Crisp and Sweet Autumn Radish Salad (Mu Saengchae)
Easy Korean Radish Salad Recipe with Autumn Radishes | For Bibimbap Toppings | Simple Side Dish | Best Mu Saengchae Seasoning
Here’s a recipe for a delicious, everyday Korean side dish, Mu Saengchae, made quickly with sweet autumn radishes. Its refreshing crunch and tangy-sweet seasoning are perfect to accompany any meal!
Main Ingredients
- Radish 304g
- Scallion 12g
Salting the Radish (Optional)
- Coarse salt 2 tsp
- Sugar 1 Tbsp
Mu Saengchae Seasoning
- Minced garlic 1 Tbsp
- Fish sauce 1 Tbsp
- Korean chili flakes (gochugaru) 1.5 Tbsp
- Cheongyang chili flakes 1 Tbsp (for extra spice)
- Sugar 2 tsp
- Toasted sesame seeds, a pinch
- Salt, to taste (for final seasoning)
- Coarse salt 2 tsp
- Sugar 1 Tbsp
Mu Saengchae Seasoning
- Minced garlic 1 Tbsp
- Fish sauce 1 Tbsp
- Korean chili flakes (gochugaru) 1.5 Tbsp
- Cheongyang chili flakes 1 Tbsp (for extra spice)
- Sugar 2 tsp
- Toasted sesame seeds, a pinch
- Salt, to taste (for final seasoning)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Wash the radish thoroughly, then peel it thinly. Cut it into bite-sized julienne strips, about 0.3-0.4 cm thick. While a mandoline slicer can be convenient, I personally prefer the texture achieved by hand-cutting with a knife. Slicing the radish in half-moon shapes first can make julienning easier.
Step 2
Finely chop the scallion. You can use store-bought minced garlic for convenience.
Step 3
Radishes contain a lot of water, so lightly salting them before seasoning helps them retain a vibrant color and prevents the salad from becoming watery. If you prefer a crispier texture or plan to eat it immediately, you can skip the salting step. Autumn radishes are naturally sweet, so you might not need sugar when salting. However, this radish doesn’t seem very sweet, so I’ll add a little coarse salt and sugar to lightly pickle it. Feel free to adjust or omit the sugar based on the radish’s sweetness. If using sugar, mix it well with the radish.
Step 4
If you are not salting the radish, skip this step and proceed directly to seasoning with the same ingredients.
Step 5
After salting the radish with salt and sugar for about 10 minutes at room temperature, it will release some water. Drain this water, then place the radish in a sieve to lightly drain any excess moisture.
Step 6
Now, add the chili flakes to the drained radish and toss to coat it with a vibrant red color. If you enjoy a spicier kick, mixing regular gochugaru with Cheongyang chili flakes will add a pleasant heat.
Step 7
The intensity of the red color depends on the amount of chili flakes used. Feel free to add more or less to achieve your desired color and spice level.
Step 8
To the beautifully colored radish, add the chopped scallions, minced garlic, 1 Tbsp of fish sauce, and 2 tsp of sugar for the base seasoning. Taste and adjust the seasoning with fine salt if needed.
Step 9
Finally, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds for a nutty aroma. If you prefer a tangier flavor, you can add a splash of vinegar.
Step 10
And there you have it – a delicious and appetite-stimulating Mu Saengchae, the perfect side dish!
