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    Home » Recipes » Vegetables

    Sakamoto Namul (Marinated Bean Sprouts)

    Jun 24, 2018 · 8 Comments

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    this recipe for sakamoto namul, or marinated bean sprouts, was first published in march 2014. everything else (the pics + my words) has been updated (as of june 2018!).

    imagine a huge vat of bean sprouts lounging in a potent marinade chockful of garlic and soy and sugar. it’s unassuming amongst its somewhat more elaborate neighbors, tsukemono and inari (cute alert for these ones), but still lures you in. and that’s how i ended up eating three large portions of marinated bean sprouts at a new year's day party, even with all the other japanese yummies (spam musubi! surrounding me.

    my mom asked her sister for the recipe, and said sister got it from one of her husband's aunts, though i'm not sure of how that aunt ended up with the recipe. there's a slight contradiction in the name sakamoto namul; sakamoto is a japanese last name, but namul is a korean word for a certain kind of fern/vegetable. from my mild research, the recipe came from arnold sakamoto, who owned/owns a small business (restaurant? grocery store? catering? who knows) in hawaii. the hawaiian context makes a lot of sense to me, since hawaii is such a melting pot, and japanese and korean cuisines influence the food so much.

    sakamoto namul is a great side dish for kimbap or this take on mul naengmyeon, though honestly i would be set for lunch with a bowlful and some rice and kimchi. or a wonderful snack for those times you’re afflicted with the munchies. it's garlicky and a little bit pickle-y, but there's also a hint of sesame oil to mellow everything out. in case you want to play around: grated ginger in place of some of the garlic would be nice, and/or a sprinkling of toasted almonds on top could help satisfy all of your crunch cravings.

    Sakamoto namul, or marinated bean sprouts, is perfect for serving with other Korean side dishes (banchan), like marinated cucumbers and kimchi. #beansprouts #koreanfood #banchan #vegetables

    4 from 5 votes
    You can make a lot of sakamoto namul (marinated bean sprouts) ahead of time, making it perfect for meal prep or a party. #beansprouts #koreanfood #banchan #vegetables
    Print
    Sakamoto Namul (Marinated Bean Sprouts)
    Prep Time
    10 mins
    Total Time
    10 mins
     
    Sakamoto namul is an easy, Korean-style marinated bean sprout dish.
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Hawaiian, Korean
    Keyword: banchan, bean sprouts, fish sauce, garlic, green onions, hawaiian, korean, scallions, sesame oil, shoyu, side dish, soy sauce, vegetables
    Servings: 10 people
    Calories: 69 kcal
    Ingredients
    Dressing
    • ½ cup low sodium soy sauce
    • 2 T vegetable or canola oil
    • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • 2 teaspoon sesame oil
    • 1 T fish sauce
    • 1 T rice wine vinegar
    Bean Sprouts
    • 2 12 oz packages mung bean sprouts
    • 2 green onions sliced
    Instructions
    Dressing
    1. Mix the above ingredients to create the dressing.
    Bean Sprouts
    1. Place the bean sprouts in a bowl. Pour boiling water over and rest for 5 minutes. Drain well and squeeze the sprouts gently.
    2. Toss the sprouts, dressing and green onions together. You can start munching on it immediately, but the bean sprouts absorb the dressing really nicely if you wait a couple hours.

    This marinated bean sprout dish, sakamoto namul, is garlicky and tangy and crunchy and so addictive. #beansprouts #koreanfood #banchan #vegetables

    This bean sprout side dish, called sakamoto namul, comes together in less than 10 minutes, making it perfect for a weeknight vegetable dish. #beansprouts #koreanfood #banchan #vegetables
    Sakamoto namul, or marinated bean sprouts, are flavored with soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and garlic, and make for the perfect easy side dish.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Doreen says

      March 13, 2017 at 10:27 pm

      Does "sakamoto" mean beansprouts?

      Reply
      • Heather says

        March 15, 2017 at 12:21 pm

        i'm pretty sakamoto is the name of the original creator of the recipe. i thought namul meant bean sprouts in korean, but according to wikipedia, it's a catch-all for edible grasses/leaves and their associated dishes. who knew?! 😉

        Reply
    2. Kim Lange says

      June 25, 2018 at 8:44 am

      I love bean sprouts! I never get enough of them! I love the way these are prepared and flavored. YUM!!5 stars

      Reply
    3. Tandy | Lavender and Lime says

      June 25, 2018 at 8:56 pm

      Are the bean sprouts raw before the pickling stage?

      Reply
      • Heather says

        July 12, 2018 at 11:32 am

        sort of! they get a soak in hot water to help them soften up, so they're definitely not as crunchy as they are when totally raw.

        Reply
    4. GiGi Eats says

      June 28, 2018 at 3:10 pm

      I feel like that would be a nice little sushi side dish!5 stars

      Reply
      • Heather says

        July 12, 2018 at 11:33 am

        oooh yes!! or even wrapped into a sushi roll it'd be tasty i bet (:

        Reply
    5. Carol Cuevas says

      March 30, 2022 at 10:37 am

      Very Nice. New to growing bean sprouts. This goes nicely with rolls, sushi, and other Asian dishes. I had to buy the fish sauce, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar to get it right. No regrets. Thank You Very Much. My husband and I love it!5 stars

      Reply

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