Soybean sprouts give us a quick boost of essential nutrients, proteins, minerals, and vitamins.
In Asia is easy to buy soybean everywhere since they are added to different kinds of dishes, used as fillings, or served as a salad.
People who lived in China know that is common use in a lot of restaurants to give free appetizers to the customers.
In Chinese restaurants is very common to have free tea and seeds.
Korean restaurant, in Yunnan Province, South China, commonly served a free mini appetizer of Kimchi (cabbages salad), Kongnamul (soybean sprouts salad), Oi Sobagi (cucumber salad), Musaengchae (daikon salad).
They all taste delicious and can be quickly made.
Kongnamul doesn’t need fermentation time, so is a spicy appetizer ready to eat.
Ingredients:
- Four person portion
- 4 cups soybean sprouts
- 1 scallion
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tsp red chili pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp salt?
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
What you need to make Kongnamul:
- Medium size pot
- Colander
- Mixing bowl
- 4 small serving bowls
This chili but fresh appetizer can be perfect also as side dish, for topping different kind of meal or as one dish salad.
First I rinse the soybean sprouts in cold water, discarding any rotten beans or skins floating.
I start to boil a medium-size pot filled with water and add the soybean sprouts.
I cover and cook for a few minutes trying to not overcook the sprouts.
In the meanwhile, I finely chop the scallion and mince the garlic.
When the soybean sprouts appear cooked but crunchy, I drain them in a colander and use cold water to make them cool.
Next, I put them in a mixing bowl and seasoned them with soy sauce, sesame oil, wine vinegar, chopped scallion, minced garlic, salt, pepper, chili pepper flakes, and sesame seeds.
Now the soybean sprouts are ready to serve in the bowls.
This chili but fresh appetizer can be perfect also as a side dish, for topping a different kind of meal, or as one dish salad.
I like it because is light and spicy, easy to make, minimal but tasty.
Ciao! My name is Dominique. I’m Italian and I’m proud to be a mix. My father was an Italian chemical engineer and high school teacher, with Greek and Polish heritage. My mother is Haitian, she was high school language teacher, with Dominican, Spanish, French, Portuguese, African and Native American heritage. Being a mix makes me appreciate to want to understand different cultures and lifestyles. I grew up in Italy, lived few years in Haiti, travel around main European capitals, lived seven years in China, six in Spain and UK. Traveling makes me feel that we can learn something from every situation in every part of the world.
