Gochujang saengchae (Korean salad with gochujang dressing) ｜고추장 생채 [vegan]

This Korean salad with sweet & spicy gochujang dressing is one of my staple banchan (side dish) on my lunch/dinner table. This salad especially goes well with seafood (mussels, shrimp, squid, etc.) because of its brightness but of course, you can also have it with meat or tofu/tempeh too!

What is gochujang?

Gochujang is Korean fermented red chili paste that is traditionally made with red chili powder, rice, fermented soybean powder, salt, and barley malt. It is spicy, sweet, tangy, fruity and pungent! While it’s added to the popular Korean dishes like Bibimbap, Tteokbokki (spicy rice cake stew), etc., you can also use it for salad dressing or dipping sauces as well.
Gochujang dressing is oil-free and goes so well with all kinds of vegetables and fruits. Especially apples when it comes to fruits! So in the recipe below, you can also see apple slices to brighten up the salad a bit more.

How to compose a Korean salad?

When making a salad, I always think of 3 components:
1. Base : leafy veggies that are quite neutral in taste but gives nice crunchiness.
Typically some kind of lettuce like romaine, iceberg, oakleaf or butterhead
2. Herbs : herbs to add a little kick, with peppery or herbaceous notes.
Like coriander(cilantro), chervil, dill, parsley, mint, etc.
3. Root veggies, cucumber and/or bell pepper : add some color and different flavors to your salad
There are so many options: carrot, beetroot, kohlrabi, daikon, onion, cucumber, different colors of bell peppers.

Here’s the recipe of Korean salad with gochujang dressing (gochujang saengchae). If you have any questions or lovely comments, then please leave them below!

Enjoy 🙂