Sangchu Geotjeori – Fresh Lettuce and Greens Salad

상추겉절이
This salad is one of the ancient Korean ways of fixing fresh leaf lettuce.

Ingredients

1 head leaf lettuce (red or green top)

20 each Perilla/wild sesame leaves (kkaennip 깻잎)

20 each crown daisy leaves (ssukgat 쑥갓)

1 each Asian pear (approximately 12 ounces)

Dressing: 

3 cloves clove garlic

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon clear rice wine (cheongju 청주)

1 tablespoon doenjang (Korean bean paste)

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar

1 teaspoon gochugaru (Korean hot red pepper powder)

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed Yuja juice (Asian Citron 유자 – Substitute lemon or lime juice)

1 tablespoon mul yeot (Korean malt syrup 물엿)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

1 each regular green onion

1 pinch fresh ground black pepper

Garnish:

1 each Hot green pepper

1 each Hot red pepper

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Preparation:

  • Dressing
    • Place the sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium to medium low heat and slowly toast until lightly browned.
    • Mince the garlic.
    • Fine chop the green onion.
    • Place the garlic, sesame oil, and doenjang in a large bowl, mix well, and let stand about five minutes.
    • Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
    • Dressing may now be refrigerated for use at serving time.
  • Greens
    • Tear the lettuce into bite size pieces.
    • Cut the kkaenip into narrow strips.
    • Cut the ssukgat into bite size pieces.
    • Slice the Asian Pear into medium slices (about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick), then cut each slice into narrow strips.
  • Garnish
    • Place the pine nuts in a dry pan over medium to medium low heat and slowly toast until lightly browned.
    • Remove stem from the peppers, rinse in cold water, then cut in half from top to bottom.
    • Slice each half into thin “threads” from top to bottom.

Final

Place the greens into a large bowl and gently toss.

Drizzle with dressing, and gently toss again.

Add pear strips and toss once more.

Divide into serving bowls and sprinkle with garnish.

Serve immediately.