Beansprouts

I hated beansprouts as a kid. I’d pick them out of pho bowls and pile them on the side of the plate. Maturing was realizing beansprouts are great. They’re crunchy, they don’t taste like much, they’re cheap, and they take a hot bowl of soft noodles and give it somewhere to bite. They earned their spot on every soup ramen I make at home.

Why Beansprouts are Great for Instant Ramen

Crunch is the part most instant ramen bowls are missing. The noodles are soft, the broth is liquid, the egg is tender. A handful of beansprouts on top is the cheapest way to give the bowl a different texture. They cost a couple of dollars for a full bag and they cook in seconds.

The other thing that earns them the spot: they take any flavor you throw at them. A spicy bowl gets sprouts that taste spicy. A pho-style bowl gets sprouts that taste like the broth. You’re not adding a new flavor to the bowl, you’re amplifying what’s already there.

Ways to Add Beansprouts to Instant Ramen

Raw on top: Adding them raw is the easiest way. It’s exactly how I eat them in pho. The key here is making sure your broth is piping hot before you add them. Once the beansprouts go in they cool everything down fast.

Lightly Blanched: I learned this one from ramen school. I don’t know why it never crossed my mind to lightly blanch the sprouts beforehand, but it’s genius for controlling the crunch. You can blanch them in a separate pot, or simply add the washed beansprouts to your boiling ramen water during the last 30-60 seconds of cooking the noodles.

Quick Saute: For dry noodles like Buldak or Mi Goreng. Toss a handful of sprouts into the pan with the drained noodles and sauce in the last thirty seconds. The sprouts wilt slightly and pick up the sauce flavor. James and I use this for our SPAM and Egg Buldak recipe.

My Instant Ramen Suggestions

Since beansprouts are mild-tasting, they’re great with any noodle flavor in my experience.

• Chin-Su PhoStory Beef Flavored
• Samyang Buldak Chicken Stir-Fried Ramen
• Nongshim Shin Ramyun Spicy
• Thai Delight Pad Thai Noodles

Here’s a beautiful bowl of ramen topped with blanched beansprouts that I had in Japan at Ramen Jiro Mita Honten:

Whether you prefer them raw for a fresh crunch or lightly cooked for a softer bite, beansprouts are one of the easiest and most versatile toppings you can add to instant ramen. What’s your go-to way to eat them? Let me know in the comments.