Asparagus with gochujang sauce

Here’s a quick and easy Korean side dish you can make with spring asparagus. Simply blanch the asparagus and dress with a sweet and vinegary gochujang (Korean red chili pepper paste) sauce, called cho-gochujang. 

Cho-gochujang is used in various dishes. It’s also popular as a dipping sauce for vegetables and seafood such as squid and raw fish (saengseon hoe). Everyone makes the sauce a little differently, but the key ingredients are gochujang, vinegar, and sugar. Adjust the amount of vinegar or sugar to your taste. 

This sauce is also great with other spring vegetables such as dureup and dolnamul. 

Asparagus with gochujang sauce (Korean Bapsang)

Ingredients:

● 450 grams asparagus

● 1 tablespoon salt

Cho-gochujang (sweet and sour gochujang sauce):

2 tablespoons gochujang, Korean red chili pepper paste

2 tablespoons vinegar 

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic 

1 teaspoon sesame oil 

1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds

Remove the tough ends of the asparagus. Cut into about 5 centimeter lengths. 

Blanch them in salted boiling water until softened, about 1 to 3 minutes. Remove with a strainer, and shock in cold water. Drain very well. 

Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over the asparagus, and toss well to mix.