Crunchy Pickled Bean Sprout Salad

By kbwinson

A crunchy, tart-sweet salad, great for sandwiches in place of lettuce, also good as a side salad.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cups sugar or Splenda
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 1 lb bean sprouts
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks or pre-packaged julienned carrots (use about 1/2 cup)
• 5 small or 4 medium scallions, white parts only, cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

To make the brine, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar, salt, vinegar, and water and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely.

Up to 2hrs in advance of serving, combine the bean sprouts, carrot, and scallions in a bowl. Pour the cooled brine over the vegetables and then use your fingers to toss the vegetables in the brine. Set aside to marinate for 30 minutes, turning the vegetables 2 or 3 times to expose them evenly to the brine. At first, there won’t be enough brine to cover the vegetables, but they will eventually shrink in volume. When the vegetables are ready for eating, the brine will almost cover them and they will have a pleasantly tangy flavor and lots of crunch. Taste to make sure they have sat long enough. Once you are satisfied with the flavor, drain the vegetables and pile them high on a plate.

Kim’s note: This will keep for up to 1 week in the regrigerator.