We've all enjoyed mung bean soup, but how many beans should you use? Mung beans are cooling and sweet, clearing heat, detoxifying, relieving summer heat, calming irritability, quenching thirst, and strengthening the stomach. Their high nutritional value makes them beloved. Yet, as an essential summer remedy, do you know how to prepare mung bean soup properly? Did you know that boiling time affects its efficacy?Below, we'll explain how many mung beans to use when making mung bean soup.
Clear mung bean soup relieves summer heat; boiling until the beans bloom detoxifies
To prevent heatstroke, rinse the mung beans thoroughly, place them in a pot, bring to a boil over high heat, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes. At this stage, the beans are not yet soft and should not be eaten—just drink the broth.For detoxification, boil vigorously for 30 minutes until beans are soft and the broth turns cloudy. Consume both broth and beans. Ideal for those with heat toxins manifesting as prickly heat or rashes.
Though beneficial, mung bean soup isn't suitable for everyone.Mung beans have a cold nature that can harm the spleen and stomach. Those with a cold constitution, weak constitutions, the elderly, and children should avoid it. Additionally, even healthy individuals may experience adverse effects like bloating or digestive imbalance if consumed excessively or on an empty stomach. If you wish to drink it, add some red dates to counteract the cold properties, or eat mung bean porridge cooked with rice or millet.
Mung bean soup contains calories comparable to rice and should not be used as a staple food for weight loss.100 grams of mung beans contain 60 grams of carbohydrates, comparable to rice. When made into soup and sweetened with sugar, its energy content increases further, and excessive consumption can lead to weight gain. So how much is appropriate? It's recommended that adults consume it two to three times a week, limited to one bowl per serving. Individuals taking medications should wait about an hour before drinking mung bean soup to avoid significantly reducing the drug's effectiveness.
Add half a spoonful of white vinegar or lemon juice to keep mung bean soup bright green.
Many homemakers have experienced this: during the first ten minutes of cooking, the soup is clear, bright green, and transparent. But as it simmers, the broth turns reddish, or discolors shortly after sitting, losing its vibrant green "freshness." Why does this happen?
This occurs because the polyphenols in mung beans undergo oxidation. In reality, there is no difference between the bright green soup and the oxidized reddish soup. The only distinction is that the former has a stronger heat-clearing effect, as its phenolic compounds remain unoxidized.
Experiments confirm that when green bean soup is boiled using tap water, mineral water, purified water, or deionized water, the soup made with deionized water retains the greenest color and remains stable over time. Soup made with tap water quickly turns red.
Therefore, to maintain the soup's color, it's best to use deionized or purified water. If unavailable, adding half a spoonful of white vinegar or lemon juice during cooking is equally effective. Additionally, avoid using iron pots, as iron reacts with polyphenols, affecting the soup's color. Clay pots are ideal.
More mung beans aren't necessarily better—just enough to cover the bottom of the pot.
Some people are unsure about the ratio of mung beans to water. In fact, you don't need to use too many beans—just enough to cover the bottom of the pot. The ideal ratio of beans to water is 1:10, which yields the best heat-clearing effect for the soup.
The above explains how much mung beans to use when making soup. We hope this provides clarity. For further questions, consult our online experts. Wishing you all a pleasant day.