Easy Asian Vegetarian or Vegan Bean Sprout Salad

As a child, Edwin's mom told him, "If you want to eat, you should cook it yourself." And that's exactly what he's been doing ever since.

What Are Bean Sprouts?

Bean sprouts are grown by sprouting mung beans. Mung bean sprouts are extensively cultivated and consumed in East Asia. A common technique for home growers is to put the beans in a jar with a fine mesh or muslin cloth tied over the top with a rubber band or string. Fresh water is then poured into the jar three to four times a day; the jars are then upturned and left to drain.

Cook Time

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 1 pound mung bean sprouts, washed or rinsed
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cups water
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions

For the dressing:

• 1 tablespoon rice wine, available at Asian stores
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

Mung Bean and Mung Bean Sprouts

Instructions

1. Bring the water to a boil in a pot.
2. Turn off the heat and add the washed bean sprouts in order to blanch it for 3 minutes. Drain the sprouts afterwards.
3. Combine the salad dressing ingredients in a bowl.
4. Add the bean sprouts and bell peppers to the bowl of dressing and toss well.
5. Season with salt and pepper to suit your taste.
6. Refrigerate overnight.
7. Garnish with chopped green onion before serving.

Variations

• Add other vegetables such as celery.
• If you're not a vegetarian, use fish sauce instead of soy sauce.
• Blanch the bean sprouts in vegetable broth instead of water.
• Garnish with sesame seeds or nuts.
• Add chopped chili peppers for a spicy salad.

Rice Wine