How to use sprouts (with recipes and weekly menu)

It may seem that sprouts or sprouts are only used for decoration, but nothing is further from the truth: they are a first order ingredient, fresh and nutritious. That is why I am going to tell you in this post how to take advantage of them in the kitchen.

I will also introduce you to weekly vegan menu with lots of sprouts. In this menu I am going to give you ideas to incorporate sprouts into a wide variety of dishes. It’s about having on hand sprout recipe examples that perhaps otherwise would not occur to us, and obviously it is not necessary to use them so intensively.

Can download the weekly menu with sprouts here.

How to use sprouts

To take advantage of all its nutritional power, The ideal is to consume the sprouts rawwithout cooking.

That doesn’t mean we can’t. add to hot or warm preparationsbut we will do it at the end of these, so that they preserve their freshness and nutrients.

Furthermore, it is a food that we can grow at home ourselves, without needing a lot of space and following a few simple instructions. You may not be able to have an urban garden, but you can always germinate your seeds at home and have your own sprouts ready to add a touch to your dishes.

Definitely, the most common use is in cold saladswhether based on vegetables or style buddha bowl, more complete. Sprout salads are a classic. It’s an easy way to add more texture to a dish and give it that amazing crunch. The question is that we have variety of flavors to combine and that it is not necessary to always stick to the same sprouts.

The list of dishes and preparations in which to introduce the sprouts is endless, but I am going to give you some ideas to introduce them:

in all kinds of salads, buddha bowlpokés and combined dishes cold and temperate. vegetable creams and cold soupsat the time of serving. breadsespecially in raw vegan breads.snacksfor a crunchy or spicy touch.stews and stewsalso better at the time of serving. As pizza topping.Some are very good in desserts and can accompany a yogurt with fruit.

yes, probably we will not use the same sprouts for a chickpea curry as for a gazpachoand that if we are going to serve ourselves a yogurt we choose completely different ones.

Types of sprouts: flavor and uses

These small bombs of flavor and nutrients are usually a variation of the food in its adult state at the organoleptic level. However, in the germinated we can find the flavor softened or, on the contrary, enhanced. An extra sweetness may also appear, although the flavor that usually surprises us the most is spicy.

You may not be familiar with all of them, so here are a few for you to jump into the world of sprouts.

Alfalfa: It is the sprout par excellence, with a very pleasant and mild flavor. It is ideal for salads, although it resists cooking well compared to others. Although it is very easy to find, you can also start alfalfa at home.Onion, spring onion and garlic: With the flavor we know, but milder than the adult plant, much easier to digest and with less effect on the breath. Ideal to finish stews and basic for salads.Broccoli: Very appreciated for its nutritional contributions, with a very concentrated broccoli flavor. It is very combinable.Lentils: The sprout is sweet and spicy, it will give a lot of flavor to your salads and sandwiches. We all have lentils at home, so you can encourage yourself to germinate them yourself.Chickpeas: In this format they do not produce gases, so germinating them is very interesting and allows us to enjoy the chickpea raw.mung bean: It is the most common sprout in supermarkets, normally known as bean sprout, although you can try making it at home. Here you will find some tips to germinate the seeds. The sprouts give a crunchy and fresh touch to salads and sandwiches, but being quite thick, they resist cooking well and are very good in the wok.Sunflower: Sweet in flavor, it combines very well with pumpkin or leek creamsFenugreek: The flavor reminds us of curry and is ideal for legume stews.Fennel: Its aniseed flavor combines with sweet creams, yogurts, smoothies and desserts. Also for salads.Apple: It has a very concentrated apple flavor, so it is great for salads and desserts, as well as to give a fruity touch to dishes. buddha bowl.Radish: Another spicy-tasting sprout. Very interesting to add an unusual flavor to sandwiches or creams with very neutral flavors.

