Mung Bean Soup (Printable Version)

Hearty mung beans simmered with warming spices and fresh vegetables for a nourishing, immune-boosting meal.

# What You Need:

→ Legumes

01 - 1 cup dried mung beans, rinsed and soaked for 2 hours

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated
05 - 2 medium carrots, diced
06 - 2 celery stalks, diced
07 - 1 medium tomato, chopped

→ Spices

08 - 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
09 - 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
10 - 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
11 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
13 - 1 bay leaf

→ Liquids

14 - 6 cups vegetable broth or water

→ Seasoning and Garnish

15 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
16 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
17 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice

# How To Make:

01 - Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and toast until fragrant, approximately 1 minute.
02 - Add onion, garlic, and ginger. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until onion becomes translucent.
03 - Add carrots and celery. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Stir in turmeric, coriander, black pepper, cinnamon if using, and bay leaf. Cook for 1 minute.
05 - Add soaked mung beans, chopped tomato, and vegetable broth or water. Stir well.
06 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, or until mung beans are soft.
07 - Remove bay leaf. Add salt and lemon juice. Adjust seasoning to taste.
08 - Serve hot, garnished with chopped cilantro.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • This soup tastes like it's been simmering on your stove for hours, but it's ready in just under an hour total.
  • The mung beans stay delicate and slightly creamy without any of that heavy, bloated feeling you get from other legumes.
  • It's the kind of meal that makes your kitchen smell so good that people ask what you're making before they even sit down.
02 -
  • The lemon juice and salt must go in at the very end, not before simmering, because adding acid too early can prevent the beans from softening properly and nothing tastes worse than crunchy beans in a finished soup.
  • If your soup ends up thicker than you wanted, it's because the mung beans absorbed more liquid than expected, and you can always thin it with extra broth or water without losing any flavor.
03 -
  • Always verify store-bought broth ingredients because some brands sneak in allergens or extra sodium that can throw off your carefully balanced flavors.
  • If your mung beans seem like they're taking forever to soften, it might be because your water is very hard, and adding a pinch of baking soda can help speed things up without affecting the taste.
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