Salads are always associated with healthy eating. And this sprouts salad ticks all the right boxes. It is an easy-to-make, tasty, nutritious, and all-diet-friendly bowl of goodness.
This sprouts salad recipe is a great idea for breakfast, lunch, and mid-day snacks. This wholesome salad has mung bean sprouts as the main ingredient. Tomatoes, onions, and radishes add zing and freshness, whereas avocado makes this salad creamy. Parsley and mint are good sources of flavorful greens. You’ll love the crunchy texture of toasted almonds in the salad.
The simple yet savory combination of lemon, olive oil, cumin, chili flakes, salt, and garlic makes for a refreshing salad dressing.
With premade mung sprouts, this no-cook salad comes together in under 10 minutes. This quick and no-fuss recipe is a must-try for salad lovers.
Health benefits of mung sprouts
The process of germination enhances the nutrient value of the seeds. Sprouted mung beans have fewer calories. Also, they are rich in free amino acids and antioxidants. Hence, sprouts are promoted to be a part of a healthy diet.
In addition to being a great source of protein and dietary fibers, mung sprouts are low in fats and carbohydrates. Thus, they keep you full for longer and may assist with weight loss.
Mung sprouts are abundant in potassium and magnesium and may aid in blood pressure regulation. They may also help in combating high sugar and cholesterol levels (https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mung-beans#TOC_TITLE_HDR_12).
Different sprouts that can be adapted to this recipe
Legumes like alfalfa, chickpea, black chickpea, moth beans, and horse gram are all rich sources of protein and fiber. Like mung, you can sprout them at home. Depending on the season and the lentil, it may take longer to germinate.
Feel free to use one type or a mixture of different sprouts for making your salad. If you are not a frequent sprouts consumer, you may boil, blanch, or steam your sprouts in advance. Boiled sprout salad tastes as good as raw sprouts salad.
Eating raw v/s cooked sprouts
When sprouted at home, you may consume raw sprouts. This is because you are in control of hygiene. The process of sprouting involves the use of a colander, water, and intermittent washes.
Since bacteria thrive on moisture and nutrition, all these steps may create potential breeding grounds for harmful bacteria. Hence, it is recommended that store-bought sprouts be blanched or steamed before use. Once cooled, they can be used in the recipe as suggested. Also, cooking makes sprouts more digestible for people with sensitive stomachs.
Expert tips to make delicious sprouts salad
Always use clean utensils and hands to sprout the lentils
Avoid touching lentils with dirty utensils or hands. Instead, spray it occasionally with clean water to maintain moisture. During the process of sprouting or storage, if mung sprouts smell funny, have visible fungus, or have a slimy texture, do not use them.
Get rid of the bitter taste
If you mind the slightly bitter taste of mung sprouts, soak them in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes before use. This will make mung sprouts more palatable.
Adjust the spices to your liking
Feel free to experiment with your favorite spices. For a spicier salad, add some freshly chopped green chilies to the salad.
Recipe substitutions and variations
Add your favorite veggies
Apart from the veggies mentioned in the recipe, you may add grated carrots, beets, cucumber, boiled corn, raw papaya, raw mango, or boiled potatoes.
Nut variation
Toasted peanuts pair well with this salad. In absence of toasted almonds, substitute them with toasted peanuts, sunflower, pumpkin, or sesame seeds.
Topping ideas
Finish off the salad with some pomegranate seeds. This will add a pop of color and crunch to the salad. You may also garnish with fresh coriander and grated coconut.
Add protein
To make the salad more filling, add some tofu chunks, boiled chickpeas, or red kidney beans.
Other uses of mung sprouts
Make stir-fry noodles
Stir-fried mung sprouts taste excellent with noodles. Many Asian-inspired dishes come with a generous helping of mung sprouts.
Make mung gravy
Cooked mung sprouts pair well with coconut-based curries. You may eat it like soup or with some jasmine rice.
Make a sandwich
Combine mung sprouts with vegan mayonnaise, pesto, herbs, salt, and pepper to make a delicious filling. Make yourself a hearty sandwich with this nutritious mixture.
Recommended ways to store sprouts salad
This sprouts salad is best served fresh. You may store the leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For temporary storage, refrigerate the salad without adding lemon juice and spices. We do not recommend freezing this salad. Freezing and thawing alter the texture of sprouts and compromises their taste.
FAQs
Does this salad taste good with cooked sprouts?
People are generally apprehensive about consuming raw sprouts because of possible bacterial contamination. One way to get rid of any bacteria is by boiling sprouts briefly. This will soften the sprouts partially but still retain a little bite. A salad made from such boiled sprouts tastes just as good as raw mung salad. However, do not cook sprouts in a pressure cooker as it’ll result in mushy lumps.
When should you eat sprouts salad?
Try to include sprouts salad in your breakfast, lunch, or pre-dinner. It digests slowly and hence provides energy throughout the day. Eating it late at night may be detrimental to your sleep.
Is this sprouts salad recipe gluten-free?
Yes, this is a gluten-free and vegan sprouts salad recipe.
What factors affect the process of sprouting?
If the grains are old, mung beans may sprout late or may not sprout at all. Also, a temperature of 18-20oC, darkness, and humidity are crucial for making mung bean sprouts.
Sprouts Salad (Make Your Own Sprouts!)
Ingredients
- 2 cups sprouted mung beans
- 1 ripe avocado diced
- 1 large tomato finely diced
- 1 small red onion finely diced
- 2 radishes very thinly sliced
- 1 small bunch fresh parsley finely chopped
- 10 mint leaves chopped
- 2 tbsp toasted slivered almonds
- 1/4 tsp red chili flakes
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves pressed
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- If you don't have access to mung bean sprouts, you can make your own in a very simple way.
- Rinse 2/3 cup dry mung bean using a fine mesh strainer. Transfer into a bowl and cover with water. Let soak overnight.
- The next day, discard the water, leaving the last few trickles behind, and cover the bowl with a lid. Let sprout at room temperature for two days, spraying them with fresh water once a day.
- To make the salad, transfer the sprouted beans to a large bowl, together with the tomato, red onion, parsley, mint and avocado.
- In a small bowl whisk the lemon juice with olive oil, pressed garlic, cumin powder, salt and chili flakes.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad bowl, then gently mix to combine.