Served warm or cold, Sesame Bean Sprouts Salad is a crunchy and delicious side that can be prepared in less than 10 minutes! Blanched sprouts are tossed in a savoury, earthy, salty sauce made with soy sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic, and lots of fresh green onions.

The first time I ate a Sesame Bean Sprouts Salad was at a restaurant called Tofu Village in Toronto. I have to thank McKenna because she dragged John.e and me off to that restaurant for dinner on Sunday. Her willingness to try anything once has introduced me to so many different foods that I may not have opted to try. She pushes the boundaries when it comes to food, that’s for sure! Because of her, I’m basically obsessed with Korean food!
You would think that being a food blogger would be reason enough for me to want to try new foods. But, if you did think that way, you’d be wrong. Regretfully, I am one of those people who can become quite comfortable and quite complacent with the ingredients I buy and cook with. Back in high school, McKenna was quite fond of Korean pop music, which was what triggered her growth into Asian cuisine as well. Thankfully, she forced us to embrace those bold flavours and ingredients too.
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That Sunday dinner I spoke of was all about Korean bibimbap. It was my first time trying bibimbap. It was loaded with everything I loved to eat separately, except this time, it was all together in one dish. Actually, it was piled into a piping-hot stone pot. There was beef, rice, bean sprouts, carrots, cucumber, sesame seeds, radish, black beans, tofu, and green onions – yummy!
The best part was the rice, which was the base of the pile of ingredients. The rice develops this charred, browned, not quite burnt, layer right at the bottom of that hot stone pot, which, by the way, is called a dolsot. It’s a stone pot made from what is most commonly known as soapstone. If you’ve never experienced a Korean bibimbap dish, I encourage you to give it a try. And, don’t be put off by the trolleys of food being carted by. Oh, or the free, bottomless extras that are placed in the center of every table! This brings me to this Sesame Bean Sprouts Salad!
This particular restaurant served little bowls of sides with whatever you ordered from the menu. And, those sides were constantly being replenished for free! I remember there being cucumber salad, pickled radish, and kimchi, of course. But, the one side that I remember the most was the bean sprouts. They were light and fresh, very crunchy, and so flavourful – much like this recipe! So, let’s get into it!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE
The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.
- Bean Sprouts – It is important to wash the bean sprouts very well!
- Soy Sauce – As a rule, we use low-sodium soy sauce. You can use regular soy sauce too, but if you do, cut back the salt to just a 1/4 teaspoon.
- Sesame Oil – A little bit goes a long way in terms of flavour, but I can’t imagine these bean sprouts without it!
- Toasted Sesame Seeds – These are for flavour and garnish. Don’t skip out on them!
- Garlic – Freshly minced garlic is best. You will get more flavour.
- Green Onions – Used for freshness, flavour, and garnish as well.
WHAT ARE BEAN SPROUTS?
Bean sprouts are a vegetable grown by sprouting mung beans. They can be grown by placing and watering the sprouted beans in the shade until the stems grow long. They are extensively cultivated and consumed in East and Southeast Asia and are very easy to grow, requiring minimal care other than a steady supply of water.
In Korean cuisine, sukjunamul refers to both the bean sprouts themselves and the seasoned vegetable dish made from bean sprouts. Bean sprouts are not as common an ingredient as soybean sprouts in Korean cuisine, but they are used in bibimbap, in the fillings of dumplings and in Korean sausage.
In Chinese cuisine, common dishes that use bean sprouts are fried rice, spring rolls, egg drop soup, and hot and sour soup. And, in Cantonese cuisine, bean sprouts are used dishes such as egg fu yung and beef chow fun. Most of these items are familiar to us Westerners because of the popularity of Asian buffet-style and takeout restaurants.

HOW TO MAKE A SESAME BEAN SPROUTS SALAD
Add enough water to a pot to cover the bean sprouts. Do not add the bean sprouts yet though! Bring the pot of water to a full boil. In the meantime, wash the bean sprouts very well by transferring them to a large bowl and filling the bowl with cold water. Vigorously swish the sprout with your hand to rinse them well. Drain off the water and repeat. Do this until the water runs completely clear!
Once the pot of water is boiling, add the bean sprouts to the pot and blanch for 1 minute. Remove the bean sprouts from the boiling water immediately and immerse them in a bowl of cold water. Cool the blanched bean sprouts completely and drain well.
Next, in a mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, garlic, and green onions. Add the bean sprouts and toss to coat. You can eat the salad immediately, or you can let it set at room temperature for 15-20 minutes first if you prefer not to have a cold salad. Alternatively, for maximum flavour, cover and refrigerate for one hour before serving. This allows the flavours time to come together and to be honest, this side salad is best served chilled.

