Mung beans are one of the best plant-based sources of protein. They’re rich in essential amino acids (the ones that our body cannot produce AND they are high in important vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber. They deliver a whopping 14.5 grams of protein per cup which is critical for happy, healthy bones.

Sprouting mung beans also helps release more super powers as sprouting changes their nutritional composition. Sprouted beans contain fewer calories and more free amino acids and antioxidants than unsprouted ones. Read on to see just how easy sprouting is!

Ingredients

Salad:

• 2 cups sprouted mung beans*
• ½ cup of each: chopped seeded tomato, celery, peeled cucumber, red onion; grated carrot
• 1 chopped jalapeno

Dressing:

• Juice of one lemon
• 2 T. organic apple cider vinegar or fire cider
• ½ t. salt (I prefer black salt – kala namak)
• ½ – 1 t. ground roasted cumin (to taste)
• ½ t. red chili powder (or to taste)
• 1 t. garam masala

Garnish:

• Drizzle of organic olive oil, if desired
• Sprouted seeds or peanuts
• Chopped cilantro

Directions

*Why Sprout? Sprouting can make protein more digestible, improve absorption of minerals like zinc and iron, and may increase healthy phytochemicals in beans.

Sprouting is amazingly easy and significantly ups the nutritional value of your food. It’s this easy: Put the beans you are going to sprout in a bowl and cover with water. Cover about 2” past the top of the beans. Cover with a cloth and allow it to sit on your counter overnight. The next morning, drain the beans into a colander. Give the beans a good rinse. Place the colander containing the beans into a bowl. Cover with the cloth.

Rinse beans every couple of hours. Watch for the beans to sprout little white “tails.” Rinse and let set another 2-4 hours. Do a final rinse and they are ready to cook. They will cook more quickly than if they were cooked without soaking at all or overnight soaks. A good site for a deeper dive is  https://beaninstitute.com/sprouting-black-beans-for-soup

Assemble the salad by tossing ingredients together. And don’t get crazy over which veggies or how much. Go with what you have, what you like, and most importantly, what you will eat!

The dressing is simple. Just whisk it together and stir into the salad.

Dress it up if you’d like with some garnishes, or not. Your choice. I like to serve it chilled after the spices have had a chance to meld, but you can also serve it at room temperature. Again, your choice.

Enjoy!