Today, we will be making Green Bean Soup!
Green bean soup also known as Mung Bean Soup is a very classic Chinese Dessert or Chinese Tang Shui (Tong Sui). It is a cooling dessert, that can be consumed warm or chilled. This Chinese Tang Shui is light and very nutritious and easy to make too.
Benefits of Mung Beans
1.) Prevent Heat Related Sickness
In Chinese Medicine, it is always said that the external environment has a strong influence on the body.
The body will absorb more heat from the hot weather. If the body cannot release this heat, the person might feel hot and sweaty, having a red face, thirst, dry skin, constipation, lack of energy, headache and/or dizziness. These are just some symptoms of heat related sickness.
Mung beans are able to regulate body temperature and prevent heat stroke. Chilled mung bean soups are the best at doing this and increases the health effects. By having the mung beans, we are able to rebalance the body's energy.
2.) Clear Toxins and Improve Skin Complexion
Mung beans are categorise in Traditional Chinese Medicine as sweet in taste and cooling in nature. Mung beans will clear toxins from the skin and reduce the internal heat in the blood and organ.
Therefore, mung beans help to reduce acne and other skin symptoms, such as the common skin rash, cold sores, mouth ulcers and pimples
Ingredients needed to make Green Bean Soup
The ingredients we need are very simply and can get it easily at major supermarkets. There are:
1.) 200 grams of Green Beans (Mung Beans)
2.) 100 grams of Sago Pearls
3) 100 grams of Lotus Seed
4.) 150 grams of Rock Sugar
5.) 5 Pandan Leaves
6.) 3 Litres of water
It will be able to have about 10 servings.
Steps to make Green Bean Soup
1.) Soak the Green Beans (Mung Beans) for about 1 hour.
2.) Drain out the Green Beans. Together with the pandan leaves, lotus seed and green beans, put all of them into the pot of 3 litres of water. Wait for the pot to come to a boil.
3.) In the meantime, bring another pot of water to a boil. We will put in the sago pearls to the boiling pot and let it simmer for about 15 - 20 mins.
4.) Cover the pot with a cover and turn off the heat. We will allow the sago pearls to rest for another 10 mins. The sago pearl will be translucent and that's when the sago pear is cooked.
5.) Drain the sago pearls and let it run in cold water. It is to remove the excess starch. Leave the sago pearls aside.
6.) After the big pot containing the green beans, pandan leaves and lotus seed boiled, reduce the heat, and allow it to simmer for about another 50 mins. During this time, occasionally stir the pot.
7.) Remove the pandan leaves. Add the cooked sago pearls to the green bean soup.
8.) Stir in rock sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Serve warmed or chilled.
Variations to Green Bean Soup
There are many variations on Green Bean Soups. You can add any ingredients you want to the Green Bean Soup.
For example, you can add,
1.) Sweet Potato
2.) Gingko Nuts
3.) Dried Longan
4.) Barley
5.) Snow Fungus
Some people will add ginger to the Green Bean Soup too. As Green Bean Soup is very cooling, the ginger is then used to counter the cooling effect.
Don't forget to watch my Snow Fungus Soup if you haven't done so, and if you are thinking of adding it to your Green Bean Soup!
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