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With over 50 five-star reviews and packed with protein and fiber, this mung bean soup is a quick dinner that the entire family will enjoy. We’ll cover everything you need to know to make it virtually foolproof!
save this recipe!What are mung beans?
Mung beans, also known as marsh or moong, are little green beans that resemble peas. They’re actually legumes and are commonly found in Asian and Indian cuisine.
Like most types of beans and legumes, mung beans are individual little powerhouses, providing many vitamins, nutrients, and benefits in each bite. They provide lots of plant-based protein in addition to fiber, magnesium, iron, copper, and zinc. They’re also filled with antioxidants and are great for cholesterol, digestion, and blood sugar.
Reader rating
“I made this soup a while back and my whole family loved it. I think my 2.5 year old loved it the most. This recipe is definitely a keeper!” —Marissa
you don’t need much to make this soup
The ingredients in this soup are chewy, savory, and just… perfect. (This is an overview, and you can jump to the recipe card for exact measurements!)
- Mung Beans: Can’t have mung bean soup without the mung beans! These can usually be found in your local grocery store or online.
- Vegetable Broth: Using broth in place of water adds so much savory flavor!
- Coconut Milk: A can of coconut milk will add a creaminess that will make it all the more cozy.
- Flavor Makers: We’ll lay down the base flavors by sautéing white onion, garlic, ginger, and celery in a splash of oil and finishing with salt. Helloooo, flavor town.
- Spinach: Finally, spinach adds a pop of bright green nutrition! Traditional Filipino-style monggo beans are made with malunggay leaves (moringa oleifera), though these may be difficult to find, depending on where you are.
where to find mung beans
These are generally found near other dried beans in the store or in the international aisle. If you can’t find them there, you can also try your local Asian supermarket.
Let’s make it!
Jump to the recipe for full printable instructions.
Step 1: Prepare The Beans
First, rinse the mung beans with cold water in a colander, picking out any bad-looking beans or pebbles. Add the beans to a larger pot along with the vegetable broth. Set the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to reach a gentle simmer, and then cook the beans, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes.
Step 2: Add The Flavor
While the mung beans cook, heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and celery. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Step 3: Create The Soup
Finally, stir the sautéed veggies into the pot of mung beans, along with the can of coconut milk and the chopped spinach. Let it gently simmer until the coconut milk is hot and the spinach has wilted. Serve warm.
What nutrients are in mung beans?
As a nutritionist, I’m always keeping an eye out for nutrient-dense ingredients, and mung beans are one of the best. 1 cup of cooked mung beans has:
- 14g of protein
- 15 grams of fiber
In addition, they are rich in folate, manganese, magnesium, thiamine, phosphorous, iron, copper, potassium, and zinc. They also have a good portion of your daily intake of vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin E.
How To Make Mung Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried mung beans, 400 g
- 8 cups vegetable broth, 2 L
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, 15 mL
- 1 cup diced white onion, about 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 14-oz can coconut milk, 414 mL
- 3 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Beans: Rinse 2 cups dried mung beans with cold water in a colander, picking out any bad looking beans or pebbles. Add beans to a large pot along with 8 cups vegetable broth. Set heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to reach a gentle simmer, then cook the beans, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes. They are finished when they are soft and some have burst. Most of the broth should be absorbed, though a little is okay.
- Flavor Makers: While mung beans cook, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 cup diced white onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 Tbsp freshly grated ginger, and 1 cup diced celery. Cook until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Soup: Add sauteed veggies into the pot of mung beans, along with 1 14-oz can coconut milk and 3 cups fresh spinach. Let gently simmer until coconut milk is hot and spinach has wilted. Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Very nice! I substituted chopped smoked bacon for the spinach.
It turned our great. I made it in the Instant Pot, cooking on high for 6 minutes. 4-5 minutes might’ve been better since I’d already soaked the beans for an hour or 2 even though you don’t have to. I didn’t have spinach and I added carrots with the onion and celery that I first cooked in oil in the Instant Pot. I added the coconut milk after the Instant Pot was done.
great soup! I used Swiss chard, celery and sweet potatoes, all with lots of fresh ginger. Definitely a winner!
I love it! Can e freeze it?
I haven’t tried freezing this recipe, but I think it would work!
I liked the flavor profile but had to add more liquid – id try skim coconut milk next time or jsut more broth. I think what caused it is the beans breakin out of the shell and thickening the soup. I will try to soak them next time and see if that makes any difference in keeping them intact
What’s the serving size for this recipe?
This makes 6 servings! We don’t measure out serving size, to just 1/6th of the recipe 😀
Holy wow! This soup was sooooooo delicious…
I couldn’t believe how fancy and exotic I felt…
The home smelled incredible…the soup tasted equally as tasty!
I’m so sharing this…THANKYOU!
YAY! So happy to hear it, Lisa! 😀
Omitted celery to reduce sodium
Replaced w carrot
Delicious and easy
Love. It. I added pearl barley (not sure why:-/). Came out delicious. 1st time cooking mung beans.
I am vegan. Thanks for the recipe.
So happy you liked it, Beck! enjoy! 😀
I just made this for the first time. Because of the high nutritional value, I am taking it to a friend who has been dealing with the after effects of Covid. But, of course, I had to sample! It’s really yummy! Thank you for the great recipe!