Mung Bean Salad
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Mung beans are known for their many health benefits. You can often find mung bean face masks. Why not get the benefits straight from the source with this mung bean salad recipe!
So what are mung beans exactly? Mung beans are a green bean that is part of the legume family. Mung beans are consumed in different ways around the world, making them a versatile legume.
Since they are a part of the legume family, mung beans are a great source of plant-based protein. They can contain up to 25 percent of protein per weight! Mung beans are also packed with other healthy nutrients such as antioxidants, amino acids, potassium, magnesium and fibre.
With all these different nutrients, mung beans There can benefit your body in 5 different ways. This includes lowering blood pressure, combating inflammation, managing type 2 diabetes, lowering “bad” cholesterol and battling obesity.
The biggest benefit of mung beans is that they taste amazing! As an ingredient in the kitchen, mung beans go great in salads, stir-fries and even desserts.
You can add a crunch to any recipe by letting the beans sprout. The mung bean sprouts are generally nutty in taste and they grow really fast. It only takes one or two days for the sprouts to pop up.
If you don’t wish to use sprouted mung beans, you can opt for just softening them. Soaking them in cold water for at least 6 hours or overnight will help the beans soften up. You can also cook the beans in boiling water for about 30 to 40 minutes. You want the beans to be soft but not squishy.
This salad recipe also calls for sweet peppers, tomato and cucumber. The best part about preparing salads is that you can add anything you want into it! Try adding avocado, corn, quinoa or red onion to change things up. You can also substitute the mung beans in this recipe for butter beans or kidney beans.
Regardless of what you put in the salad, it will taste great. Now let’s get started on this mung bean salad recipe! Also, try our Smashed Cucumber Salad!
Mung Bean Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup sprouted mung beans
- 1 red pepper
- 1 tomato
- ¼ cucumber
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- pinch of red chili powder
- ½ lemon or lime juiced
Instructions
Sprouting Mung Beans
- Rinse off your mung beans and place them in a container. Fill the container with cool water, about double the amount of mung beans. The extra water will be soaked up by the beans. Let them soak overnight and do not place them in the fridge.
- Drain the water in the morning and give them a quick rinse. Some of the beans may have already sprouted. Place the beans on a thin cotton cloth and wrap it tightly around the beans.
- Place the wrapped mung beans back into the container and cover with a breathable lid. If you don’t have a breathable lid, just partially cover the opening of the container to allow some air in.
- Keep the beans in a warm and dark place until they have sprouted. This may take 1 or 2 days. When ready, rinse them off before eating.
Prepping the Salad
- Wash all your salad ingredients thoroughly and chop them into small cubes. Then add them to a large bowl. Add in your sprouted mung beans too.
- To make the dressing, combine the salt, pepper, cumin and chilli powder together in a small bowl. Then squeeze the lemon or lime juice into the mixture as well and mix.
- Pour the salad dressing into the bowl with your ingredients and toss to evenly coat the vegetables.
- Your salad is ready to eat! Enjoy!
