Korean Sprout Salad
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Source: http://flickr.com/photos/karendotcom127/46919570
Author: Karendotcom127

Hi all. Last night I enjoyed a cozy, warm night at home, complete with Gilmore Girls (which I finished), wine, and of course food. I had a meal of Koreans sprout salad (kong namul), a common Korean side-dish (ban chan), along with some tofu soup, rice, and seaweed. I know, I know: a true poor man's meal. But as a vegetarian, almost everything I eat seems that way.

But that Sprout Salad is really tasty! If you've been to a Korean restaurant, then it has probably been one of the ban chan you have eaten. What's cool about it is you can make a huge batch and then eat it over a few days as part of a meal or as a snack.

As always, the key to a good Sprout Salad is salt.

Ingredients

  • 1 package of soy sprouts (you can get these at Stop and Shop— but they are not the regular bean sprouts)
  • 2 green scallions, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • a handful of toasted sesame seeds
  • sesame oil
  • red pepper flakes
  • salt

Directions

Here's your 2 packages of soy sprouts, ready to go!

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Wash the soy sprouts.

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You'll notice that the sprouts have little stringy things at the end. I spent a long time trying to figure out if I should remove each one of them. In the end, I decided to make a go of it. I didn't get every one, but it sure took a long time. I wouldn't recommend doing it again. Try leaving them on, and if it really bothers you, then you can take them off the next time.

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Boil the sprouts for at least five minutes. I've read recipes that call for up to 15 or 20 minutes, so you don't have to worry about overboiling them. You're supposed to boil them because they can be hard to digest. On the other hand, I kind of like them crunchy. I've also heard that you are supposed to leave the cover on the pot while you cook them. This is because they can give off an odor. I didn't notice anything too traumatizing myself.

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Immerse the cooked sprouts in cold water.

Add remaining ingredients, including chopped scallions and minced garlic (not pictured here). I recommend tasting as you go. I made mine on the spicy side, but that's up to you. I definitely noticed that the sprouts tasted very bland until I added the right amount of salt. And don't underestimate the value of the sesame oil. It makes a big difference!

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If you can find it in a Korean or Asian market, you should add some "mapgoeul" or Korean red pepper powder:

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And that's it! Pretty easy, huh? I worried a little bit that the salt would cause the sprouts to get watery in the fridge, but that didn't turn out to be a problem. Enjoy your side dish!

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stacitastacita

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