A plate of sautéed bean sprouts, prepared as a flavorful Bean Sprout Salad and garnished with chopped green onions, is served with wooden chopsticks on a white plate, set atop a green cloth.

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Recipe Highlights

A few bags of bean sprouts are always in my weekly grocery haul, but I almost always have leftovers. This bean sprout salad is how I use up any extra sprouts. It’s quick, cost-effective, and a great way to bring color, crunch, and nutrients to the table. When my kids were young, I always added a scoop to their bento lunch boxes.

Here’s why I keep coming back to this recipe:

  • Leftovers hold up in the refrigerator
  • Blanch, toss, and serve in minutes
  • Savory flavor and crunchy texture, warm or chilled

Looking for more vegetable side dishes? Try my Japanese Spinach Salad with Sesame Dressing, Yamitsuki Cabbage, and Japanese Simmered Kabocha recipes next!

A small pile of seasoned Bean Sprout Salad garnished with sliced green onions on a white plate, with chopsticks resting on the side and a green cloth underneath.

What is Bean Sprout Salad?

Bean sprout salad is called moyashi no namuru (もやしのナムル) in Japanese. The dish originated in Korea, where it is called sukju namul muchim (숙주나물무침). Namul refers to blanched vegetables seasoned while warm. We enjoy many Korean side dishes like this in Japan.

Key Ingredients

  • Bean sprouts
  • Green onion/scallion
  • Seasoning – garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, kosher salt, sesame seeds (optional)

Find the printable recipe with measurements below.

Jump to Recipe

How to Make Bean Sprout Salad

  1. Mix seasonings and boil water. Combine all seasonings in a small bowl. Start with less salt, adding more to taste later. Bring water to a boil.
  1. Prep the sprouts and garnishes. Thinly slice the green onion. Optionally, grind the sesame seeds. Wash the bean sprouts, trimming the roots.
  1. Blanch the bean sprouts. Rinse and drain the sprouts under cold water. Cook them for 1 to 1½ minutes until tender-crisp.
  1. Drain and season. Drain the sprouts in a colander, then pat dry. While hot, toss with the seasonings, adjusting as needed.
  1. Serve. Finish with green onion and sesame seeds. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
A person stirs a reddish-brown sauce with chopped garlic in a glass bowl using chopsticks on a wooden surface, preparing it as the flavorful dressing for a refreshing Bean Sprout Salad.
A person slicing green onions with a knife on a wooden cutting board, preparing fresh ingredients for a Bean Sprout Salad.
A hand pours bean sprouts from a strainer into a pot of boiling water on a stovetop, the first step in preparing a fresh Bean Sprout Salad.
Two hands hold bowls of chopped green onions and sesame seeds over a glass bowl of Bean Sprout Salad, with chopsticks resting on the side, ready to garnish the dish.
A small pile of seasoned Bean Sprout Salad garnished with sliced green onions on a white plate, with chopsticks resting on the side and a green cloth underneath.
Namiko Hirasawa Chen

Nami’s Recipe Tips

Keep these tips in mind for the best results every time.

  • Trim the roots – Removing them was my least favorite kitchen task as a kid. But the salad tastes and looks better without them.
  • Use a garlic press – It incorporates the garlic evenly into the seasoning and eliminates chopping time.
  • Blanch for 1½ minutes – This is my personal preference It fully cooks the sprouts while leaving a bit of crunch.
A white tray with raw bean sprouts, some whole and some with roots removed, perfect for preparing a fresh Bean Sprout Salad. A small pile of discarded roots sits on the tray’s edge.
A pot of boiling water with bean sprouts being stirred by a wooden chopstick, as part of the preparation for a fresh Bean Sprout Salad. The pot is on a stove, and a person wearing a red apron is partially visible in the background.
  • Drain thoroughly – Shake the colander and dry with a cloth or paper towel to remove excess water. Too much water will dilute the seasonings and give the dish a shorter shelf life.
  • Salt at the end – It’s easy to go overboard on the salt. Start with less, then add to taste as the very last step.
A stainless steel strainer filled with fresh bean sprouts, perfect for making a crisp Bean Sprout Salad, sits on a wooden surface.
A hand sprinkles salt from a wooden container onto a bowl of Bean Sprout Salad mixed with sauce on a wooden surface.

Make Ahead Tips

  • Blanch and chill – On hot summer days, I chill this salad for a few hours or overnight for a refreshing side dish.
  • Make a large batch – Doubling this recipe will cover multiple days’ worth of sides.

Storage Tips

To store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing or reheating since the bean sprouts will lose their crunch.

A blue plate with a mound of stir-fried bean sprouts, reminiscent of a fresh Bean Sprout Salad, garnished with chopped green onions, with a pair of chopsticks resting on the plate, set on a wooden table.

Variations

Feel free to mix and match based on what you have on hand.

Gochugaru (Korean Red Pepper Flakes)
Spicy bean sprout salad served as a side in a bowl
  • Leave the roots on. When I’m short on time, I skip trimming the roots. They’re edible and nutritious, so the salad still delivers the same crunch.
  • Use other vegetables. Experiment by dressing any seasonal vegetables you have on hand.

What to Serve with Bean Sprout Salad

Enjoy this bean sprout salad as part of a complete meal. Here are my favorite main dishes:

  • Honey Soy Chicken – Tender chicken coated in a sweet, sticky glaze pairs well with the crisp sprouts.
  • Steak Garlic Rice – The light crunch cuts through the buttery, smoky steak garlic rice.
  • Bulgogi (Korean Grilled Beef) – Fresh bean sprout salad is a no-brainer next to this Korean BBQ staple.
  • Garlic Miso Chicken Wings – These rich, savory baked wings balance the chilled, garlicky sprouts.
A close-up of hands holding a glazed chicken wing garnished with sesame seeds and herbs, with a plate of more chicken and a cup in the background on a wooden table.
A paella pan containing Steak Garlic Rice topped with chopped scallions and garlic chips.

