Dressed in spicy sesame oil-based sauce, this Spicy Bean Sprout Salad is delicious as an appetizer or as a ramen topping.
This Spicy Bean Sprout Salad is the third part of my ramen series. If you haven’t had a chance to see my previous ramen topping recipes for Ramen Egg and Chashu, I hope you will check them out.
This recipe was inspired by a popular ramen chain Ippudo‘s “Hot Moyashi” (ホットもやし), which is a bean sprout dish with spicy sauce (moyashi means bean sprout in Japanese). In Japan, this dish is complimentary and it’s available at each table. You can enjoy it by itself as an appetizer or add them on top of ramen as a topping.
Variety of Seasonings for Bean Sprout Salad
When I make ramen at home, I put this bean sprout on top of our ramen. Since my children are still learning to eat spicy food, I make a milder spice version adapted from my own archive recipe Bean Sprout Namul.
If you really want it to be spicy, I recommend using Ichimi Togarashi instead of Japanese Seven Spice (Shichimi Togarashi) that I used. I actually like the seven spice version as it has more spices and adds additional flavors and fragrance to the dish.
By the way, you can purchase Ippudo’s Hot Moyashi Sauce online in Japan, if you’re interested. Or try my recipe and adjust the spice and flavor according to your liking!
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
Spicy Bean Sprout Salad
Video
Ingredients
- 12 oz bean sprouts
For the Seasonings
- 2 Tbsp roasted sesame oil
- 1½ tsp soy sauce
- 1½ tsp shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) (use ichimi togarashi if you like it extra spicy)
- ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or more to taste)
- freshly ground black pepper (you can also use white pepper for more intense pepper kick)
For the Garnish
- 1 Tbsp toasted white and black sesame seeds
- green onion/scallion (chopped; optional)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 12 oz bean sprouts to cook for 1–2 minutes.
- After cooking, drain the water really well.
- In a large bowl, combine all the seasonings: 2 Tbsp roasted sesame oil, 1½ tsp soy sauce, 1½ tsp shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice), ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Add the cooked bean sprouts and mix well together. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp toasted white and black sesame seeds on top. Garnish with chopped green onion/scallion, if desired.
To Store
- You can store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
I realised the beansprouts became watery after one day. Is that normal?
Hi Jacqueline, Thank you for trying Nami’s recipe!
Yes. The salt draws out moisture from bean sprouts/vegetables, and it becomes watery if you leave it, just like salted pickles. https://www.justonecookbook.com/tsukemono-pickled-cabbage/
We hope this helps!
Just made this easy recipe and I found it was a little heavy on the sesame oil. Next time I may cut back on it and add a bit more shoyu for more of a salty flavor but this will definitely be a quick “go to” side for me to make. Thank you!
Hi Cheryl, Thank you very much for trying this recipe and sharing your cooking experience with us!