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Bird's-eye view of a bed of bean sprouts topped with cucumber slices, ham strips, sesame seeds, and a drizzle of soy sauce and sesame oil.

Japanese Bean Sprout Salad

Blanched bean sprouts and cucumber strips tossed with ham in a rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil dressing.
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Prep Time 4 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 2 servings
Calories 150 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 7 oz bean sprouts
  • 1 Japanese or Persian cucumber (if using Persian cucumbers, increase quantity by about 1.5 times)
  • 1.5 oz deli-sliced ham
  • 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 ½ Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • ½ Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Instructions
 

  • Cut cucumber and ham:

    Cut the cucumber and ham into thin strips roughly ⅕ inch (5 mm) wide.

  • Blanch bean sprouts:

    Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Drop in the bean sprouts and blanch for 30 seconds to 1 minute. (If the water stops boiling upon adding the sprouts, there is no need to wait for it to resume a full boil.)

  • Rinse and drain sprouts:

    Pour the sprouts into a colander to drain. Rinse them under cold running water until fully cooled, then drain thoroughly again.

  • Squeeze out excess liquid:

    Transfer the bean sprouts and cucumber strips into a plastic bag. Snip a small opening in one corner of the bag. Squeeze the bag firmly to force out excess liquid from the vegetables through the hole.

  • Toss with dressing:

    Empty the sprouts and cucumber into a mixing bowl, then add the ham. Drizzle with rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sprinkle sesame seeds. Toss everything together until well combined.
Keyword bean sprout banchan, japanese bean sprout salad, recipes with bean sprouts