Mung Bean Soup With Warming Spices (Printer Friendly)

Nourishing soup with mung beans, vegetables, and warming spices for comfort and healing.

# What You Need:

→ Legumes

01 - 1 cup dried mung beans, rinsed and soaked for 4 hours or overnight

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated
05 - 1 medium carrot, diced
06 - 1 medium tomato, chopped
07 - 1 small green chili, finely chopped (optional)

→ Spices & Seasonings

08 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
09 - 1 teaspoon ground coriander
10 - 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
11 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 - 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
13 - 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida (hing), optional
14 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

→ Liquids

15 - 6 cups water or vegetable broth

→ Garnishes

16 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
17 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

# How to Make It:

01 - Drain and rinse the soaked mung beans thoroughly.
02 - In a large pot, heat a splash of oil over medium heat. Add mustard seeds and allow them to sizzle for 30 seconds until fragrant.
03 - Add onion, garlic, and ginger to the pot. Sauté until onion becomes translucent, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Stir in carrots, tomato, green chili if using, cumin, coriander, turmeric, black pepper, and asafoetida. Cook for an additional 2 minutes until fragrant.
05 - Add mung beans and pour in water or vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes until mung beans are tender and soup thickens.
06 - Add salt and adjust seasonings as needed.
07 - Stir in lemon juice and garnish with fresh cilantro before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The beans soften into creamy clouds while the spices build a warmth that lingers long after you've finished.
  • It's the kind of soup that tastes like someone's been cooking it for hours, but you'll have it on the table in under an hour.
  • This one actually gets better the next day, so you can make it ahead and just reheat when hunger strikes.
02 -
  • Don't skip soaking the mung beans—it cuts cooking time in half and helps them digest more easily, which is why traditional recipes always include this step.
  • The mustard seed sizzle isn't just for show; that brief cooking in hot oil releases their flavoring compounds, making the whole soup taste more authentic and alive.
  • If your soup looks too thin at the end, you can gently mash some of the beans against the side of the pot to release their starch and thicken the broth naturally.
03 -
  • If you forget to soak your beans, you can quick-soak them by bringing them to a boil, letting them sit for an hour, then draining and proceeding—it's not quite as good as overnight soaking, but it works in a pinch.
  • A squeeze of lemon juice at the very end is non-negotiable; it brightens the entire soup and makes all the spices sing louder than they would alone.
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