Korean Lettuce Salad (Sangchu Geotjeori)

Whoever says that salads are BORING has never tried this Korean Lettuce Salad! The flavor of the gochugaru dressing is out of this world!

bowl of korean lettuce salad with some sesame seeds

I'll be adding a few more SALAD recipes this summer since we started our Spectacular Summer Salad Extravaganza over in my BNV Support Group. Our new challenge is to eat a BAS (big a$$ salad 🤣) at least once a day.

But how many people think salads are BORING? Or that a "salad" is that scrawny piece of lettuce on their cheeseburger? Or a tiny bowl of iceberg lettuce drowned in ranch dressing?

Well, I want to prove them WRONG! One of MY goals for this challenge is to make salads SEXY again! Salads can be AMAZING and I hope this first new salad recipe of the summer proves just that.

This Korean Lettuce Salad recipe, also known as Sangchu Geotjeori, was inspired by a variety of recipes while searching Google for Korean Salads.

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Why I LOVE This Korean Lettuce Salad

100% Vegan, Oil-Free, and Gluten-Free: Like all of my recipes, this recipe is made without any animal products or bottled oils and can easily be made gluten-free as well.

Super EASY to make: Seriously, you add stuff to a bowl and mix. Easy peasy 🤣.

No Cooking Involved: No stoves, no air fryers, no instant pots, not even a microwave. Just you and a salad bowl (and maybe a whisk).

Real Food Ingredients: Fresh salad greens along with a few everyday pantry ingredients make this delicious salad. No ultra-processed junk food here!

It's FRESH & Healthy: Another reason for eating salads is their low-calorie density - so fill that tummy! And leafy greens produce nitric oxide which helps open up those arteries and reduces blood pressure.

You know what Dr. Esselstyn says: Eat Those Greens!

Korean Lettuce Salad Ingredients

ingredients needed for korean lettuce salad

Greens

Sangchu is the Korean word for lettuce, so naturally any kind of lettuce will work. But I like lettuce with a crunch, so I used red leaf lettuce and Romaine. But if you want to try any other kind of greens, go for it!

Maple Syrup

White sugar is often used for this recipe, but I wanted something less refined so I used maple syrup. Feel free to sub with your favorite sweetener.

Tahini

Sesame Oil is also often used in this recipe, but to keep it oil-free I used tahini instead. Tahini is just a ground-up sesame seed paste and still has all the fiber. If you are on a strict fat-free diet you can simply omit.

Tamari

I used low-sodium tamari to reduce the sodium and keep it gluten-free. Feel free to use low-sodium soy sauce if you don't have any problems with gluten, or try coconut aminos.

Gochugaru

Gochugaru is dried Korean Chile Pepper Flakes and is the signature flavor of the dressing, so I would not try to substitute it. I have found it at Whole Foods but if you have a local Asian Grocery nearby, check there. Of course, there is always Amazon. I'll drop my affiliate link below and I do earn a few pennies with every purchase but at no additional cost to you.

Gochugaru - https://amzn.to/3KA9SgB

*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities and detailed cooking directions.

Making The Korean Lettuce Salad

adding mixed greens into a salad bowl for korean lettuce salad

Step 1

Preparing The Greens

Rinse & dry your greens thoroughly and tear them into bite-sized pieces. Also, add your chopped scallions and carrots. A large salad bowl works great.

gochugaru dressing for korean lettuce salad

Step 2

Make The Dressing

Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. I used a 1-cup glass measuring cup.

Step 3

Mix and Toss

Pour your dressing into your salad and mix well. I like to use my hands and massage that dressing into the leaves so everything is coated. Note: If you do use your hands, wash them well afterward as you do NOT want chile flakes in your eyes!

Top Tip

A nice wooden salad bowl and a good, sharp knife will make your salad experience so much easier. I love my 14" cherry bowl and Ulu Knife from Holland Mill. Look for imperfect bowls which are usually a lot cheaper.

Serving Ideas

Korean Lettuce Salad (Sangchu Geotjeori)

If you love the flavors of Korean Food as much as I do, be sure and try these Korean Brussels sprouts, Gochujang Potatoes, or these amazing Kimchi Fries!

Recipe FAQs

Is This Spicy?

My spice-hating wife gave it 2 enthusiastic thumbs up and proceeded to eat half the entire bowl. There is a little kick - but not much. Feel free to use less gochugaru if you want. Or more!

How Much Salad Does This Make?

This recipe makes 4 average-sized side salads or 2 BIG salads.

How Long Will It Keep in the Fridge?

Not long before the greens start to wilt. So try to finish it within a day or 2.

Looking for other Asian-inspired recipes like this? Try these: