Sweet Mung Bean Soup (綠豆沙)

Name: Sweet Mung Bean Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 cup Geen mung beans (( 8oz)); 1/4 cup Dried seaweed ((2 g)); 5 cups Water; 3/4 cup Brown sugar ((Add sugar to your taste))

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Sweet green mung bean soup or luk dau sa (綠豆沙) is a classic Cantonese Chinese sweet dessert soup like sweet red bean soup, black sesame soup, taro sago , black glutinous rice dessert and mango pomelo sago. This sweet mung bean soup recipe has both instant pot and top stove method. Also, this mung bean dessert soup can serve as warm or chill. Let’s learn how to make Chinese sweet mung bean soup with detailed photo instructions and a video for your dessert.

Love Asian food? Check out these tom yum kung, salt & pepper squid, pan fried buns, honeydew popsicle, massaman curry, claypot rice and lobster yee mein recipes.

What is sweet mung bean soup?

Sweet mung bean soup is a Chinese cuisine. Green mung beans can be used to make savory soup like lotus root pork soup or sweet like this sweet mung bean soup recipe. However, Chinese mung bean soup often refers to sweet soup which is a type of tong sui. It literally translates as sugar water. Also, it is a kind of dessert served after a traditional Chinese banquet or dinner.

In Cantonese, green mung bean soup is also called luk dau sa (綠豆沙) or lu dou tang (綠豆湯) in Mandarin. It can serve as warm or cold. Personally, I like to eat them warm when the weather is cold outside and serve them cold when the weather is hot like in summer. Also, you can freeze it to make popsicles.

What are green mung beans?

Green mung beans are scientifically known as Vigna radiata. Also, they are called green grams or Chinese green beans. They are small, oval-shaped beans with a green outer skin. Besides, they belong to the green legumes family and are widely cultivated in Asia.

Often, they can be consumed whole, sprouted, or split into two halves, known as mung dal. Green mung beans have a mild, slightly sweet flavor and a tender texture when cooked. In addition, green bean sprouts are commonly used in salads, stir fry and various dishes such as chicken yi mein, soy sauce noodles, and beef chow fun.

What are the functions or benefits of mung bean soup?

In Chinese medicine practice point of view, green mung beans help to reduce ‘hot air’ inside the body to balance ‘qi’, air. Chinese green bean soup is used to cleanse or detox bodies. It helps to reduce pain and prevent heat stroke, especially during summer.

However, this mung bean soup is not good for weak or cold bodies. Besides, remember don’t consume too much because its legumes will create gas and make your stomach upset.

Do you need to soak green beans before cooking?

When you use a pressure cooker, you don’t need to soak them before. Just wash the green mung beans and put them into an instant pot.

If you are using a stove top or slow cooker, the best is to soak them for 2-4 hours before. So, it doesn’t take as long to cook them.

What are the ingredients for Chinese mung bean soup?

In Hong Kong and Guangzhou people like to make mung bean soup with seaweed and they are sweet dessert soup. I remember when I traveled to Shanghai, northern China. People did not add seaweeds to mung bean soup and they were less sweet. Besides, they served it in the morning for breakfast with man tao, a Chinese steamed buns.

In this sweet mung bean soup recipe, the main ingredients are water, green mung beans, dried seaweeds and brown sugar. Most of the time I use brown slab sugar. If you don’t have it, brown sugar is ok too.

Chinese green mung bean soup ingredients

Cooking tips for how to make Chinese sweet mung bean soup dessert:

Soak and wash dried seaweed for a couple minutes. You can cut them a little bit. Also, if you want to use kombu style seaweed, cut them into strips.
Wash green mung beans, no need to soak them before if you use an instant pot.
If you are using a stove top or slow cooker, the best is to soak the green mung beans for 2-4 hours before cooking. So, it doesn’t take as long to cook them.
Put beans, water and seaweed into an instant pot pressure cooker. Close lid and vent manual and adjust time for 45 minutes at high pressure and quick release.
When using the top stove method, add 7 cups of water and simmer for 1.5-2 hours until the beans are soft.
Then, add sugar and stir well. You can add more sugar to your taste. I used ¾ cups of brown sugar.

FAQs:

What is the difference between green and red mung beans?

Red mung beans are also named adzuki or red beans because the outside skin color is red. On the other hand, green mung beans are called because the outside is green. Adzuki beans are bigger than green mung beans.

What should I do for leftovers?

Normally, I will refrigerate them. And, I eat them cold or warm them up in a microwave. Also, I like to freeze them as popsicles.

What kind of dried seaweeds do you use?

I prefer to use this dried seaweed like miso soup because it is softer. Some like to use kombu which is an edible kelp. They are in a sheet and a little harder, so it takes longer to soak.
Remember both dried seaweeds require washing and soaking before using.

Instructions for how to make instant pot sweet mung bean soup:

dried seaweeds soak in a glass container

1. First, wash and soak ¼ cup of dried seaweed (2 g) for a couple minutes.

2. Then, wash 1 cup of green mung beans (8 oz) and put them into an instant pot.

3. After that, add 5 cups of water into the pressure cooker.

4. Add the soaked seaweeds into the instant pot. Close the lid and vent. Push the manual button and adjust time to 45 minutes at high pressure. Then, quick release pressure. (Be careful when you do the quick release pressure.)

mung bean soup in pressure cooker with brown sugar

5. Put ¾ cups of brown sugar. (You can add more sugar to your taste.) Mix it well. It's ready to serve as warm or refrigerated to serve as cold.

Chinese sweet mung bean soup with a white spoon

Enjoy this simple and tasty instant pot sweet mung bean soup recipe! Also check out these wonton soup, eggplant pork stir fry, red bean paste, mango popsicles, grass jelly and white rabbit candy ice cream recipes.

Chinese sweet mung bean soup in the bowl with a spoon

Instructions for how to make Chinese mung bean soup dessert top stove:

1. First, wash and soak ¼ cup of dried seaweed (2 g) for a couple minutes.

2. Then, wash and soak 1 cup of green mung beans (8 oz) for 2-4 hours before cooking.

3. After that, put the soaked mung beans into a big pot and add 7 cups of water. Turn on medium fire. Let it cook until it’s boiling. Then, turn the fire to small.

4. Next, add the soaked seaweed from step 1 into the pot. Close the lid and simmer it for 1.5-2 hours.

5. Lastly, add ¾ cups of brown sugar. (You can add more sugar to your taste.) Mix it well. It's ready to serve as warm or refrigerated to serve as cold.