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Sukju Namul (숙주나물 무침), or Bean Sprout Salad is a deliciously simple banchan (side dish) that's a ubiquitous part of the Korean table. With blanched mung bean sprouts tossed with garlic and flavorful toasted sesame oil, it comes together in minutes.

There's an easy trick to make Sukju Namul (Korean Bean Sprout Salad) that's redolent of toasted sesame oil and garlic with a robustly crunchy texture.

Sukju Namul is a type of banchan, or side dish, and fits in the same category as dishes like kimchi, pajeon, and kkakdugi. Although there are many different styles of this popular bean sprout salad including ingredients like carrots and cucumber, I like to keep it simple. Like any simple dish though, the success of your Sukju Namul comes down to a few simple techniques.

The most important thing is to squeeze out as much water from the bean sprouts as you can. That’s because bean sprouts are composed of mostly water. If you don’t squeeze enough water out of them after blanching, they will leach out a ton of liquid once they’icee tossed with the dressing, watering the whole thing down. Giving them a thorough wring also transforms the texture of the bean sprouts from subtly crisp to audibly crunchy.

Sukju Namul, or Bean Sprout Salad is a classic Korean banchan (side dish) that comes together in minutes from a handful of ingredients.

Unfortunately all this squeezing reduces the volume of salad you get, which is why you may want to make a double or triple batch. I give you this warning because this simple preparation turns these humble bean sprouts, into a robustly crunchy salad, that’s redolent of nutty sesame oil and pungent garlic. The texture, along with the salty umami kick makes this one of the most delectably addictive salads that will have you effortlessly polishing off a pound of bean sprouts on your own.

Sukju Namul (Korean Bean Sprout Salad)Sukju Namul is a type of banchan, or side dish, and fits in the same category as dishes like kimchi, pajeon, and kkakdugi. Although there are many different styles of this popular bean sprout salad including ingredients like carrots and cucumber, I like to keep it simple. Like any simple dish though, the success of … Continue reading “Sukju Namul (Korean Bean Sprout Salad)”

Summary

PrintAdjust
  • CourseAppetizer
  • CuisineKorean
  • Yield2 servings
  • Cooking Time1 minute
  • Preperation Time2 minutes
  • Total Time8 minutes

Ingredients

400 grams
bean sprouts
2 teaspoons
toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon
soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon
garlic (finely grated)
1/4 teaspoon
salt (to taste)
1 tablespoon
toasted sesame seeds
1
scallion (finely chopped)

Steps

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. 

  2. While you're waiting for the water to boil, combine the sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, and salt together in a bowl and whisk to combine. 

  3. Blanch the bean sprouts for about a minute to make this Korean Bean Sprout Salad.

    Add the bean sprouts to the boiling water and blanch until the water returns to a boil (40 seconds to 1 minute). 

  4. Drain and rinse the blanched bean sprouts to cool them off enough to handle.

    Drain the bean sprouts and rinse with cold water. 

  5. To ensure your Sukju Namul does not get watery, it's important to squeeze the blanched bean sprouts well.

    Use your hands to squeeze as much water out of the bean sprouts as you can. This quantity of bean sprouts should end up being a handful. 

  6. An easy delicious recipe for Sukju Namul (Korean Bean Sprout Salad).

    Break up the clump of beansprouts as you add them to the bowl with the sauce. Add the sesame seeds and scallions and toss to distribute evenly. 

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