What is a bean sprout? It’s the sprout from a germinated mung bean. Bean sprouts are usually used in asian cooking and provide a bright crunchy texture to a stir fry dish. I originally intended on sprouting my own mung beans (which is really easy), but I didn’t have time. It takes 5 to 7 days of soaking the mung beans in water (changing every 12 hours). But you can easily find bean sprouts at your local grocer or asian market.

Today’s recipe is brought to you by the Food Matters Project, which is a group of foodie bloggers dedicated to cooking our way through Mark Bittman’s Food Matters Cookbook. The original recipe was chosen by Dominica of Food Wine Love and was supposed to be Seared Bean Sprouts with Beef and Sesame-Orange Sauce. 

Although this looked both easy and delicious, I was on my way to a dinner party last night and needed to bring a side dish. I decided to turn the recipe into a bright and colorful salad, adding some shredded carrots, diced cucumber, and chopped cilantro. It was really easy to throw together and was definitely unique.

Check the FMP website to see what the other foodies chose to do with this recipe!

Seared Bean Sprout Salad with Sesame-Orange Dressing

Makes: 8 servings (as a side dish)

Salad Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1 Tablespoon canola oil or coconut oil
• 1 lb bean sprouts, rinsed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 bunch of scallions, green and white parts chopped
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Dressing Ingredients

• 2 oranges, juiced
• zest of 1/2 orange
• 1/2 Tablespoon fresh ginger, minced or grated
• 2 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon tahini paste
• 1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon honey

Instructions:

1. Add 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds to a DRY skillet. Cook on medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, lightly toasting sesame seeds. Remove and set aside.
2. Place 1 tablespoon of oil in skillet and heat over medium heat. When oil is hot (not smoking), toss in bean sprouts and salt. Stir fry for 3 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove and place in colander. Run cold water over sprouts to stop them from cooking. You want them to still be crips.
3. Add the sprouts, cucumber, shredded carrot, cilantro, and scallions to a medium serving bowl.
4. Combine all dressing ingredients into a mason jar or lidded jar. Shake well. Pour over salad and stir.  Chill until you are ready to serve it. Toss before serving and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.