Beansprouts

I love beansprouts. They are easy to clean, easy to cook, and very easy to eat. They add a great crunch to whatever dish you add them to, and it provides a nice contrast to the soft noodles of instant ramen.

Level Up Your Noodles with Beansprouts

What makes beansprouts so good is their mild, earthy flavor which allows them to soak up all the deliciousness of your ramen. My experience with them before instant ramen was really just eating a ton of them in my pho bowls. The funny thing is that I actually hated them growing up, but I guess maturing is realizing that beansprouts are amazing.

How to Add Beansprouts to Instant Ramen

Boiling is my favorite way to prepare beansprouts for instant ramen because it’s quick and convenient. You can even do it in the same pot while your noodles are cooking. It softens them just enough while keeping that satisfying crunch.

• Raw & Crisp: Like I noted above, adding it raw like in my pho bowls is the absolute easiest way to have them. This is why it’s important to have piping hot broth because once you dunk the beansprouts, it will cool down the broth (you don’t want lukewarm beansprouts in lukewarm broth).
• 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 a slightly warmer, more integrated texture, quickly sauté washed beansprouts into the pan with your cooked, drained noodles and sauce (if it’s a dry/saucy ramen) for about 30 seconds to a minute. This softens them and infuses them with flavor. This works well with saucy and/or dry noodles.

No matter how you prepare them, they’re quick and easy, making them one of the fastest ways to upgrade your bowl. We used a combination of the blanch and saute method for my Spam and Egg Buldak Spicy Ramen recipe.

My Instant Ramen Suggestions:

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

• Pho-Inspired Ramens: Essential for that fresh pho experience in your bowl. It pairs well with cilantro and lime juice.
  • Chin-Su PhoStory Beef Flavored
• Spicy Ramens: With spicy ramens, they offer a refreshing crunch that helps cut through the heat. I love the juicy snap they provide alongside the noodles, especially in fiery bowls like Samyang Buldak or Shin Ramyun.
  • Samyang Buldak Chicken Stir-Fried Ramen
  • Nongshim Shin Ramyun Spicy
• Savory Broths: They soak up rich flavors from Tonkotsu or Beef-flavored ramens beautifully.
• Pad Thai Noodles: They add that fresh crunch and balance to the often sweeter, tangier, and saucier Pad Thai instant noodles.
  • 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:

So, whether you prefer them raw for a refreshing crunch or lightly cooked for a tender bite, beansprouts are a quick and easy way to add texture and a subtle sweetness to your instant ramen. Give them a try in your next bowl!