WHAT IS BLANCHING AND SHOULD YOU SHOULD USE THE TECHNIQUE OFTEN
As an FYI or a public service announcement, allow me to introduce you, the home cook, to the term blanching. Contrary to popular belief, blanching does not describe the act of playing the role of Blanche on the Golden Girls. Nope, no matter how badly you want to be her and look for any excuse to take on her persona, in the culinary world, blanching does not refer to adopting a southern accent, dressing provocatively, having loose morals, or using your sexuality to get what you want.
Blanching is a cooking process where food, usually a fruit or a vegetable, is submerged in boiling water and left to partially cook for just a minute or two. In essence, by blanching a vegetable, you are doing so to partially cook it, remove any strong taste or odours, such as in cabbage or onions, and revitalize the vegetable and bring back its bright, vibrant colour.
Bring the water to a rolling boil, add the vegetables and push them down into the water. After a minute or two, remove the vegetable and immediately plunge them into a large bowl of ice-cold water. In fact, the colder the water, the better the result. Fill a large bowl halfway up with water and then add a bunch of ice. When you add the blanched veggies to the bowl of water, ideally, there should still be ice floating in there as well. This is an ice bath and is set up before you add the veggies to the boiling water.

HOW TO TOAST SESAME SEEDS
To be perfectly honest, this applies to any nuts or seeds, not just sesame seeds. If you are not familiar with toasted sesame seeds, then please try it just once. You will probably never revert to using untoasted sesame seeds in your cooking or baking again!
I have tried using non-stick frying pans for toasting, but nothing works as well as a stainless steel pan. You could use a cast iron pan, but since they get very hot and retain heat so well, it’s easier to burn the seeds.
See the frying pan in this picture? That’s the exact one that I use all the time. I’m not suggesting you run out and buy this same cookware set, but I wanted you to see the pan – remember, do not use non-stick if possible. You’ll get better results will plain stainless steel.
Lord Byron’s Notes
Sesame seeds and sesame oil may not be a regular staple in your pantry. I’m afraid that I would not be able to suggest any alternative to both of those if you don’t care to purchase them for this recipe. In a pinch, tahini would work for flavour instead of sesame oil, but tahini is much thicker and lighter in colour. There really is no suitable substitute for toasted sesame seeds!
So, unlike most cooking where you’re required to preheat first, you don’t want to apply that same rule to toasting seeds. Add the seeds to a cold pan. Place the pan on the burner and turn the heat on – no higher than medium and probably even less if using a gas burner.
Keep the seeds moving about. I use a rubber spatula. Once you start to smell that warm and toasty aromatic smell, pay close attention. The seeds will take on a slightly golden colour. Don’t let them get too dark. Once you’re satisfied, immediately remove them from the hot pan and transfer them to a dinner plate where they can be spread out to cool.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Sesame Bean Sprouts Salad is not a complicated recipe at all, however, the flavour is quite complex! It is very fresh because of the beans and the green onions. It is salty and savoury because of the soy sauce and garlic. And it has a slightly warm, nutty, and earthy taste because of the sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds. Normally, side dishes are mild, but this salad is bold and flavourful.
My recommendations for pairings are bold and flavourful as well! First, if you’re looking for a meat main, I’d suggest something like my Crispy Buldak Chicken which is hot and spicy and topped with melted cheese. My Korean-Inspired Egg Roll Bowls are also a great option. You can substitute the ground pork in that recipe with vegetarian or vegan-friendly protein if you wish.
This Korean Pork Bulgogi recipe is so delicious! It would be a great main to pair with the cooling, crunchy bean sprouts salad. And, finally, if you want the best Korean Fried Chicken possible, look no further! It’s dripping in sauce and is one of my favourite Korean indulgences! Oh, and rice – always serve white rice with anything prepared with bean sprouts!

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Sesame Bean Sprouts Salad
Ingredients
- 4-5 cups bean sprouts
- 4 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
- 4 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3-4 stalks green onions, finely sliced
Instructions
- Add enough water to a pot to cover the bean sprouts. Do not add the bean sprouts yet though! Bring the pot of water to a full boil.
- In the meantime, wash the bean sprouts very well by transferring them to a large bowl and filling the bowl with cold water. Vigorously swish the sprout with your hand to rinse them well. Drain off the water and repeat. Do this until the water runs completely clear!
- Once the pot of water is boiling, add the bean sprouts to the pot and blanch for 1 minute.
- Remove the bean sprouts from the boiling water immediately and immerse them in a bowl of cold water. Cool the blanched bean sprouts completely and drain well.
- Next, in a mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, garlic, and green onions.
- Add the bean sprouts and toss to coat.
- You can eat the salad immediately, or you can let it set at room temperature for 15-20 minutes first if you prefer not to have a cold salad. Alternatively, for maximum flavour, cover and refrigerate for one hour before serving. This allows the flavours time to come together and to be honest, this side salad is best served chilled.
Nutrition
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Rachel says
I enjoy your blog, but I have to say that the title of this post made me think I could sprout sesame seeds, and, actually, you are talking about mung bean sprouts with sesame oil. Just a little disappointed, but quickly gotten over. Still, you might want to rename this.