Kongnamul-muchim
콩나물무침
Seasoned soybean sprouts — the banchan that is on the table even when you cooked nothing else.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: 콩나물무침.
0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 5 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- Very easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Kongnamul-muchim is blanched sprouts tossed with sesame oil, garlic and spring onion. Soybean sprouts (with the yellow heads) are the Korean default; mung sprouts are a stand-in. They should stay crunchy. This is the side that makes rice a meal.
Ingredients
- Bean sprouts300 g
- Toasted sesame oil15 ml
- Garlic, minced1 clove
- Spring onion1
- Salt2½ ml
- Sesame seeds4.9 ml
- Soy sauce (optional)2½ ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Boil a pot of salted water. Blanch sprouts 2–3 minutes until the heads are just tender and the tails still snap. Drain and fan or rinse briefly so they stop cooking.
5 minStep 2
Toss with sesame oil, garlic, spring onion, salt, seeds and a drop of soy if you want. Taste. They should taste of sesame, not soup.
Adapt this recipe
The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 24 August.
Substitutions
Soybean sprouts → Mung bean sprouts
Softer, faster. Still a namul.
Tips
- Do not put a lid on the blanching pot if you are superstitious about the smell. Plenty of cooks still don't.
- A pinch of gochugaru makes a spicy muchim.
History & culture
Everyday banchan, hangover soup's cousin (kongnamul-guk), and a bibimbap namul. Learn this and you can fill a table.
Sprouts are cheap protein and year-round crunch. Every house salts them differently.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation. Original editorial adaptation for I Want Some Food. Not copied from another recipe site. Official recipe photography is pending. Photograph: Charles Haynes via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kongnamul-muchim%201.jpg
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.
How long does Kongnamul-muchim take?
15 min all in — 10 min prep, 5 min cook. That is the time on this recipe, not a guess.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 plates. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Very easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Sesame. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Vegan.
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Saucepan, Mixing bowl.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at ½ tsp.
How much toasted sesame oil?
1 tbsp of Toasted sesame oil.
How much soy sauce?
½ tsp (optional) of Soy sauce.
What can I use instead?
Soybean sprouts → Mung bean sprouts. Softer, faster. Still a namul.
Any tips from this recipe?
Do not put a lid on the blanching pot if you are superstitious about the smell. Plenty of cooks still don't. A pinch of gochugaru makes a spicy muchim.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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