Make a very popular rice dish in Korean home cooking: Kongnamul Bap. Also called Soybean Sprout Rice, it’s a cozy and hearty dish made from rice and soybean sprouts. Add kimchi and ground pork for extra flavor. Drizzle with plenty of tangy Korean dipping sauce to make it complete!

this recipe

Kongnamul Bap (Soybean Sprout Rice)

Kongnamul Bap, also known as Soybean Sprout Rice, exemplifies the best of Korean home cooking. Easy to make with only a few ingredients, it’s also delicious and nourishing. And simple to make!

Soybean sprouts — the key ingredient — add flavor, texture, and lots of nutrients and fiber. As they steam, they release their flavorful essence into the rice.

My recipe also includes kimchi and pork. You only need a little bit to flavor the rice.

It’s also customary to serve Yangnyeom Jang (Korean dipping sauce) on the side. A tasty sauce that will season the rice so it’s mouthwateringly delicious and not too bland. People can add as much or as little as they like.

A homey dish that is pure Korean comfort food! Every household makes their own version. It’s such a simple, comforting dish. Enjoy!

What are Soybean Sprouts?

Soybean Sprouts are the sprouts of soybeans. They contain a bright yellow head and a long white stalk.

In Korean, they are called kongnamul. They are a popular ingredient in Korean cuisine. You can enjoy them steamed, stir-fried, or added to soups and noodle dishes.

Health benefits of Soybean Sprouts: high in vitamin C, fiber, and folate. They help with digestion, fight cancer, and improve eyesight, heart health, and metabolism. They also contain anti-aging benefits.

Ingredients:

• Soybean Sprouts (Kongnamul). Soybean sprouts are the star ingredient. Look for bright yellow heads and firm white stalks.
• Rice. For best results, use short grain rice. The texture of short grain rice is very pleasing in this dish — sticky and slightly firm and chewy. Medium grain rice can also work but I don’t recommend long grain. It will be too fluffy and soft.
• Kimchi. Use old kimchi, if you can. When cooked down, it becomes caramelized, mellow, and deeply delicious. Don’t use fresh, new kimchi for this recipe — it won’t taste the same.
• Soy sauce. Adds lots of umami flavor and depth.
• Mirin. Korean sweet cooking wine. Removes the gamey scent and flavor of meat. Can be subbed with Shaoxing wine, sherry, vermouth, or rice wine.
• Ground pork. Adds a satisfying, nubby texture. Swap with kind of pork (pork butt, pork belly, pork loin, etc.).
• Yangnyeom Jang. A classic Korean sauce that’s essential for this dish’s flavor profile! Made with Korean pantry ingredients: Soy sauce, garlic, green onion, sesame seeds, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and Gochukaru.

Instructions:

1. Prep rice. Rinse short-grain rice 3-4 times in cold water, until the water runs clear. Cover with water and set aside.
2. Cook ground pork. In a clay pot, cook ground pork, breaking up large clumps with a spoon.
3. Add kimchi, kimchi juice, soy sauce, mirin. Cook until the flavors come together and the kimchi looks somewhat caramelized, about 5 minutes. Using the back of a spoon, spread out the pork and kimchi into an even layer at the bottom of the pot.
4. Add rice. Drain water from the rice. Add directly on top of the kimchi and ground pork. Using the back of a spoon, gently spread rice all the way to the edges of the pot, in an even layer.
5. Add water. Add enough water to cover.
6. Add soybean sprouts. Add a generous amount of sprouts on top of the rice.
7. Cook. Cover and lower heat to medium-low until rice is cooked, about 12 minutes.
8. Steam for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Keep covered and let stand for 5 minutes. The extra 5 minutes of steaming is essential!
9. Make Yangneom Jang. While the Kongnamul Bap cooks, make the sauce. In a small bowl, mix all the sauce ingredients together.
10. Serve and enjoy! Remove the lid and mix the bean sprouts into the rice with a spoon. Divide evenly between two bowls and serve with Yangnyeom Jang.

PRO Tips:

• Rinse the rice. An essential step to remove excess starch and prevent gummy rice. Don’t skip it — the final texture will be mushy.
• Use a fine mesh sieve. To rinse and drain water from the short grain rice. Makes this step much easier.
• Save leftover Yangnyeom Jang. Makes a great dipping sauce for dumplings, pot stickers, savory pancakes, jeon, etc.
• Make it vegan. Substitute the ground pork with 5-6 dried shiitake mushrooms. Soak the dried mushrooms in boiling water until soft (5-10 minutes), then slice and follow the rest of the recipe. Everything else remains the same. Don’t forget to use vegan kimchi (no fish sauce or shrimp paste)!

Helpful Kitchen Tool: Ttukbaegi or Korean Clay Pot

If you have a Ttukbaegi, this is the time to use it! A Korean clay pot makes this dish extra homey and delicious.

Don’t have one? A medium stainless steel or non-stick cooking pot will also work. Make sure you use a tight-fitting lid.

However, do not be tempted to use an enameled cast iron pan, like a Lecreuset or Staub dutch oven. (Non-stick coated ones could work, but I’ve never tried.) Otherwise, the rice will burn and stick to the bottom of the pan.

My Korean Grandmother’s secret for PERFECT Soybean Sprout Rice:

Unlike most Western recipes that require exact, standardized amounts — Kongnamul Bap requires a little flexibility.

The amount of liquid depends on many factors: the age of the kimchi, the amount of water released by the pork, how quickly the liquid reduces, etc.

To avoid gummy, overcooked rice, follow my Korean Grandmother’s advice for perfect Soybean Sprout Rice:

• Soak the uncooked rice in water, then add JUST enough water to cover.

Not too much, not too little! Look eye-level to the pot. The water should barely cover everything with a grain or two poking up here and there. That’s the perfect amount of water needed.

More easy recipes:

• Doenjang Jjigae (Soybean Paste Stew)
• Ground Beef Bulgogi Bowls
• Gochujang Pork Bowls
• Hwe Dup Bap (Korean Sushi Bowl)