Kimchi Sesame Potato Salad with Cucumber Nori Crunch
Cold baby potatoes folded through kimchi brine, sesame oil, gochujang, cucumber and spring onion, then finished with nori and sesame seeds. A chilled, spicy potato salad that cuts through rich ribs without heavy mayonnaise.
Ingredients
- 900 g baby potatoes halved if large
- 180 g kimchi roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp kimchi brine from the jar
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp runny honey
- 1 tsp gochujang
- ½ tsp fine sea salt plus extra for boiling
- ½ cucumber deseeded and diced
- 3 spring onions finely sliced
- 1 small carrot cut into fine matchsticks
- 1 sheet nori torn into small pieces
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 10 g fresh coriander roughly chopped
- 1 lime cut into wedges for serving
Instructions
Cook the potatoes gently
- Put the potatoes in a pan of cold salted water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until tender. They should hold their shape when lifted with a spoon.
Drain and cool
- Drain the potatoes well, then leave them in the colander for 5 minutes. Spread them on a tray or large plate so they cool faster. They should be warm, not hot, when dressed.
Make the kimchi sesame dressing
- In a large bowl, whisk together the kimchi brine, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, gochujang and salt. Taste it. It should be punchy because the potatoes will soften it.
Dress the potatoes
- Add the warm potatoes to the dressing and fold gently. Let them sit for 10 minutes so they absorb the kimchi brine and sesame flavour.
Add the kimchi and vegetables
- Fold in the chopped kimchi, cucumber, spring onions and carrot. Keep the mixing gentle so the potatoes stay intact.
Chill briefly
- Cover and chill for 30 minutes. This gives the dressing time to settle into the potatoes without making the vegetables too soft.
Finish with crunch
- Just before serving, scatter over torn nori, toasted sesame seeds, coriander and lime wedges. Squeeze over lime at the table if the ribs are especially rich.
Notes
Use a kimchi you actually like eating from the jar. Some are sweeter, some are sourer, some are properly fiery. That flavour becomes the backbone of the salad, so don’t hide a dull kimchi in here and expect magic. I chop it roughly so it catches around the potatoes instead of sitting in big cabbage folds.
Baby potatoes are the safest choice because they hold their shape and stay creamy when chilled. Floury potatoes can break apart once the dressing hits them. Toasted sesame oil is powerful, so measure it rather than glugging. Too much and the salad starts tasting heavy. The nori goes on near the end so it keeps a little papery crunch.
Nutrition
Calories: 286kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 7gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 920mgPotassium: 970mgFiber: 6gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1950IUCalcium: 75mgIron: 2.4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
