Korean Spinach Namul and Bean Sprout Namul are two popular side dishes in Japan for meal prep. Very easy and quick to prepare, these lightly seasoned vegetables keep well and are perfect to make ahead for your bento box or dinner.
Budget-friendly, quick to make, and delicious, these Korean side dishes called Namul are the winners of meal prep in Japan. Almost every Japanese meal prep cookbook and online recipe include Namul, and that tells how popular they are in Japan.
I personally love these seasoned side dishes because they are the best way to include vegetables in your everyday meal. They are also fresh tasting with a slight crunch and incredibly aromatic from the fragrant sesame oil.
Today I’m featuring two most familiar namul recipes you often see on the table: Spinach Namul and Bean Sprout Namul.
What is Namul?
Namul (나물) refers to a wide variety of Korean side dishes. The most common namul is made of blanched vegetables that are seasoned with salt, sesame oil, soy sauce, doenjang, gochujang, etc. In a typical Korean meal, you often see them being served together as part of a colorful array of sides, Banchan (반찬), that complement the main meal, or as a component of Bibimbap (Korean mixed rice).
In Japan, we call it Namuru (ナムル), a more direct translation of the original dish in Korea but pronounce in the Japanese way. We call Spinach Namul “Horenso no Namuru” (ほうれん草のナムル) and Bean Sprout Namul “Moyashi no Namuru” (もやしのナムル).
All You Need for Namul is Just 4 Ingredients!
The reason why I love Namul so much is that it includes ONLY 4 ingredients to make a simple side dish:
- Sesame oil
- Salt
- Garlic
- Vegetables (spinach/ bean sprouts)
Not to mention, it’s SUPER easy to make. Just blanch the vegetables, and mix with seasonings. And imagine all the possibilities with different choices of vegetables!
Preparing Namul for Your Meal Prep
With the rise of Korean influence in Japanese cooking, these side dishes became popular very quickly in our daily meals. When home cooks started to do meal prep more often in recent years, all kinds of Namuru (Namul) appear regularly as Jobisai (常備菜), the Japanese meal prep dishes.
Both the Spinach Namul and Bean Sprouts Namul can be cooked in a big batch for later use throughout your week or bento menu. If you cook them on the same day, you can certainly save time by using the same pot. Once they are cooked, set aside the portions you need and keep them in separate containers before you store them in the refrigerator. They can be kept well for up to 3-4 days. You can serve both namul dishes alongside each other to complement a bento lunch or with other sides you prefer.
Japanese Meal Prep (Jobisai 常備菜) Recipes
- Bean Sprout Salad (Namul); prepared with the same method but with slightly different seasonings.
- Japanese Spinach Salad
- Seafood Salad
- Ramen Egg
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Spinach Namul and Bean Sprout Namul
Ingredients
For the Bean Sprouts Namul
- 9 oz bean sprouts (either with or without the sprouted bean attached)
- 1 dried red chili pepper (optional)
For the Spinach Namul
- 6 oz spinach
For the Seasonings (prepare a separate batch for each version)
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 clove garlic (crushed)
For Blanching
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
For the Bean Sprout Namul
- Remove any brown parts and stringy roots from 9 oz bean sprouts. The sprouts taste much better this way, especially when using a light seasoning.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the seasonings: 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and 1 clove garlic (crushed).
- Remove the seeds from 1 dried red chili pepper (optional) and chop it into smaller pieces. You can keep the seeds if you want a spicier taste.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and add the bean sprouts.
- Cook for 60 to 90 seconds. Then, remove the bean sprouts with a fine-mesh skimmer or spider strainer. Drain the water very well. Save the pot of boiling water to cook the spinach, if you‘re making Spinach Namul.
- Add the drained sprouts to the bowl with the seasonings and toss to coat well. Transfer to a meal prep container with a lid and let it marinate for at least 1 hour before serving. The bean sprouts namul will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
For the Spinach Namul
- In the (same) medium mixing bowl, combine the seasonings: 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and 1 clove garlic (crushed).
- Hold 6 oz spinach upright with the stem ends pointing down. The stems take slightly longer to cook, so cook from the stem side first. Blanch the stems in the salted boiling water for 15 seconds while you hold back the leaves. Then, submerge the leaves and cook for an additional 30–45 seconds.
- Remove the spinach from the water and soak in iced water to stop the cooking. Alternatively, drain and run the spinach under cold running water until cool.
- Collect the spinach neatly by the stems and squeeze out the water.
- If your spinach came with the roots attached, cut off and discard them. Then, cut the spinach, including the stems, into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces. Add to the bowl with the seasonings.
- Mix well together. Transfer to a meal prep container with a lid and let it marinate for at least 1 hour before serving. The spinach namul will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
What do you mean when you say “use half for table salt”? Do you mean to only use half of the amount in the recipe and save half for people who want more?
Hi jack, Thank you for trying Nami’s recipe!
Because table salt is much saltier than kosher salt, you only need half the quantity specified in the recipe. We hope this helps!
Hi!
Please can I ask if the chilli pepper is dried or fresh? It looks like it might be dried in the photos, but I wasn’t sure?
My whole family love your recipes, I’m looking forward to trying this one for them 🙂
Thank you
Hi Roz! Thank you for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipe!
Nami used dried chili pepper, but a fresh one also works.
We hope you enjoy the dish.🙂
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Could you use frozen spinach?
Hi Amy! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipe!
Yes, you can use pre-blanched frozen spinach for this recipe.
We hope this helps!
I have pack of bean sprouts in the fridge and looking forward to trying out this dish! Quick question, how would you modify the recipe to season it with doenjang or gochujang?
Hi Gul! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipe!
Currently, we do not have a recipe/amount of ingredients for a different version, but to modify the seasoning, you can add your favorite seasoning at step 3.
We hope you enjoy trying the different flavors.
[…] Spinach and Bean Sprout Namul […]
[…] Spinach Namul (Korean Spinach Side Dish) […]