Make Bean Sprouts Garlic Scape Salad

This is my own take on the Korean side kongnamul muchim, using garlic scapes in place of the garlic and scallions. It comes together in about 5 minutes and makes for a satisfying side with a crisp crunchy texture and heady aroma of toasted sesame seeds. By using garlic scapes, it not only adds a dash of color to the salad, it also adds a mellow sweetness and garlic flavor.

You can usually find garlic scapes year round in Asian supermarkets, as well as at local farmers markets during spring, but if you can't find it, garlic chives will also work for this dish. As for the bean sprouts, this salad will work with mung bean sprouts (the type with a small soft bean at the top), but I prefer using soy bean sprouts (the type with a large firm yellow bean at the top of the sprout) because they have a better texture. The stalk of soy bean sprouts are a bit more fibrous, giving the salad a marvelous crunchy texture, and the bean itself has a texture and taste similar to edamame.

This dish is great for parties because the ingredients are cheap and you can make this a day in advance. While there's nothing complicated about this salad, it is very important to squeeze as much water out of the cooked bean sprouts as possible, otherwise your salad will end up watery.