This savory, “Korean” granola is inspired by a post for a Thai-Spiced Granola I saw recently on Food52. Long a fan of sweet granolas, and a total junky for seasoned panko toppings that I make regularly for use on salads and seafoods, the concept of a granola based, savory nibble or topping was music to my ears. As with sweet granolas, this type of thing is infinitely customizable to your tastes and ingredients in your pantry. I took Gena Hamshaw’s original Thai version and put a little Korean twist on it by replacing the sriracha with some Gochujang, a savory, spicy, and pungent fermented Korean condiment made from red chili, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, and salt. I also tossed a little curry powder into my dry mix to deepen the flavors even more. The result is an addictively delicious nibble that is terrific by the handful with a cold beer, or as a crumble topping sprinkled over roasted veggies, a green salad, or a tender piece of fish.
Because a savory granola lacks the sugar of a sweet one, it doesn’t have the same kind of crunch. If that texture is important to you, you may want to add a little honey or sugar to the mix, or add more nuts that will maintain their crunch through cooking. Don’t have almond butter? Use peanut butter. No gochujang or sriracha (really….you don’t have either?), try some Franks Red Hot Sauce instead. In short, have fun with this idea of a savory snack or topping, as long as you keep to the basic ratio of wet to dry ingredients as stated in this recipe, they sky’s the limit as to how you flavor your own savory granola.
Cheers – Steve
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- 1/2 cup shelled pistachios
- 1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup flaked coconut
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons gochujang
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, seeds, pistachios, and coconut flakes. In a separate bowl, whisk together the garlic powder, curry powder, soy sauce, almond butter, vegetable oil, gochujang, and maple syrup. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix well to combine.
- Spread the granola in an even layer on the baking sheets. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the edges are browning lightly and the rest of the granola is just golden. Resist the urge to stir if you like clumpy granola, or stir halfway through if you like looser granola. When the granola is ready, allow it to cool completely before storing in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 2 weeks.
, is one I make whenever we're in the mood for a salad to accompany an Asian inspired meal. We also like it in the warmer months as a means to tasty up a piece of grilled fish. This batch was made to dress a salad that we served with a great slow-cooker Soy Braised Pork Shoulder (don't worry, I'll be posting that dish REAL soon), and it was the perfect complement tossed with a baby spinach salad dotted with cherry tomatoes and ripe chunks of avocado. 
