Lamb's Quarters Namul, Done Two Ways

Namul refers to any seasoned vegetable side dish in Korea. The culture is known for having a vast collection of side dishes served with rice; the broader term is Banchan.

No Lamb’s Quarter, No Problem

To keep things interesting, because variety is the spice of life, below are two variations in making this dish: sesame and spicy. The base of this recipe is a simple way to quickly prep vegetables ahead of time for weekday lunches and dinners. This recipe calls for wild lambs quarter, but I encourage you to try this with any seasonal leafy greens, bean sprouts, green beans, and asparagus.

I eat this straight up cold when I need a snack or bibimbap style with other fermented or cured goodies and a sunny-side-up egg. In the hotter months, it's a great salad topper.

Finding Wild Lamb's Quarter

I cannot take credit for finding this wild weed on my own. A good friend, chef and mentor Tiffany Bader was kind enough to show me her honey hole for foraging Lamb's Quarter. The good news is that it's widely found, easy to identify, and grows for a long season. I am confident a quick google and a few weekends stomping around will lead to success!

Interesting Facts about Lamb's Quater

• Often nicknamed the wild spinach

• Widely found weed, easy to identify

• Eaten for thousands of years in Eurasia

• Closely related to Quinoa

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Lamb's Quarters Namul, Done Two Ways

Yield: 2-3

Author: Jenny Ly

Namul refers to any seasoned vegetable side dish in Korea. To keep things interesting, because variety is the spice of life, below are two variations in making this dish: sesame and spicy.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch lamb's quarter, about 10 ounces

Sesame Namul

• 1 scallion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
• salt to taste

Spicy Namal

• 1 scallion chopped
• 2 to 3 teaspoons gochujang
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Blanch lamb's quarter in salted boiling water for 30 to 40 seconds.
2. Rinse in cold water and gently squeeze out excess water.
3. Roughly chop, I like to make a rectangular block and make two cuts in it vertically. About 2-3 inches apart. 
4. Season with the rest of the ingredients from the sesame or spicy recipe list. 
5. Mix and let it sit for at least 15 minutes before digging in, at room temp or chilled.

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Rice is life. Happy Cooking!

Jenny Ly