Mung Bean Sprout Salad
 March 27, 2021  Print
This is another simple mung bean sprout recipe that I cook for my family often. My husband particularly likes this recipe because it accentuates the refreshing and crunchy taste of the mung bean sprouts. In fact, it was this salad that converted him into a fan of mung bean sprouts.
This mung bean sprout salad is super versatile. The sprouts add so much flavor on top of rice, noodle soup, or porridge. As a standalone dish, it goes well with meat or seafood dishes. You can add fresh chili or chili oil to make the salad spicy. If you don’t have all the herbs, you can simply skip some or all of them.
Unlike my previous stirfry mung bean sprouts, this recipe makes a salad, which means it’s meant to be eaten cold. You can prepare this mung bean sprout salad beforehand for a dinner party which is what I tend to do. That allows me to avoid getting overwhelmed preparing hot dishes because one of the dishes is already done.
Gluten Free, Vegan
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 2 – 4 people
Ingredients:
- 1 lb (~400g) mung bean sprouts
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/4 teaspoon table salt)1
- 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (or 1/2 teaspoon Chinese black vinegar + 1/4 teaspoon sugar)
- 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorn infused oil (1 tablespoon vegetable oil + 1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns)2
- 1 to 2 green onions (green parts only)
- 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves (optional)
- 1 1/2 inch-long piece of ginger (optional)
Preparation:
- Wash the mung bean sprouts in a large bowl or basket. Pick out any part that has turned brownish.3 If time allows,4 remove the green shells and the yellow bean sprout tails.
- Heat a large pot of water under medium-high heat. While waiting for the water to boil, chop the cilantro and green parts of the green onions into small pieces. Mince the ginger (the finer the better).
- When the water boils, add the mung bean sprouts to the boiling water. Add a few drops of vegetable oil. Take out the mung bean sprouts in about 1 minute. Wait no more than 1.5 minutes. Drain well and put them in a mixing bowl.
- Add the 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt,1 1/2 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar, minced ginger, green onions, and cilantro pieces to the mung bean sprouts.
- Make Sichuan peppercorn flavored oil: heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, then add the Sichuan peppercorn. Use a spoon or spatula to gently press the Sichuan peppercorn to help release more of their flavor. When the Sichuan peppercorns turn dark red, take them out and pour the hot oil onto the ginger mince, green onions, and cilantro pieces.
- Gently mix everything and enjoy!
Bon Appétit
Notes:
- I have some Himalayan salt left, so I used that instead of kosher salt this time.
- The Sichuan peppercorn infused oil adds wonderful flavor to this dish. You can buy Sichuan peppercorns on Amazon.
- Mung bean sprouts have a short shelf life. They will turn brownish or mushy within a matter of days. If the tip of the sprout turns brownish, simply break the tip off and discard.
- Some people don’t like the texture or the taste of the green shells and the yellow tails. They don’t alter the taste much but removing them does make bean sprouts look much better. So if I have time or have my little helper by my side, I tend to remove them.
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Jason wrote:
Wonderful! An authentic tasting cold dish