Seasoned Soybean Sprouts
콩나물무침 (Kongnamul Muchim)
Soybean sprouts have been cultivated on the Korean Peninsula since ancient times, and are one of the most commonly found vegetables in Korean cuisine. Today, seasoned soybean sprouts are one of the most common banchan—side dishes served with rice and main dishes. [1]
Ingredients
1 lb soybean sprouts
2 scallions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp Korean hot pepper flakes (optional)
Salt to taste
Wash the soybean sprouts, discarding any soybean husks. When cooking soybean sprouts, I like to start the sprouts in a pot of cold salted water, and bring them to a boil with the lid on. This is because soybeans can produce an unpleasant odor when cooked, and starting with the pot cold and the lid on minimizes the odors released into the kitchen when cooking. Don’t worry, after cooking the soybeans are perfectly pleasant! Boil the sprouts for 10 minutes, until they are cooked through but still crisp.
When the sprouts are done cooking, drain them and immediately place them in a bowl of cold water. This will stop the cooking process, ensuring that the sprouts don’t overcook and become too soft. Drain the sprouts well, and place them in a large mixing bowl.
Add the chopped scallions, minced garlic, sesame oil, and sesame seeds to the sprouts in the bowl. If you want to make the spicy version of this dish, add 1 teaspoon Korean hot pepper flakes (or more, to your taste!) at this point. Mix well, until all of the ingredients are uniformly distributed. Season to taste with salt.
These sprouts can keep in the refrigerator for a few days after being cooked, and can be served warm or chilled.
Substitutions
Mung bean sprouts can be substituted for soybean sprouts in this recipe. If you prefer a slightly sour sauce, mix in 1 teaspoon rice vinegar into the sprouts together with the sesame oil.
[1] Traditionally, the number of banchan set on the table reflects the formality of a given meal. The minimum is 3, with 12 banchan dishes used in Korean royal cuisine.
Recipe
Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 10 min Total Time: 15 min
Difficulty: 1/5
Heat Sources: 1 burner
Equipment: pot
Servings: 4
Ingredients
1 lb soybean sprouts
2 scallions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp Korean hot pepper flakes (optional)
Salt to taste
Instructions
1. Add the soybean sprouts to a pot of salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes.
2. Place the sprouts in cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain well and place into a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the chopped scallions, garlic, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and optional pepper flakes to the bowl, and mix well. Salt to taste and serve warm or chilled.
