Crisp Kongnamul Muchim (Seasoned Soybean Sprouts) for Holidays
A crisp kongnamul muchim side dish perfectly boiled without any fishy smell and tossed in a light, clean seasoning.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
This side dish features soybean sprouts boiled just right and rested off the heat to eliminate their raw smell while keeping a crisp texture. Seasoned cleanly with tuna extract sauce and toasted sesame oil without any stir-frying, it is easy to prepare for holiday ancestral rites tables or as an everyday side dish.
- Servings
- about 3–4 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spiciness
- Not spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Soybean sprouts300 g
- Water3 cups
- Salt1 tsp
Seasoning
- Tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek) (or soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang))1 tbsp
- Salt1/3 tsp
- Toasted sesame oil1 tbsp
- Toasted sesame seeds1 tbsp (ground)
- If you are not making this for ancestral rites, you can also add 3 tbsp of minced green onion and 1/2 tbsp of minced garlic to the seasoning.
Steps
Prepare the ingredients
This is one bag of 300g soybean sprouts.
Boil the soybean sprouts
Place the soybean sprouts in a pot first, then pour in 1 tsp of coarse sea salt and 3 cups of water.
You only need enough water to submerge about half of the soybean sprouts.
Cover with a lid and turn the heat to high; after a short while, it will start to boil and steam will rise.
A raw soybean sprout smell will waft up, but once you lower the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, that raw smell will turn savory and pleasant.
At this point, turn off the heat and leave it alone for 2 minutes to let it finish cooking in the residual steam; the stems will be plump, crisp, and cooked just right.
Drain the water through a sieve.
If you want to keep them crisp for a longer time, rinse the soybean sprouts in cold water right after boiling to cool them down.
Season
Put the soybean sprouts in a bowl and add 1 tbsp of tuna extract sauce (chamchi-aek) (= soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)), 1/3 tsp of salt, 1 tbsp of toasted sesame oil, and 1 tbsp of ground toasted sesame seeds.
If you are not making this for ancestral rites, you can also add 3 tbsp of minced green onion and 1/2 tbsp of minced garlic to the seasoning.
Gently toss by hand so the seasoning absorbs, then finish.
Finish
I placed the seasoned soybean sprouts together on a platter with the other seasoned vegetable dishes I posted earlier.
It looks so bountiful and appetizing just looking at it.
These five-color seasoned vegetables made with care taste great on their own, but they taste the very best when mixed all together with rice.
Ppunwife's tips
- You only need enough water to submerge about half of the soybean sprouts.
- Cover with a lid and heat on high. Once steam rises and you smell the raw sprout aroma, lower the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn off the heat and let rest for 2 minutes to cook them crisp.
- If you want to keep them crisp for a longer time, rinse the soybean sprouts in cold water right after boiling to cool them down.
FAQ
Is there a trick to boiling soybean sprouts without any raw smell so they stay crisp?
Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. When steam begins to rise, lower the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes longer, then turn off the heat and let it rest for 2 minutes. This brings out a savory aroma and keeps the texture crisp.
How do I keep the boiled soybean sprouts crisp for a long time?
Rinsing the soybean sprouts in cold water immediately after draining them to cool them down quickly will keep them crisp for longer.
Can I use another seasoning instead of tuna extract sauce?
You can season the sprouts with an equal amount of soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang) instead of tuna extract sauce.
Can I add green onion or garlic when serving this as an everyday side dish?
If you are not preparing this for an ancestral rites table, you can toss it with 3 tbsp of minced green onion and 1/2 tbsp of minced garlic to suit your taste.
