Crispy Seasoned Bean Sprouts (Kongnamul Muchim)
How to Make Crispy Bean Sprouts! The Best Everyday Side Dish!
A simple and beloved side dish! Bean sprouts are incredibly versatile. With two bags of bean sprouts, you can make both bean sprout soup and seasoned bean sprouts. For the soup, using plenty of bean sprouts yields a richer broth. However, today’s star is the seasoned bean sprouts, not the soup! Enjoy the refreshing soup alongside a generous portion of crunchy, seasoned bean sprouts.
Seasoned Bean Sprouts Ingredients- 1kg bean sprouts
- 2 Tbsp chopped green onion
- 4 Tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2/3 Tbsp salt
- 2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
Bean Sprout Soup Ingredients- 400g bean sprouts
- 2 Tbsp chopped green onion
- Salt (to taste)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 400g bean sprouts
- 2 Tbsp chopped green onion
- Salt (to taste)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
It seems like making bean sprout side dishes often leads to making soup too! This is a great way to get two dishes from one ingredient, a true win-win. We’ve prepared a generous 1.4kg of bean sprouts. After washing them thoroughly four times and draining, we’ll divide 1kg for the seasoned bean sprouts and 400g for the soup.
Step 2
Let’s start by boiling the bean sprouts for the soup. Fill a pot with about 3 liters of water (don’t worry too much about exact measurements, generous is good) and add 4 tablespoons of salt. Pre-salting the boiling water seasons the bean sprouts from the start, making them even more delicious.
Step 3
Once the water is at a rolling boil, add all the washed bean sprouts. Gently press them down with a spatula or spoon to ensure they are submerged in the water. Let them boil for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to overcook them, as they can become mushy.
Step 4
When the bean sprouts have softened slightly and their ‘breath’ has subsided, scoop out about 400g for the soup. You can estimate this amount. Even if they seem slightly undercooked, they will continue to soften while being seasoned.
Step 5
The remaining 1kg of bean sprouts should be immediately transferred to a bowl of cold water. This shocking step is the key to achieving a wonderfully crunchy texture! I like to give them a quick rinse under cool running water first, then let them soak for about 5 minutes. This process cools them down and firms them up, ensuring they remain crisp. While preventing a fishy smell during boiling is important, the ultimate goal for great seasoned bean sprouts is that satisfying crunch! Making sure to thoroughly cool them down prevents them from becoming soft and watery.
Step 6
Now, let’s season the bean sprouts! Since the bean sprouts are already lightly salted from boiling, taste them first to determine how much additional seasoning is needed. As I wanted a spicy seasoned bean sprout dish today, I added a generous 4 tablespoons of gochugaru (Korean chili flakes). For a nutty aroma, add 2 tablespoons of sesame oil. To ensure the delicate flavor of the bean sprouts isn’t overpowered, we’ll add just 1 tablespoon of minced garlic. A tip for delicious bean sprout muchim is to use garlic sparingly so the natural savory taste of the sprouts shines through.
Step 7
Finally, add 2/3 tablespoon of salt to adjust the seasoning. You can adjust the amount of salt based on the bean sprouts’ saltiness and your personal preference.
Step 8
Add 2 tablespoons of chopped green onion and 2 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds. Gently mix everything together with your hands – this is the ‘muchim’ (seasoning) part! Your delicious seasoned bean sprouts are ready! The aroma of sesame oil and seeds is so inviting, it makes you want to serve it immediately with a bowl of rice. For the reserved bean sprout soup, add a little minced garlic, chopped green onion, and season with salt to taste. Remember, using just a little garlic in the soup will bring out the natural savory flavor of the bean sprouts. Enjoy your perfectly made home-style side dish!
