If you enjoy making fried noodles such as beef lo mein, vegetable chow fun, shrimp pad thai, you might constantly have a big bag of leftover bean sprouts tucked in your fridge until they go bad. If that’s the case, this bean sprout salad is the perfect solution! It is easy to put together, uses a big bag of bean sprouts in one go, and not to mention, it’s a very delicious way to add a side dish to your dinner. Bean sprout salad is one of those homestyle dishes that often appears on the family dinner table in China rather than in a restaurant. And while it looks really simple, you’d be surprised how flavorful it is. If you’re making a stir fry dish or a braised dish, make bean sprout salad as a side dish to round out your meal with a fun texture, bold taste and nutrition.
Bean sprout salad ingredients
The bean sprout salad contains just a few elements:
Vegetables: bean sprouts, pepperAromatics: green onions, garlicSauce: soy sauce, Chinkiang vinegar, sugarSpice: Sichuan peppercornOil
For this one, instead of placing each of the ingredients in small bowls, it’s best to assemble the ingredients directly in a big salad bowl as you’re prepping them. I like to use some hot peppers to add color and spice up the dish. The ones I used in this recipe were Asian long red peppers, which have about the same spiciness level as jalapeños. You can also use anaheims, cubanelles, or jalapeños in this dish. If using anaheims or cubanelles, you can slice them into matchsticks so they’re about the same shape and size as the bean sprouts for a better texture.
Cooking process
NOTE: Pouring the hot oil like this might sound daunting, but it’s an important part of the recipe. The oil will quickly cook the garlic and peppercorns to develop the flavor without making the taste too sharp. If you prefer a more mellow taste, you can also put the garlic and Sichuan peppercorns separately in a small plate. Heat up the oil, add the garlic and Sichuan peppercorns to the oil when it is hot, then give it a stir and pour it over the salad.
How to further spice up this dish
If you have homemade chili oil, you can add a spoonful to the bean sprout salad to make it even more addictive!
Pair bean sprout salad with
Air Fryer Salt and Pepper ChickenZha Jiang Mian (Old Beijing Fried Sauce Noodle, 炸酱面)Stir Fried Vermicelli with Pork (Ma Yi Shang Shu, 蚂蚁上树)Authentic Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐)Sichuan Shrimp Stir Fry
