Korean Bean Sprout Salad (Sukju Namul). Crunchy bean sprouts seasoned in a simple and flavourful sesame garlic soy sauce. Ready in 10 minutes!
This Korean side dish is found popular at most Korean restaurants or Korean BBQ restaurants for it’s delicious crunchy taste and sesame flavour profile.
Easy Korean Bean Sprout Salad
My Korean bean sprout salad recipe is very quick and easy to make at home. It comes together in less than 10 minutes and can be stored in the fridge up to 3 days to consume.
What to eat it with?
This banchan or Korean side dish is usually eaten with rice with other side dishes, like gyeran mari, potato salad, fish cake and more! These are the same kind of bean sprouts for bibimbap!
What you’ll need
For this Korean mung bean sprout salad, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- mung bean sprouts
- regular soy sauce
- sesame oil
- sesame seeds
- garlic
- green onion
- salt
How to make Korean bean sprout salad
Below are brief steps with visuals to show you how to make Korean style bean sprout salad. Please scroll down to the recipe card below to find full instructions and details.
Cooking Tips
Below are tips on making Korean cold bean sprout salad:
Use fresh bean sprouts
The white part of the bean sprout should be white and opaque and the bean should be a combination of yellow and green. If you notice that the sprout is brownish and translucent, it's not fresh.
Rinse bean sprouts well
When they come in their packages, they usually sit in the liquids that are released from the mung bean and have a slight odor. Rinse this with cold water until it runs clear.
Do not over blanch the bean sprouts
Just 1 minute or less will do or they will lose their crunchiness.
Rinse cooked bean sprouts in cold water
This stops the cooking process and makes the sprouts crunchier.
Combine the sauce first in a large bowl
Before adding the bean sprouts to your mixing bowl, mix the sauce first and then add the sprouts to mix. This will create a more even seasoning.
FAQ
Below are frequently asked questions about this mung bean sprout salad:
How long do Korean bean sprouts last?
It should last up to 3 days stored in an airtight container and refrigerated.
Can I use soy bean sprouts instead of mung bean sprouts?
Yes!
Can I replace the soy sauce with dark or light soy sauce?
Light soy sauce can be used as a substitute but make sure you add to taste since it’s saltier than regular soy sauce. I wouldn’t recommend dark soy sauce.
May I use fish sauce instead of soy sauce?
Yes, many recipes also use this as a substitute. I would recommend starting off with 2 tsp first and adding more as needed since fish sauce is very salty.
Can I omit the sesame oil or sesame seeds?
You may but it will be missing the signature flavour of this salad.
How can I make Korean bean sprout salad spicy?
Feel free to add 1 tsp of gochugaru aka Korean red pepper flakes.
Other recipes you may like!
If you enjoyed this Korean bean sprout banchan recipe, you may like these other Korean side dish recipes:
Korean Spinach Side Dish
Gyeran Mari (Korean Egg Roll)
Korean Seafood Pancake
Gamja Jorim (Korean Potatoes)
Gamjajeon
Try it!
Well, I hope you give my Korean Bean Sprout Salad a try! It always excites me when you make my recipes and I hope this is one you try and most importantly, enjoy.
Sharing is caring
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Did you enjoy it?
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Take care,
Christie
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10-min. Korean Bean Sprout Salad (Sukju Namul)
Ingredients
- 1 lb mung bean sprouts
Sauce:
- 4 tsp regular soy sauce (not light or dark soy sauce)
- 4 tsp sesame oil (toasted kind)
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 2 tsp garlic minced
- 3 tbsp green onion finely chopped
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Under cold water, wash bean sprouts well until water runs clear and strain.
- In a pot filled with water, bring to boil. Add bean sprouts and blanch for no more than 60 seconds. Strain immediately.
- Rinse the cooked bean sprouts under cold water until no longer warm. Strain as much as the water as you can.
- In a large bowl, add sauce ingredients and mix well. Add strained bean sprouts to sauce and mix well. Serve cold as a side dish and enjoy!
Do you roast the sesame seeds before adding? This recipe looks great - can’t wait to try it!
Nope! I just add them right on but I also purchase the toasted version. Hope this helps!
Looks great! Question: toasted sesame oil, or regular?
Thank you.
Thanks Donna! That would be toasted sesame oil 🙂
I will rate it after I try it but wanted to know, if I grow my own sprouts, can I use them without blanching them? Definitely looks good!
You definitely can but the blanching helps to soften the bean sprouts and allows them to soak in that delicious sauce! If you don't blanch them, I'm afraid, the sauce may slip off and it won't be as flavorful.