FAQ

Can I make this Japanese bean sprout salad without sesame seeds?

Yes. The sesame seeds are optional here. Garlic and toasted sesame oil pack plenty of flavor on their own.

Are bean sprouts and mung bean sprouts the same?

Yes, they are the same vegetable under different labels. In Japan, roughly 90% of sprouts sold as moyashi (もやし) are mung bean sprouts, with thick juicy stems and small heads. The other common type are soybean sprouts (daizu moyashi, 大豆もやし). These have a large yellow bean head, more crunch, and a nutty flavor.

How many servings does this bean sprouts recipe make?

One bag makes three side-dish servings. I double the recipe when I want enough for meal prep.

I’d love to hear how yours turned out! 💛 Please leave a star rating and comment below to share your experience. Your feedback not only supports Just One Cookbook but also helps other home cooks discover recipes they can trust.

Bean Sprout Salad

4.79 from 56 votes
by Namiko Hirasawa Chen
A small pile of seasoned Bean Sprout Salad garnished with sliced green onions on a white plate, with chopsticks resting on the side and a green cloth underneath.
Leftover bean sprouts never go to waste in my kitchen. I’ll show you the best way to blanch and the prepping secret I use every time so you can make this light, crunchy, side dish for your next meal in less than 10 minutes.
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Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 2 minutes
Total: 7 minutes

Ingredients 
 

Servings: 3
  • 9–12 oz bean sprouts (1 bag; with or without sprouted beans)
  • 1 green onion/scallion

For the Seasonings

Instructions

  • Gather all the ingredients.
    A bowl of bean sprouts sits on a wooden surface next to a green onion, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and salt in small glass bowls, all neatly arranged for preparing a fresh Bean Sprout Salad.

To Prepare the Ingredients

  • Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Add 1 clove garlic (minced), 1–1½ Tbsp toasted sesame oil, ½ Tbsp soy sauce, and ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt to a small bowl. Mix and set aside.
    Nami's Tip: I use a garlic press. Add less salt now, then taste and adjust the seasoning later when you dress the salad.
    Two-panel image: Left shows a hand adding salt to a bowl with sauce and garlic for a Bean Sprout Salad; right shows a hand stirring the mixture with chopsticks.
  • Cut 1 green onion/scallion into thin slices.
    Two side-by-side images show hands chopping green onions on a wooden cutting board: the left image shows slicing lengthwise, while the right demonstrates finely dicing—perfect techniques for preparing toppings for dishes like Bean Sprout Salad.
  • Optionally, grind 1 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds, with a pestle and mortar leaving some whole to add texture and crunch.
    Miso Soup with Enoki Mushrooms and Ground Sesame 6
  • Trim the brown parts and stringy roots from 9–12 oz bean sprouts (optional).
    Nami's Tip: Cleaning the roots is time consuming, but it really improves the taste. I recommend this extra step when serving bean sprouts raw and/or lightly seasoned.
    Two white trays with blue rims rest on a wooden surface; one tray has a small pile of bean sprouts, while the other showcases a larger, fresh heap, perfect for preparing a crisp Bean Sprout Salad.

To Cook the Bean Sprouts

  • Rinse the bean sprouts under cold water and drain well. Add them to the boiling water.
    A pot of bean sprouts being boiled on the right, and blanched bean sprouts draining in a mesh strainer on the left, both on a wooden surface—perfectly prepped for a fresh Bean Sprout Salad.
  • Cook for 1–1½ minutes until tender-crisp and slightly translucent. Strain through a colander, shake off excess liquid, and drain well.
    Two-panel image: Left, Stirring bean sprouts in a pot of boiling water with chopsticks to blanch them for bean sprout salad. Right, blanched bean sprouts draining in a fine-mesh sieve on a wooden board for bean sprout salad.

To Season the Salad

  • Add the hot bean sprouts to the bowl with the seasonings and toss to combine. Taste, then adjust the seasoning if needed.
    Two-panel image: Left, a bowl with a reddish sauce; bean sprouts being drained above it—perfect for preparing a fresh Bean Sprout Salad. Right, a hand sprinkles salt over the bean sprouts in a bowl with sauce beneath, all set on a wooden surface.

To Serve

  • Add the sliced green onion and ground or whole sesame seeds. Toss to combine.
    Serve chilled or at room temperature.
    Two images: On the left, hands add chopped green onions and sesame seeds to a bowl of bean sprouts for a fresh Bean Sprout Salad. On the right, bean sprouts are mixed with chopsticks, blending the ingredients together.

To Store

  • Keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (it‘s best enjoyed sooner). I do not recommend freezing.

Notes

Variations
  • Add heat. Stir in gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) or shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice blend) for a spicy kick. Follow my Spicy Bean Sprout Salad recipe to learn more.
  • Add spinach. Blanched spinach doubles the volume and adds color. Read my Spinach Namul and Bean Sprout Namul recipe.
  • Leave the roots on. When I’m short on time, I skip the trimming. The roots are edible and nutritious, so the salad still delivers the same crunch.
  • Use other vegetables. Experiment by dressing any seasonal vegetables you in your kitchen.

Nutrition

Calories: 131kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Sodium: 389mg, Potassium: 231mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 87IU, Vitamin C: 18mg, Calcium: 63mg, Iron: 2mg

The nutrition facts shown are generated by an online calculator and are estimates only. Please consult a professional nutritionist for specific dietary needs.

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Editor’s Note: The post was originally published on Jan 23, 2011. It was updated with new step-by-step images on May 28, 2024, and republished with more helpful tips on August 26, 2026.