Mung Bean Soup

Mung beans are a great source of plant proteins with many health benefits.

This mung bean soup recipe is based on a Filipino dish with a similar name (munggo). This is a simplified recipe of the dish that omits pork and other ingredients (eggplant, bitter melon and pork rinds).

Omit the optional fish sauce from the recipe to make this dish fully vegan.

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Mung Bean Soup

• Prep time: 10 minutes
  
• Cook time: 50 minutes
  
• Total time: 60 minutes
  
• Servings: 4-5
  

Ingredients :

• 1 bag dried, whole mung beans
  
• 2-3 tomatoes
  
• 5-6 garlic cloves
  
• 1 bunch spinach
  
• salt to taste
  
• 1 tbsp fish sauce (optional)
  

Instructions:

1. Rinse mung beans. Add 1 liter of water and mung beans in a saucepan or medium sized pot. Place pan on stove in medium-high heat until it starts boiling (about 10-15 minutes). Stir occassionally to avoid bottom from burning. Once boiling, lower heat to simmer. Cook mung beans until desired softness, about 30-40 minutes. Alternatively, use an instant pot to cook mung beans quickly (3-5 minutes).
   
2. While mung beans are cooking, sautee garlic and tomatoes in canola oil. Let tomatoes disintegrate and become mushy. About 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer into a bowl. Set aside.
   
3. Once mung beans are cooked to preferred softness, add the sauteed garlic and tomato mixture. Mix thoroughly until well incorporated.
   
4. Add spinach all at once to the pot. Cook for 3-5 minutes until spinach is wilted but still has its bright green color.
   
5. Season with sea salt and 1 tbsp fish sauce (optional)
6. Turn off heat and remove pot from heat. Serve immediately with rice if desired.
   

Notes

• Mung beans do not need soaking before cooking. Use an instant pot if you have it handy to speed up the cooking process.
  
• Omit fish sauce to make the dish vegan.