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Bean Sprout Salad with crispy bean sprouts, green onions, chili pepper, and a tangy Asian dressing! This simple Asian salad makes a perfect low-calorie side dish to any Asian dish.
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Crispy, fresh, light, low-calorie, low-carb, vegan, gluten-free, delicious, and made in no time – just to name a few! Let me show you how to make the most delicious mung bean sprout salad at home, just as you know it from the Asian restaurant (only better – since it’s homemade 😉 ).
You only need a few ingredients and a few minutes of your time. The bean sprout salad tastes best if you cook the bean sprouts briefly in a large pot of water for one minute. This way they become beautifully transparent, a bit softer, but still keep their crunchy texture.
You can serve this bean sprout salad as an appetizer or as a side dish to any Asian dish. It comes in at a measly 62 calories per serving! 🥳
Bean sprouts are sprouts of the mung bean and are very healthy, rich in vitamin C, and low in calories. They are very often used in Asian cuisine, such as Pad Thai, Spring Rolls, or stir-fry dishes.
Ingredients
See recipe card for quantities.
- Mung Bean Sprouts → They should be as fresh as possible!
- Scallion & Chili Pepper → I use only the green part of the scallion for this recipe, but feel free to use the white part too (or store it in the fridge and use it for another recipe). A mild red chili pepper makes for a great color combination. Feel free to remove the core and seeds beforehand to make it a little less spicy.
- Dressing: soy sauce, rice vinegar (or lime juice), sesame oil, maple syrup (or sugar), pepper, ginger, garlic → If you don’t like or can’t tolerate garlic, omit it.
Visual Step-by-Step Instructions
This visual step-by-step instruction will help you along the way – definitely recommended if you’re a cooking beginner! 😉
- Bring a pot of water and ½ tsp salt to a boil. Add bean sprouts and blanch for one minute. Immediately drain over a sieve, rinse under cold water, and drain.
- Dry bean sprouts in a clean towel or squeeze out excess water using your hands (to prevent the dressing from getting too watery).
- Mix all dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
- Arrange bean sprouts in a bowl, top it with sliced scallion and chili pepper. Drizzle with the dressing and serve!
Variations
- Pepper Twist – use Sichuan pepper instead of black pepper.
- Sesame – sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
- Spicy – add toasted chili oil, Sriracha, or Samabal Oelek for a spicy twist.
Make-Ahead & Storage Instructions
Bean Sprout Salad tasted best when fresh, but can be made up to a few hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay fresh for up to 2 days.
More Asian Salad Recipes
- Asian Slaw
- Asian Cucumber Salad
- Asian Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing
- Vermicelli Noodle Salad
- Thai Glass Noodle Salad
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📖 Recipe
Bean Sprout Salad
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Ingredients
- ½ tsp salt
- 9 oz (250 g) bean sprouts
- 1 scallion chopped
- 1 chili pepper  optional, seeded & sliced
Dressing
- 1 small clove garlic grated
- ½ tsp ginger grated
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water and ½ tsp salt to a boil. Add bean sprouts and blanch for one minute. Immediately drain over a sieve, rinse under cold water, and drain.
- Mix all dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
- Dry bean sprouts in a clean towel or squeeze out excess water using your hands (to prevent the dressing from getting too watery). Arrange them in a bowl, top it with sliced scallion and chili pepper. Drizzle with the dressing and serve!