Red bean soup is a popular and classic Asian Chinese dessert like sweet green mung bean soup, taro sago, black glutinous rice dessert, black sesame soup and mango sago pomelo. In Chinese, red bean soup also called hong dou tang (紅豆湯). This sweet red bean soup recipe has both instant pot and top stove methods. Besides, you can also use this sweet red bean recipe or red bean paste recipe to make red bean mochi, red bean sticky rice cake and red bean ice drink. Let’s learn how to make sweet red bean soup with detailed photo instructions and a video.
Love Asian food? Check out these honeydew popsicle, pan fried buns, tom yum king, salt & pepper squid, Korean glass noodles, California rolls and Vietnamese spring rolls recipes.
What is red bean soup?
Red bean soup is also called adzuki bean soup. It is a popular Asian dessert mostly in China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and southeast Asia. In Chinese mandarin, it called hong dou tang (紅豆湯). Also, in Cantonese, we called it hung4 dau6 sha1 (紅豆沙). It categorized as dessert, tang shui (糖水). Literally it translates as sugar water or sweet soup like sweet mung bean soup, taro sago, black glutinous rice dessert, black sesame soup and mango sago pomelo.
Sweet red bean soup is made from small red adzuki beans with sugar and water. It has a sweet, creamy texture and nutty flavor. In Japan, red bean soup is called "anko" and it is commonly used as a filling in traditional sweets like mochi, dorayaki, and taiyaki.
Depends on personal preference and the regional variation. Some recipes may add ingredients such as glutinous rice balls, lotus seeds, sago pearls, or coconut milk to add more flavor and texture to the soup. Normally, red bean soup is served cold during summer and hot in winter. Besides, it is served as a dessert at the end of a Chinese restaurant meal or banquet.
What kind of sugar should I use to make tong sui, a sweet dessert soup?
In Chinese tong sui, sweet dessert soup, usually we use rock sugar and brown slab cane sugar. It is because the sweetness gradually and slowly dissolves while simmering which provides a pleasant sweetness and texture. However, you can use regular brown sugar or white sugar and add sugar according to your sweetness.
Why do you add dried mandarin peels to sweet soup?
Dried tangerine peel or dried mandarin peel are called chen pi 陳皮 (old peel) in Chinese. It is a popular ingredient in Asian cuisine, particularly in Cantonese and Chinese dishes. Chen pi 陳皮 is made by drying the peel of tangerines or mandarin oranges under the sun until it becomes dry and hard. Often, the dried peel is used in various dishes, soups, teas, and traditional medicines for additional flavor and aroma. In this Chinese sweet red bean soup recipe, I added dried mandarin peels because it is a classic Cantonese tong sui which gives more flavor and aroma to the sweet dessert soup.
What are the ingredients in Chinese red bean soup?
Traditionally, in Cantonese cuisine hong dou tang (紅豆湯) is made of rock sugar, water, red beans and dried mandarin peels. Red beans are also called adzuki beans. It's a kind of mung bean in red color. Most of the time people like to use rock sugar or sliced brown sugar to make sweet soup. However, you can use brown sugar and it tastes great as well.
In this Chinese sweet red bean soup recipe, the ingredients are adzuki beans, rock sugar, water and dried mandarin peels.
Cooking tips for how to make Chinese red bean soup:
- Wash and rinse adzuki beans (red mung beans) and dried mandarin peels.
- Put adzuki beans, dried mandarin peel and water into a pressure cooker manual for 45 minutes at high pressure and quick release.
- After that, quickly release the pressure, open the lid, add ¾ cup of rock sugar or brown sugar, add sugar to your taste. (Be careful when quickly releasing the pressure.)
- Sauté for 30-40 mins until it thickens. Remember to stir it once a while to prevent the bottom from burning. (It depends what viscosity you want. The longer it takes for sauté, the thicker it becomes.)
- Pre soak the beans for 2-4 hours if you use a top stove or slow cooker method.
FAQs:
Using an instant pot pressure cooker to make red bean soup is faster than a traditional top stove cooking method and does not require pre-soaking the beans. Not only is it easier to make sweet adzuki bean soup, but also the beans are soft.
Normally, it takes 2-4 hours to soak the beans if you use a top stove or slow cooker method. However, it doesn't require soaking adzuki beans before cooking in a pressure cooker instant pot.
Yes, you can skip it if you do not have it. However, adding the dried mandarin peels does add extra aroma and flavor to the red bean soup.
You can use sliced brown sugar, regular brown sugar or white sugar.
Average can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Also, you can make red bean ice drink or freeze them to make ice pops. This is one of my favorite Chinese popsicles and I enjoy it a lot.
