Vegetables · Pods, beans & sprouts

Bean sprouts

Crunchy white mung bean sprouts with tiny yellow-green heads, added raw or briefly cooked to noodles and stir-fries.

Also called: mung bean sprouts, beansprouts, giá

Photo: 국립국어원, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-2.0)

What it is

Bean sprouts are mung beans germinated in the dark until they form plump, white, crisp shoots with small green-hulled heads. They are juicier and finer than soybean sprouts, which have large yellow heads. Indian moong sprouts are mung beans only just sprouted, with short tails.

Vigna radiata (sprouted)

How it’s used

Topping pho, pad thai and laksa
Quick stir-fries with garlic
Spring roll and dumpling fillings
Blanched and seasoned as Korean namul

Characteristics

Taste: Mild, fresh and slightly beany.
Texture: Crunchy and juicy.
When cooked: Cook for seconds only; they wilt and turn watery quickly.
Sold as: fresh, canned
Cooking uses: Usually eaten raw, Commonly cooked, Used as a garnish
Common in: Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Malaysian, Indonesian, Korean, Singaporean

Kinds in our pantry

Sprouted moong (mung bean sprouts, home-style)

Storage

Refrigerated. Refrigerate and use within a day or two; discard if brown, slimy or sour-smelling.

Diet, allergens and safety

No major allergens in typical versions.

Vegetarian
Vegan
Dairy-free
Egg-free
Gluten-free
Nut-free
Soy-free
Caffeine-free

Raw sprouts have been linked to food poisoning; vulnerable people (pregnant, elderly, very young, immunocompromised) should eat them thoroughly cooked.