Pah Muchim (Fresh Green Onion Salad)
Pah muchim is a simple, fresh green onion salad that pairs perfectly with Korean BBQ. It’s savory and sweet with a pinch of spicy.
This salad is known as pah muchim (파무침) or pahjeori (파절이). As you may have already guessed, pah (파) means green onion in Korean. It is traditionally prepared with the Korean leek called daepa (대파). You can find this in the refrigerated vegetables section of your local Korean supermarket, but you can also try making this recipe with flag leek or green onions, which is what I use in this recipe.
Pah Muchim Dressing
The dressing usually consists of sesame oil, vinegar, gochugaru, and toasted sesame seeds. I like to also add soy sauce and some coconut sugar. To keep it as fresh as possible, toss the dressing with the green onions right before serving. The salt from the soy sauce will cause the green onions to wilt.
Tips
You can thinly slice the green onions with your regular kitchen knife. However, I like to use this shredder, which is designed to julienne green onions. You may also find bags of pre-julienned green onions for sale at your local Korean supermarket. It is important to soak the julienned green onions in cold water before seasoning them to remove some of that sharp onion taste and green onion slime or mucilage.
Pairs Well With Korean BBQ
I tend to request refills of this salad multiple times when eating at a Korean BBQ restaurant. It is usually served as a side dish. I prepare this salad when I am making galbi, but it also goes well with grilled pork belly (samgyupsal gui, 삼겹살).
Notes
As with most of my recipes, I use coconut sugar as the sweetener. Not only is it a natural sweetener, but it is also a healthier sugar substitute. It contains a bit of inulin which decreases the likelihood of post-meal sugar spikes and so may be a healthier option for people with diabetes. I also prefer its softer sweetness. However, you could always substitute coconut sugar with plain sugar or brown sugar in my recipes.
MISE EN PLACE
Pah Muchim (Green Onion Salad)
Ingredients
- 4 green onions, julienned
- ½ tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tbsp gochugaru
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 ½ tsp toasted sesame oil
- ½ tbsp coconut sugar
- ½ tsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Cut the ends of the green onions.
- Using a green onion shredder, make 3" slices from one end.
- Cut the shredded end and set the shredded green onions aside in a separate medium sized bowl.
- Continue making 3" shredded slices.
- (Or manually julienne the green onions.)
- Soak the shredded green onions in a bowl of cold water for about 10 minutes.
- Mix the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Drain the cold water and toss the shredded green onion with the dressing. Serve immediately.