Mung bean (Chinese Green Bean) soup is a traditional soup dessert in China, but we have different options for cold and hot days. In summer, you can find the packaged ones in almost every freezer of the street store or freshly stewed ones in hot pot restaurants. Mung bean is believed to be beneficial to human body as it can help to reduce the hotness because of the cold attribute.
Mung beans, known as green beans due to the green skins, are commonly used in lots of Chinese soups and desserts. Sometimes, they can be used as a side ingredient in a congee or porridge or they can be the primary ingredients like mung bean cake and this mung bean soup.
In winter, we cook pumpkin with mung beans. If the pumpkin is sweet enough, it can work as the perfect natural sweetness. To cook this, there is no oil added. It is a very good match for the hot oily dishes in winter days. 
How to make a yummy mung bean soup
Rinse the beans several times and then soak with clean water for around 1 to 2 hours. Drain and set aside. You can skip this soaking process if you are using high pressure cooker for this recipe.
In a high pressure cooker, add sugar, mung beans and pumpkin for winter version and water and cook with bean or soup pressure. Let the pot stay in the cooker for 20 minutes and transfer out. Add pinch of salt and wait the soup to cool down naturally.
Cook’s Note
If you are using a regular stewing pot, place 3000ml water, mung bean and sugar and turn the fire to high fire. Bring to a boil and turn off the fire. Rest for around 20 minutes and then turn the fire to medium high and then cook for another 20 to 30 minutes until the mung beans are almost blossomed. Add a tiny pinch of salt and wait the soup to cool down naturally.
- 1 cup mung beans
- 1/4 cup rock sugar
- a small pinch of salt
- 3 L water
- 1 cup mung beans (Chinese green beans)
- 2 tbsp. rock sugar
- a small pinch of salt
- 2.5 L water
- 200 g pumpkin, peeled
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Rinse the beans several times and then soak with clean water for around 1 to 2 hours. Drain the set aside.
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In a high pressure cooker, add sugar, mung beans, pumpkin for winter version and water and cook with a rice or soup pressure. Then set aside for 20 minutes. Transfer out and add a tiny pinch of salt. Wait until cool down naturally.
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If you are using a regular stewing pot, place 3000ml water, mung bean and sugar and turn the fire to high fire. Bring to a boil and turn off the fire. Rest for around 20 minutes and then turn the fire to medium high and then cook for another 20 to 30 minutes until the mung beans are almost blossomed. Add a tiny pinch of salt and wait to cool down naturally.
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You can serve directly or fridge for 4 hours for a cold summer version.
This soup really isn’t a beauty. Guess you had to put a lot of effort in these photos 🙂 But I’m convinced of it’s inner qualities as I believe in the wisdom of traditional Chinese medicin. I will give it a try.
Hi Susanne,
That’s an interesting point of view because most of the Chinese will think the soup lovely and beautiful. But after pointing out that, I find you are right. Haha.
Is there a mung bean and red bean breakfast soup in your cupboard (collection of recipes?) My friend here is from China and she served a breakfast bean soup which was made in a pressure cooker, served first thing in the morning. It was delicious, so I am looking for a recipe that I may follow, to prepare this type of soup again in southern New Mexico. She served the soup with a hard boiled egg, pork dumpling and two tangerines plus Chinese tea. All in all, it was calming, delicious, and a happy breakfast prepared with love.
thank you.
You can check this one with pure red beans or mixed congee.
Sichuan is the worlds famous Chinese Cuisine.I am proud of ancient Chefs who invented this cuisine.My good wishes.
Mung beam soup is not Sichuan food
How long do you cook it in the pressure cooker for? Is it 20 mins?
If you get buttons on the panel of your pressure, check soup section. If you don’t have those buttons, cook the beans around 10 minutes.
Made this today — you are right it is perfect for summer! It reminds me of eating mung bean popsicles in Beijing as a child… good times. Thank you!
We drinks this all through the summer. Happy cooking, Caroline!