean green onions (대파, Daepa, Big Green Onion, Korean Leek) from my garden.
They can be found in the produce section of many Korean markets. For those in Northern Virginia, I have come across them at H Mart in Centreville.
After finely slicing the green onions, soak for about 10 minutes in cold water. This will develop a more crisp texture and remove some of the sharpness.
Drain and remove as much moisture as possible before tossing in the sauce.
I kept the seasonings lighter to help the Korean Chili Salt shine. If you do not have Korean Chili Salt, you may want to add a little more of the gochugaru (chili flakes) and an extra splash of soy sauce and/or other flavors. Adjust to taste.
Do not toss the sliced green onions in the sauce until right before serving. The onions will start to wilt after a few minutes.
Serving Ideas
I paired the Pajeori with Samgyeopsal-gui (삼겹살구이, grilled pork belly), mushrooms, kimchi, lettuce, ssamjang, and rice.
A bit of the seasoned green onion was especially perfect over a piece of the pork belly with a pinch of Korean Chili Salt all wrapped in a lettuce leaf.
Pajeori (Korean Green Onion Salad) Recipe
Adapted from Cook Korean!
Pajeori (Korean Green Onion Salad)
Ingredients
- 3 large green onions or 5-6 smaller green onions
- 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons (10 milliliters) unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (7 milliliters) soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Korean Chili Salt or Gochugaru, Korean chili flakes, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Shred or thinly slice the green onions into 3 inch (7.5 centimeter) long pieces.
- Place the shredded green onions in a large bowl of cold water and set aside for 10 minutes.
- In another bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar until well combined and the sugar has dissolved. Add the chili salt.
- Drain the green onions and pat well with a towel to remove any excess moisture.
- Immediately before serving, toss with the sesame oil mixture.
- Serve immediately with a little more chili salt or gochugaru for garnish.
dana
This looks SO insanely delicious! It’s so refreshing!
TAYLER ROSS
It looks wonderful! So simple yet so delicious!