A weekly menu with ideas for using sprouts

Below you will find three recipes with sprouts that I have included in the this week’s downloadable menu, but in it you will find many other suggestions. Whether you buy the sprouts or make them at home, it will be good for you to have several options to release them in a few daysbecause it is convenient to consume them as fresh as possible.

As I told you above, the menu is designed to give you ideas: You don’t have to eat sprouts every day if you don’t feel like it (although it’s a great way to increase your vitamin intake!). You can substitute them for some other fresh ingredient that you like.

Now, if you dare with sprouts at any time of the day, you are interested in knowing that on the menu you will even find original recipes to include sprouts at breakfast. So let yourself be surprised by all the possibilities they offer you, even sweet! These are just some examples:

vegetable yogurt with almonds and apple sproutschia pudding with pineapple and fennel sproutsoatmeal porridge with fresh fruit and sunflower sproutswrap breakfast with scrambled tofu, lettuce and onion sprouts

In the downloadable menu you will find some more. You will also find the three recipes that I promised you and that you can read below. Enjoy them!

Recipe with spring onion sprouts: Mushroom pâté montaditos

Stockfood

Both in sandwich version and in canapés or montaditos, pâtés combine wonderfully with sprouts. In addition, we will discover that they add consistency and an extra flavor that can help reduce saltFor example.

Ingredients:

1 whole wheat bread roll 2 or 3 tablespoons of homemade mushroom pate 2 handfuls of spring onion sprouts or another of our choice several spinach leaves 2 slices of natural tofu (optional) a few slices of tomato (optional)

Preparation:

Cut the bun in two and toast it lightly. Spread the mushroom pate on both halves. Add a handful of sprouts to each and spread them out. Finally, place the spinach leaves and other possible ingredients, such as tofu or tomato slices .

Recipe with lentil sprouts: Vegetable wok

Stockfood

Stir-fries are also one of the preparations in which sprouts combine best. They can be added at the end of the preparation to integrate, but ideally they should not be cooked and therefore that they incorporate when serving.

Ingredients for 2 people:

1 carrot 1 red pepper 1 green pepper 1 white onion 2 tablespoons virgin olive oil 1 cup cooked brown rice 1 large handful of lentil sprouts 2 tablespoons tamari 50 ml water ½ teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon ground white pepper

Preparation:

Peel and cut the onion into thin half moons. We wash the peppers and carrots, which we will brush or peel. Cut them into strips. Mix the tamari with the water and the spices. Heat a pan with the oil and the mixture of tamari and spices. Cook the vegetables with a lid for 2-3 minutes. Sauté the vegetables by adding the rice over high heat for a few minutes. .Turn off the heat, add the sprouts and serve.

Recipe with fenugreek sprouts: Lentil stew with vegetables

photocuisine

Stews are preparations in which we can use the sprouts from the beginning, losing part of the nutrients, but integrating it better, or at the end, to take advantage of the crunchy touch. Experiment with the two ways to incorporate sprouts into stews if you want to see how far its culinary possibilities go.

Ingredients for 2 people:

2 medium potatoes to cook 1 Italian red pepper 100 grams of lentils (and/or lentil sprouts that are a few days old) 1 cup of fenugreek sprouts 2 tablespoons of double concentrated tomato 1 white onion 2 garlic cloves 2 tablespoons of olive oil ½ liter of homemade vegetable broth Water

Preparation:

If we use the dry lentils and not the sprouted lentils, we leave the lentils to soak overnight. Prepare the vegetables: peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes, clicking them; wash the red pepper and cut it into slices, discarding the stem and seeds; Peel the onion and cut it into fine juliana; and peel the garlic and fillet them. In a pot, heat the olive oil and brown the garlic and onion. Add the potato and the pepper, and sauté for a couple more minutes. Pour the vegetable broth and water into the pot until completing three quarters of a liter. Add the lentils and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook for 30-40 minutes, making sure that both the potato and the lentils are ready. Turn off the heat and, when it has warmed, add the fenugreek sprouts, stirring to integrate .We serve still hot or warm.