Name: Seasoned Bean Sprouts
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: 3 cups Soybean sprouts; 1 tablespoon Sesame oil; 1 teaspoon Soy sauce; 1 clove Garlic (minced); 1 stalk Green onion (sliced); 1 teaspoon Sesame seeds; ¼ teaspoon Salt; ½ teaspoon Gochugaru

Kongnamul muchim and sigeumchi namul are the two most reliable banchan in any Korean household. Between the two of them, you have the bases covered — one green, one white and yellow, both mild, both forgiving. They appear together on the table more often than they appear separately.

The technique for bean sprouts mirrors the one for kongnamul guk: keep the lid on while cooking. For the soup version, the lid prevents a beany smell from escaping. For the seasoned version, the goal is the same — you want clean, neutral-tasting sprouts that absorb the seasoning without competing with it.

I made this regularly during a stretch when I was cooking Korean food for friends with very different tolerance for heat. Kongnamul muchim without the gochugaru is completely mild and savory, accessible to anyone. Add half a teaspoon of gochugaru and it shifts into a version that has a background warmth. The recipe treats gochugaru as optional, which is the right call — both versions are legitimate.

A Swedish a friend named Astrid tried it alongside a very spicy sundubu jjigae I'd made and said the sprout dish was her favorite thing on the table. She liked the simplicity — clean, light, a little nutty from the sesame. It gave her palate somewhere to recover between spoonfuls of spicy stew.

The ratio of sesame oil to soy sauce is worth getting right. Too much soy sauce and it's salty and one-dimensional. The sesame oil needs to dominate slightly — one full tablespoon to one small teaspoon of soy. That proportion is where the dish tastes like something rather than like seasoned vegetables.

Instructions

Rinse the bean sprouts. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add sprouts and cook for 3 minutes. Do NOT open the lid while cooking.

Tip: Keeping the lid on prevents the beany smell. This is a well-known Korean cooking tip.

Drain the sprouts and rinse briefly under cold water. Squeeze gently to remove excess water.

In a bowl, toss the sprouts with sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, green onion, sesame seeds, salt, and gochugaru if you want a spicy version. Mix well and serve.

Seasoned Bean Sprouts

Kongnamul Muchim

Prep: 5 minCook: 5 minTotal: 10 minServings: 4

Ingredients

3 cups Soybean sprouts
1 tablespoon Sesame oil
1 teaspoon Soy sauce
1 clove Garlic (minced)
1 stalk Green onion (sliced)
1 teaspoon Sesame seeds
¼ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Gochugaru(optional)

Instructions

Rinse the bean sprouts. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add sprouts and cook for 3 minutes. Do NOT open the lid while cooking.
Drain the sprouts and rinse briefly under cold water. Squeeze gently to remove excess water.
In a bowl, toss the sprouts with sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, green onion, sesame seeds, salt, and gochugaru if you want a spicy version. Mix well and serve.