Korean Soybean Sprout Side Dish - Kongnamul Muchim (콩나물 무침)
A non-spicy banchan, this Korean soybean sprout side dish is a popular addition to the many varieties of side dishes. Well-seasoned, it is delicious, easy to make and done in 10 minutes!
Rinse the soybean sprouts and discard any that are limp or have started to brown. Although not necessary, you can cut off the root end and discard it.
Bring a cup of water and ½ tsp of salt in a small saucepan to the boil. Add the soybean sprouts, cover with a lid and boil for about 3 minutes. Do not open the lid as it will cause the soybean sprout odour to permeate through the water, causing an unpleasant smell.
When cooked, place in cold ice-cold water to stop the cooking process and allow the soybean sprouts to maintain their crunch. Place in a prep bowl and pat dry.
Finely chop the whole sprig of scallion (spring onion) or green onion.
If using fresh garlic, mince enough to yield 1 tsp.
Add the scallion (spring onion), minced garlic, sesame oil, sesame seeds, salt and pepper to the soybean sprouts. Mix until well combined.
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Notes
For a spicy version, you can add 1 to 2 tsp of gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes).
If you can’t find soybean sprouts, you can use regular mung bean sprouts. They are sometimes easier to find in non-Asian grocers.
Cutting the root end or the tail of the soybean sprout is only a matter of choice and presentation. They are edible, but some people really do dislike them.
It is important to leave the lid of the saucepan closed when cooking the soybean sprouts—lifting it while it is cooking causes the raw soybean sprout smell to linger, and it becomes hard to get rid of it.
You can use fresh garlic or the Korean minced garlic that you can get in a jar. The jar version is great if you’re making a big batch of different types of Korean banchan.
Either scallion or green onion would work well for this recipe. Look for the smallest possible bulb as it may be too strong to use all of the bulb of the green onion.