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, which speak for their popularity 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 of the 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 served 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 Korean vegetable side dish but pronounced 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).
Ingredients You’ll Need
These vegetable dishes require only 4-5 simple ingredients:
- Vegetables — Bean sprouts (also known as mung bean sprouts or soybean sprouts) and spinach (I recommend using regular spinach for this dish. If you have to use boxed spinach, look for larger, mature spinach and avoid using baby spinach as it is too delicate).
- Sesame oil
- Salt — I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Garlic
- Optional garnishes: Sesame seeds, green onion, dried chili pepper
Overview: How to Make Namul
- Combine the seasonings in a small bowl.
- Blanch the vegetables in boiling water for 60 to 90 seconds.
- Remove the vegetables with a fine-mesh skimmer or spider strainer.
- For bean sprouts, drain the water well immediately. For spinach, drain under cold water or soak in iced water to stop further cooking. Then drain really well.
- Add the vegetables to the bowl with the seasonings and toss to coat.
Recipe Tips
- Each vegetable will require a slightly different blanching time. Pay attention and be careful not to overcook them to preserve their texture and nutrients. Green leafy vegetables cook much quicker. If you are cooking greens with the stems attached, blanch the stems first before the leafy parts. See my Recipe Card below on how to blanch the spinach.
- Be sure to drain the vegetables very well after blanching.
How to Meal Prep & Store Namul
With the rise of Korean influence in Japanese cooking, these side dishes have quickly become popular in our daily meals. As home cooks have started to do meal prep more often in recent years, all kinds of namuru (namul) regularly appear as jobisai (常備菜), Japanese meal prep dishes.
Both the spinach namul and bean sprout namul can be cooked in a big batch for use throughout the week or in bento menus. If you cook them on the same day, you can save time by using the same pot. Once they are cooked, set aside the portions you need and keep them in separate containers before storing 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. Toss to coat well and serve. Optionally, you can let it marinate for 10–15 minutes to help flavors meld together before serving. For meal prep, transfer to a meal prep container with a lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
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 and serve. Optionally, you can let it marinate for 10–15 minutes to help flavors meld together before serving. For meal prep, transfer to a meal prep container with a lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
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