[Simple Soybean Sprout Dishes at Home] Lunchbox Side Dish: “How to Make Baek Jong-won's Seasoned Soybean Sprouts”

When you're wondering, “What should I eat today?”, seasoned soybean sprouts are a handy side dish that can be tossed together in just five minutes. Here is Baek Jong-won's go-to recipe, suitable for both lunchboxes and dinner.

Soybean sprouts are popular in packed lunches because they are inexpensive and easy to find year-round. Besides seasoned soybean sprouts, they can be used in many Korean dishes, including △stir-fried soybean sprouts △steamed soybean sprouts △soybean sprout soup with rice △soybean sprout rice, so knowing how to cook them makes meal preparation easier. A basic way to boil soybean sprouts without producing a beany odor is to keep the lid closed until they are fully cooked. Opening the lid before they are cooked can bring out their characteristic beany smell, so care is advised.

*Ingredients: 1 bag of soybean sprouts, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1/3 tbsp salt, 2 tbsp red chili powder, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1/3 tbsp minced garlic, 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds

1. Pour enough water into a pot to just cover the soybean sprouts, add salt, close the lid, and blanch for about 5 minutes.

2. Rinse the blanched soybean sprouts in cold water to make them crunchy, then drain the water.

3. Put the drained, blanched soybean sprouts in a bowl, add soy sauce, salt, red chili powder, sesame oil, minced garlic, and sesame seeds, and mix them together to finish.

[Fam Times = So Yoon-seo, journalist]