Hot mung bean soup is a great way to cool down, according to Chinese traditional medicine. Photo: ShutterstockEvery week, Talking Points gives you a worksheet to practise your reading comprehension with exercises about the story we’ve written.
When the sun is beating down, you might be tempted to head to the nearest convenience store to pick up an icy treat. But believe it or not, a bowl of steaming hot mung bean soup (綠豆沙) can also help with the heat.
This dessert soup is a staple in many Hong Kong homes during hot weather. It is enjoyed for its sweet, earthy taste.
Chinese traditional medicine recommends “cooling” foods on hot days because they can help reduce “yang” energy, which is our body’s internal “heat”. Mung beans are believed to have a cooling effect.
According to Western medicine, these legumes contain anti-inflammatory properties that protect against heatstroke. They are also a good source of protein and minerals like potassium, magnesium, folate, copper and zinc.
Kathy Ng Yiu-fan from Kat-Spirit Nutrition Centre in Hong Kong said that mung bean soup is great for hydration and digestion.
“Fibre adds bulk to our stool and helps waste move through our intestines. This can help prevent constipation,” she said. “Water is also needed to move waste along to avoid build-up in our body, so you can see how mung bean soup kills two birds with one stone.”
The sweet soup requires only a few ingredients: mung beans, a sweetener, and rue, an herb. As this dessert is easy to prepare, the senior nutritionist strongly recommends making mung bean soup at home so you can adjust the sugar level.
A 100-gram serving of store-bought mung bean soup contains 74 calories, 2.5 grams of protein, less than 1 gram of fat, 15 grams of carbohydrates, and 9.2 grams of sugar.
“Not only do you end up with an overly sweet dessert, the sugar masks the mild nutty flavour of the mung beans,” Ng said.
Making the dish at home gives you more control over the taste. “Instead of eyeballing, you can measure the sugar according to the recipe or start with a smaller amount and adjust to your preference.”
Ng said mung bean soup can be enjoyed warm or chilled and should be consumed within four days. Leftover soup should be kept in the fridge in a clean, dry, and sealed container. If you keep it in the freezer, eat it within one month for optimal taste and texture.
Reheat any leftover soup until it is simmering before eating it again. Throw away leftover reheated soup, as it is not safe to put it in the fridge again.
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Nourishing mung bean soup
Ingredients (serves 2)
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100 grams of mung beans
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1 litre of water
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3 tablespoons of sweetener (stevia or honey)
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2 tablespoons of skimmed milk
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2 sprigs of rue
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8 pieces of dried kelp
Directions
1. Wash and rinse the mung beans several times until the water is clear. Soak the beans for about one hour.
2. Soak the dried kelp pieces until they become soft and cut them into thick strips.
3. Place the soaked beans and rue in a pot with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer with the lid on the pot for 45 minutes until the beans are tender.
4. Add the kelp, sweetener and skimmed milk. Stir and simmer for another five minutes. Serve it hot or cold.
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