Red bean soup is an Asian dessert using sweet red azuki beans. Whether you choose to cook red bean soup from scratch using dried beans, or from precooked canned beans, the resulting dish provides lean protein and beneficial fiber. While using dried beans may take longer, you can save money using this method rather than buying canned beans.
Step 1
Rinse and sort your dry beans thoroughly. Soak in 6 cups of cold water overnight to reduce cooking time. Discard the water.
Step 2
Soak 1/4 cup lotus seed in 2 cups water overnight. Discard the water.
Step 3
Place your drained beans in a pot with 7 cups of water. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover and simmer for two hours.
Step 4
Add the drained lotus seed and sugar. Cook over medium heat until the soup is thick and the lotus seeds are tender, about 20 minutes.
Step 5
Add vanilla, stir and serve hot, or allow your red bean soup to cool before serving.
Tips and Warnings
- Azuki beans, also called aduki and adzuki beans, can be purchased dried or canned. Lotus seed can be purchased at Asian markets. While dried beans are usually less expensive, the calories and other nutrition are roughly equivalent in both canned and dried varieties, although canned beans may contain more sodium. Using a pressure cooker can help reduce cooking time. Cooking beans at higher elevations may require more time. Stainless steel, cast aluminum or cast iron pots are ideal for cooking beans. Add optional ingredients, such as pearl tapioca or rice balls, when adding lotus seeds. For a savory red bean soup, cook 1 cup dried kidney beans in 3 1/4 cups water for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Beans are done when they mash easily with a fork. Saute 1 lb. sausage in a large pot along with 1/2 cup chopped onions. Add cooked beans, 1 cup of chopped celery, 1 cup of chopped carrots, 1/2 cup of chopped green pepper, 1 tsp. salt, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 tsp. pepper, 1/2 tsp. garlic and 6 cups beef stock. Cover and simmer on medium heat until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
- Dried beans may have small pebbles mixed in with them. Sort and rinse in a colander before soaking. Beans can be hard to digest for some people due to raffinose, a complex sugar also found in broccoli and cabbage. To aid in digestion, use a product with the sugar-digesting enzyme alpha-galactosidase.
Things You'll Need
- 1 cup dried adzuki beans
- 1/4 cup dried lotus seed
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp. vanilla
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