Kongnamul Muchim. Growing up, I always remembered finding this banchan in my fridge, right next to the kimchi.
You will find a large batch of this banchan in almost all Korean homes. It's simple, tasty and easy-to-make. If you haven't tried any of our banchan recipes yet, start with this one! It tastes great with a bowl of white rice.
Note: Kongnamul Muchim is also used in one of Korea's most famous dishes, bibimbap.

Kongnamul Muchim - A Basic Korean Banchan
Kongnamul Muchim is soybean sprouts that are blanched and tossed in a soy sauce and garlic dressing. One of the basic banchans of Korean cuisine.
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Servings: 2 people
Ingredients
- Soybean sprouts - 3 cups
- Carrot - ¼ of a whole
- Scallions - 3 stalk
Seasoning
- Soup soy sauce - ½ teaspoon regular soy sauce ok as well
- Minced garlic - ½ teaspoon
- Salt - ⅔ teaspoon
- Sugar - ½ teaspoon
- Sesame oil - 1.5 teaspoon
- Sesame seeds - 1 teaspoon
Instructions
Prep Sprouts
- Wash the soybean sprouts. Take the ends off each sprout (if low on time, this step is optional).
- Then slice the carrot and scallions into thin strips (4-5 cm).
Cooking Sprouts
- Put some water in a pot. Season the water with a few pinches of salt. Bring it up to a roaring boil. Then add the soybean sprouts in. Cook for exactly 4 minutes (use a timer).
- While the sprouts are boiling, fill an mixing bowl with cold water.
- After 4 minutes, drain the soybean sprouts and place them in the bowl with cold water. Let them cool down. Then place the boiled sprouts under cold running water. Put them in a strainer and set aside to get rid of excess water.
Season Sprouts
- Take out a mixing bowl. Add-in the soybean sprouts, carrots and scallions.
- Then add-in soy sauce, minced garlic, salt, sugar and give a thorough mix.
- Add in sesame oil and sesame seeds. Give a final mix.
Notes
- When boiling the bean sprouts, use a timer on your phone. Otherwise, they will quickly wilt and lose their crunchy texture.
- Many Koreans also like a spicy version of this dish - if you would like to try it, simply add a teaspoon of Korea red chili flakes in the final step.
- Watch the video below for more details
Tried this recipe?Tag us at @efutureneighbor with your dish!
blia says
So. Good.
Uli says
Having received soy bean sprouts instead of mung bean sprouts I went looking for a recipe so I could use them up before they spoiled. At first I thought this was a stir fry recipe and hesitated when I realized it was more of a salad. I took the plunge and was very satisfied. i included chili flakes, a scant teaspoon and it was still quite spicy. We served it with sticky rice & it was an excellent lunch. I was amazed how the soybeans kept their crunch despite the 4 minute boil. So simple and so satisfying!