12 Easy Korean Vegetable Side Dishes

Korean Banchans are appetizers or side dishes served alongside rice. Their purpose is mainly to make meals more filling, to complement the main dish, or to act as a palate cleanser to the noodle or stew it was served with. 

These usually come in small plates, placed in the middle of the table, and are meant to be shared. Since Korean BBQ has grown in popularity, many people are now exposed to our culture’s cuisine and practices, and I’m happy that many people are growing an interest and adapting the recipes of some side dishes.

Banchans are often prepared in advance to be stored in the fridge, then consumed throughout the week. Sometimes, they’re even served only with rice and egg if there’s no time to make a main viand! For food safety, however, we ensure that the container used to keep this is thoroughly cleaned and airtight for a longer shelf life. 

Types of Banchan 

In Korean cuisine, there are many types of side dishes and a wide variety of viands in each type. A single veggie can be prepared and enjoyed in different ways! 

• Kimchi: Fermented vegetables. Napa cabbage kimchi is the most popular, but there is a wide variety of veggies that we ferment, such as green onion, chives, perilla leaves, radish, cucumber, etc. 
• Namul: Blanched or steamed vegetables, then seasoned with a soy sauce-sesame oil dressing, just like a salad. 
• Bokkeum: Stir-fried meat or vegetables, like dried squid, anchovies, or mushrooms, etc. They’re usually savory and a great munchie! 
• Jorim: Braised meat or vegetables, like tofu, potatoes, etc. They’re usually savory and great with rice after they’ve absorbed all the braising sauce! 
• Jeon: Korean-style pancake where meat or vegetables are lightly battered and shallow fried to accompany meals. There’s zucchini pancake, shrimp pancake, beef patties, etc. 

Why You Need to Make Banchan at Home 

• These vegetable side dishes are easy to make and guaranteed delicious. 
• They can conveniently add vegetables to your meals. This is a great help when you need a simple boost or a quick meal after a long day! Think of it like a Korean-style meal prep, with more variety, so it becomes more sustainable to add to your lifestyle.
• Some sides listed here are also perfect for your next Korean BBQ at home! 

Fresh Kimchi (Geotjeori)  

Geotjeori is a type of kimchi that does not need to be fermented. Think of it like a spicy cabbage salad. Among all the banchan I will share here, this will take the most time and effort to make, but it also has the most yield and longest shelf life! 

You can pair this with basically any dish, from dishes as simple as rice and egg or as elaborate as kalguksu or galbi jjim. 

Asian Cucumber Salad and Spicy Cucumber Salad

Cucumber salad is one of my most loved recipes of all time because of how easy and tasty it is. Just think savory, refreshing, and crunchy—it’s a great addition to meals like Soy Garlic BBQ Chicken or Steamed Fish. 

Chives Kimchi (Buchu Kimchi)

This is possibly one of the easiest kimchis you can make, as you only need to chop and season to make it. It’s savory, spicy, and garlicky, which complements well with the Korean BBQ combo Bibimguksu and Samgyeopsal. This will easily cut through all the richness and fat, making the whole meal more enjoyable. Chives are just a bit harder to find, but still worth trying when you chance upon them in the store! 

Scallion Salad (Pamuchim)

Pamuchim is seasoned with a soy-vinegar sauce, so it not only complements samgyeopsal or bulgogi as a salad, but it also doubles as a sauce. It may only take longer to make, as we usually shred and soak them in cold water to reduce the spice. But besides chives, this is another great Korean BBQ side dish that’s a lot easier to find, and you can even get bundles of these for a couple of dollars! 

Soybean Sprout Salad (Kongnamul Muchim)

Soybean Sprout Salad is a great everyday side dish. Koreans love it because it’s nutrient-dense and helps replenish strength during hangovers, and also because of the addictive crunch and the light yet delicious seasoning. This basically pairs well with rice, noodles, any meat, and you can even use it as a topping on Bibimbap! 

Broccoli Banchan

Broccoli wasn’t really common in Korea until recently, but just like any other vegetable, it has turned into another side dish! The broccoli is lightly seasoned with salt, garlic, and sesame oil, and honestly, the simpler it is, the better it tastes. This is another one of those everyday banchan you can serve with any meal, and that I’m sure you and your kids will enjoy! 

Spicy Radish Salad (Musaengchae)

This is another quick and easy side dish, but super refreshing with the sweetness, spice, and crunch from the radish itself. If you love radish kimchi, this is like its salad version, with fewer steps and ingredients to make! Musaengchae is best consumed when freshly made, and it’s great with any pork dishes, especially bossam. 

Seaweed Salad (Miyeok Muchim)

Seaweed Salad is a super healthy side dish because seaweeds contain a lot of vitamins and minerals. Besides the usual soup this is used in, a simple soy-vinegar seasoning, along with veggies like cucumber, onion, and tomato, turns this into a delicious salad. This is a perfect pairing to fried or grilled meat or fish!

Soy-Braised Potatoes (Gamja Jorim)

If you want to do away with the usual mashed or roasted potatoes, try these soy-braised potatoes. It’s savory, filling, and so simple but so good! This is one of those side dishes that can pair well with rice and any dish, and I guarantee that you and your kids will surely enjoy!

Stir-Fried Zucchini (Hobak Bokkeum)

Just like the braised potatoes, these stir-fried zucchini are also a savory and filling side dish. It’s especially delicious when zucchini is in season, so it has natural sweetness. This is lightly seasoned with salted shrimp and chili pepper, but I can easily finish a plate! It goes so well with rice or basically any dish! 

Soy Marinated Onion (Yangpa Janggaji)

Just like the Scallion Salad, these Soy Marinated Onions are in a savory, sweet, and tangy sauce, so they can double as a Korean BBQ dip. It’s super simple to make and a great palate cleanser after every bite of the meat. And as with the scallions, if the onion is too spicy for you, simply soak it in cold water for 5 minutes to highlight its sweetness and reduce its spice. 

Korean Corn Cheese

Corn Cheese is probably not the healthiest side dish among these since it uses mayo, sugar, butter, and cheese, but I assure you, this is one of the best-tasting sides for Korean BBQ. It’s sweet, creamy, and just complements the grilled meat really well. This is a bit of a controversial recipe that my followers wonder if it’s worth making, but those who tried it loved it, so I hope you give it a go! 

Make sure to leave a rating, a comment, or tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok when you chop them up! Yeobosayo! 

Posted By: Chef Chris Cho · In: Classic Korean Dishes, Side Dishes, Vegetables and Fruits