Korean Green Onion Salad (Pa Muchim)

Name: Korean Green Onion Salad (Pa Muchim)
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 4 large green onion (or 1 Asian leek); 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp Korean chili flakes (gochugaru); 1/2 tbsp sugar; 2 tsp cider vinegar (or rice vinegar); 1 tbsp Korean plum extract (maeshil cheong) (optional); 1 tbsp sesame oil; 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

posted by Holly Ford on Feb 23, 2023 2 comments »

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Korean green onion salad, also known as pa muchim or pajeori, is a popular side dish that is commonly served with Korean barbecue. With just a few basic ingredients, this simple salad can be made in as little as 10 minutes.

Korean green onion salad is served in a bowl over a wooden tray.

Korean green onion salad is a refreshing and flavorful side dish that goes well with a variety of Korean meals. It is especially delicious as an accompaniment to grilled meats, such as the world-famous Korean BBQ.

The salad is made with fresh green onions, also known as scallions or spring onions, and a dressing made with a few basic ingredients.

Pa muchim is topped over meat in Korean wrap dish.

The mild sweetness of the green onions pairs well with the savory dressing, which is slightly tangy and nutty from the sesame oil. Green onions pack vitamins and antioxidants, making the salad a healthy choice.

Some popular Korean dishes that pair well with this salad include:

Green onion or Asian leek for pa muchim

In Korean cuisine, people commonly use Asian leeks in addition to green onions for this salad, so you can interchangeably use either in this recipe. Both vegetables offer a similar taste and texture.

Pro tips for this recipe

Soaking the shredded green onions in cold water for a few minutes is recommended, as it helps to retain the crispness of the green onions and remove any sliminess inside.
Be sure to remove any excess water thoroughly. Excess water can cause the salad to become watery soon after it is tossed. A salad spinner is a useful tool to help remove any excess moisture.
When tossing the salad with dressing, it’s best to use kitchen tongs or chopsticks to maintain the light and airy texture. Avoid using your hands, as this can compress the salad and make it less enjoyable.

A cutting tool is used to shred Asian leek or green onion.

How to shred green onion

If you’re lucky, your local Korean market or Asian store may sell pre-sliced green onions in the produce section, which is the most convenient option for making this salad.

Although it’s possible to thinly slice the green onions or leeks by hand with a sharp knife, a tool specifically designed for this salad is also available.

In Korean, we refer to this tool as a “pachae kal” or green onion shredder. This inexpensive cutter makes the shredding process for this salad much easier.

A green onion shredder tool is placed on a cutting board.

Here is a quick video demonstration of how to use a green onion cutter.

Ingredients you’ll need

green onion or Asian leek
soy sauce
Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
sugar
apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
Korean plum extract: optional
sesame oil
toasted sesame seeds

Note: Korean plum extract (maesil cheong) is a sweet and tangy fruit concentrate that can be found in Korean or Asian grocery stores. It’s an optional ingredient, but it adds a unique flavor to the salad.

How to make Korean green onion salad

Asian leek is cut in half lengthwise and cored is removed.

A green onion shredder is used to shred the green onion.

Cut the green onions or leeks in half lengthwise, but only up to the white part (Leave the green part as is). If using Asian leeks, remove the hard, stiff core in the center of white part.

Flatten the green onions or leeks on a cutting board, and use a green onion shredder to shred them thinly into 2-3 inch lengths. Alternately, you can slice them thinly with a knife.

A knife is cutting off the portion of green onion what has been shredded.

Shredded green onion is soaking in cold water in a bowl.

Soak the shredded green onions or leeks in cold water with 1 teaspoon of vinegar for 5 minutes.

A spinner is holding soaked green onion after water has been spin off.

Korean green onion is being tossed with salad seasoning using kitchen tongs.

Drain the water and remove any excess moisture using a salad spinner. In a large mixing bowl, combine the green onion with soy sauce, gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), sugar, vinegar, Korean plum extract (if using), sesame oil, and toasted sesame seeds.

Using kitchen tongs or chopsticks, lightly toss everything together until the ingredients are well combined.

Serving suggestion

Serve the green onion salad with your favorite Korean grilled meats of other main dishes.

A bowl of Korean green onion salad is placed on a blue napkin.

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