Instructions on how to make instant pot red bean soup:
1. Wash or rinse 1 cup of red beans ( 8.5 oz). Then, put it into the instant pot, pressure cooker.
2. Next, add 2 small pieces of dried mandarin peels (2 g).
3. After that, pour 6 cups of water into the instant pot. Close the lid and vent. Then, push the manual button and adjust time for 45 minutes at high pressure.
4. The following, quickly release the pressure and open the lid. Then, add ¾ cup of rock sugar or brown sugar (add sugar to your taste). Push the button sauté for 30-40 mins until it thickens. Remember to stir it once a while to prevent the bottom from burning. (It depends what viscosity you want. The longer it takes for sauté, the thicker it becomes.)
Enjoy this authentic Chinese sweet red bean soup recipe with both instant pot and top stove method! Also, check out these mango sticky rice, grass jelly, ginger milk curd, taro ice cream, white rabbit candy ice cream, lobster yee mein and steamed pork patty recipes.
Instructions for how to make sweet red bean soup top stove:
1. Wash or soak 1 cup of red beans ( 8.5 oz) for 2-4 hours before cooking. Then, put it into a big pot.
2. Next, add 2 small pieces of dried mandarin peels (2 g) into the pot.
3. After that, pour 6 cups of water into the pot. Turn on medium high fire. When the water is boiling, turn the fire to small. Let it cook and simmer for 1.5-2 hours or until the beans are soft.
4. Then, add ¾ cup of rock sugar or brown sugar (add sugar to your taste). Keep simmering until it thickens or the viscosity you want. Remember to stir it once a while to prevent the bottom from burning.
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Red Bean Soup
Equipment
- 1 Pot or Instant pot
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup Adzuki bean (red mung beans, 8.5 oz)
- 2 small pieces Dried mandarin peel (2 g)
- 6 cups Water
- ¾ cup Rock sugar Or Brown sugar (Add sugar to your taste)
Instructions
Instant pot method:
- Wash or rinse 1 cup of red beans ( 8.5 oz). Then, put it into the instant pot, pressure cooker.
- Next, add 2 small pieces of dried mandarin peels (2 g).
- After that, pour 6 cups of water into the instant pot. Close the lid and vent. Then, push the manual button and adjust time for 45 minutes at high pressure.
- The following, quickly release the pressure and open the lid. Then, add ¾ cup of rock sugar or brown sugar (add sugar to your taste). Push the button sauté for 30-40 mins until it thickens. Remember to stir it once a while to prevent the bottom from burning. (It depends what viscosity you want. The longer it takes for sauté, the thicker it becomes.)
Stove top method:
- Wash or soak 1 cup of red beans ( 8.5 oz) for 2-4 hours before cooking. Then, put it into a big pot.
- Next, add 2 small pieces of dried mandarin peels (2 g) into the pot.
- After that, pour 6 cups of water into the pot. Turn on medium high fire. When the water is boiling, turn the fire to small. Let it cook and simmer for 1.5-2 hours or until the beans are soft.
Notes
Cooking tips for how to make Chinese red bean soup:
- Wash and rinse adzuki beans (red mung beans) and dried mandarin peels.
- Put adzuki beans, dried mandarin peel and water into a pressure cooker manual for 45 minutes at high pressure and quick release.
- After that, quickly release the pressure, open the lid, add ¾ cup of rock sugar or brown sugar, add sugar to your taste. (Be careful when quickly releasing the pressure.)
- Sauté for 30-40 mins until it thickens. Remember to stir it once a while to prevent the bottom from burning. (It depends what viscosity you want. The longer it takes for sauté, the thicker it becomes.)
- Pre soak the beans for 2-4 hours if you use a top stove or slow cooker method.
Danny says
Hi,
If I’m making two cups of beans, how many cups of water would I need to add? I would like to freeze the leftovers to be eaten later or for your red bean ice recipe.
Thank you for the great recipes.
Tracy O. says
Hi Danny,
At least add 2-3 cups more. So, I suggest adding at least 8 cups of water for 2 cups of beans. Thank you for your question.
Maddie says
Thanks for the recipe, it reminds me of when my grandmother's version. Question - I did saute the soup for 20-25 minutes because I loved it thicker, but once I put it in the fridge, it congealed so it was more of a jello/paste consistency. Why does that happen and how can I avoid that? I was hoping to have a thick and cold red bean soup. Thanks!
Tracy O. says
Yes, it will be thicker or congealed when it's cold in the refrigerator. You can always add a little water and warm them up in the microwave before eating. Or, you can saute it for 15-20 minutes. Then, let it cool off a little bit, it will be thicker.