Korea · 20 min · Vegan · Side dish · For beginners
Kongnamul Muchim
In German: Sojasprossen-Beilage · In English: Seasoned Soybean Sprouts
For 4 servings · US units
Crisp soybean sprouts tossed with sesame oil, garlic and spring onion
Kongnamul muchim is about as everyday as Korean food gets — a banchan that lands on the table at pretty much every meal and gets called something like the national side dish. The sprouts stay crunchy, toasted sesame oil rounds everything out, and garlic and spring onion do the seasoning. It's also the classic namul topping for bibimbap, and it's done in 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- 12⅓ ozwashed, rotten and browned sprouts picked outCaution: Soybean sprouts are not eaten raw but always cooked for a few minutes.Sprouted yellow soybeans with a large yellow bean head and a long, crisp stem, nuttier and sturdier than ordinary bean sprouts.Substitute: Mung bean sprouts will do at a pinch, but they are more delicate and watery and lack both the nutty flavour and the firm head; they need a much shorter cooking time.Read more
- ¾ cupWaterfor cooking in the covered pot
- 1 tspSaltfor the cooking water and for seasoning
- 2 tsptoasted, folded in at the endDark oil pressed from toasted sesame seeds, with a strong, nutty, roasted aroma; usually added at the end in small amounts as a seasoning.Substitute: There is no real substitute, as no other oil carries the roasted aroma; at a pinch, a neutral oil with freshly pan-toasted, crushed sesame seeds helps, though the flavour stays clearly weaker.Read more
- 2 tbspSpring onionfinely chopped
- 2 clovesGarlicfinely minced
- 1 tbspSesame seedstoasted, for mixing in and for sprinkling
- 1 tbsponly for the spicy red version (optional)Korean chili flakes made from sun-dried red chilies, ground coarse or fine. Bright red, fruity, mild to medium hot and slightly smoky.Substitute: The closest match is Aleppo pepper (pul biber) from a Turkish grocery, which is similarly fruity and mild but oilier, often salted and slightly tangier. In a pinch, mix sweet paprika with a little cayenne; this roughly matches colour and heat but not the fruitiness or texture. Ordinary crushed red pepper flakes are too hot to use in the usual quantities.Read more
- 2 tspcan be replaced by fish sauce or tuna extract sauce (optional)A pale, very salty Korean soy sauce made from fermented soybean blocks, used to season soups and vegetable side dishes.Substitute: The closest match is Japanese light soy sauce (usukuchi), which is also pale and salty but milder and lacks the earthy fermented note of the Korean sauce. Ordinary soy sauce is only a stopgap: it darkens broth and vegetables and tastes sweeter, so use less of it and make up the difference with a little salt.Read more
- Black pepperfreshly ground, to taste (optional)
- 1red chilithinly sliced, for heat and colour (optional)
Method
- Wash and sort the sproutsWash the soybean sprouts several times in cold water, picking out any rotten sprouts, loose hulls and browned bits as you go, then drain them well.
- Set the sprouts in the potPut the water and salt in a pot, spread the sprouts loosely on top and put the lid on.
- Cook with the lid closedCook over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes, turning the heat down after a few minutes, and keep the lid closed the whole time — if you lift it partway through, the sprouts take on a sharp, fishy smell.
- Drain and cool the sproutsDrain the sprouts, discard the cooking liquid and spread them out in a bowl to cool.
- Prep spring onion and garlicMeanwhile, slice the spring onion finely and mince the garlic.
- Mix in the seasoningsMix the cooled sprouts with the spring onion, garlic, sesame seeds and — depending on which version you're making — the Korean chili flakes and soup soy sauce.
- Toss gently with sesame oilAdd the sesame oil last and toss everything loosely with your hands so the sprouts don't get crushed.
- Season and serveSeason with salt, arrange in a dish, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve warm or cold.
Tips and variations
There are two versions in circulation: the mild one with no chili at all, seasoned only with salt, sesame oil and freshly ground black pepper — and the red, spicy one with Korean chili flakes and a savoury seasoning sauce such as soup soy sauce (fish sauce or tuna extract sauce work too, though they aren't vegan). Instead of steaming the sprouts in a little water, you can bring a large pot of water to the boil, salt it and blanch them uncovered for 4 to 5 minutes, then let them cool or shock them in cold water. Garlic powder stands in for fresh garlic at a pinch, fresh red chili rings add heat and colour, and if you like them juicier, turn the sprouts briefly in the cooking liquid after cooking before straining. Serve as banchan alongside rice and other side dishes, or as the namul layer in bibimbap.
Allergens
Contains: Sesame, Soybeans
May contain if you use the optional ingredients: Cereals containing gluten
These notes follow from this recipe's ingredient list. Ready-made products and brands may contain further allergens — please check the packaging yourself.
Something not right?
This recipe was put together from independent sources and checked before publishing. Even so, a mistake can slip through — an amount that does not add up, a step that does not work as written. If you spot something, write to us: we will look into it and put it right.
