bean sprout banchan

I struck gold this weekend with a bounty of some great veggies from my local produce market. In particular, these (mung) bean sprouts looked especially nice.

As a child, I would love to eat bean sprouts all the time, soups, stir-fries and noodle dishes. Now as an adult, I can take 'em or leave 'em.

The only way I seem to still really enjoy bean sprouts is in this banchan dish. Blanch them and add of a few ingredients and you've got a simple vegetable dish that's complex in flavor. I love these almost as much as I love cucumber banchan.

bean sprout banchan (sukju namul muchin)

1 lb mung bean sprouts
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 quarts water
1 green onion sliced fine
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
1-2 cloves garlic, grated (optional)

1. Bring water and salt to a boil. Add bean sprouts and cook for 1-3 minutes. Do not overcook- you want them to be crunchy but not raw.
2. Rinse bean sprouts under cold water and drain well.
3. Add scallions, sesame oil, soy sauce, black pepper and garlic (if using). 
4. Toss ingredients together. Serve.