Mung Bean Soup

Ginger, garlic, and a spice-infused tomato broth make this Mung Bean Soup a delicious and healthy vegetarian soup that is so easy to make. Serve it with rice or roti for a satisfying plant-protein-packed meal.

This nutritious Mung Bean Soup is rich and creamy. It is an easy soup to make and consists of a bunch of veggies and mung beans that are cooked in a flavor-packed tomato and vegetable broth base, which is thickened with coconut cream, all in one pan!

This is a dairy-free soup that is so satisfying. It is my idea of the ultimate comfort food. To me, it is one of those soup recipes (much like this broccoli soup) that just makes me feel good.

With slightly less than 200 calories a serving, this soup can be enjoyed with a chunk of buttered crusty bread, roti, or naan.

However, before we delve into this soup recipe, let’s talk about…

What are mung beans?

Mung beans are a tiny green pulse from a legume plant. They are also known to be called moong beans, green gram, maash, moon, monggo, and mungg.

While legend has it that they originated in India, they are now widely available and popular across Southeast Asia, East Asia, and the Middle East.

I spent my elementary school years in Sri Lanka and mung beans were a staple there. My mom would often boil a batch of mung beans, and we would eat boiled mung beans with a bit of jaggery (an unrefined sugar made from palm trees) and shredded coconut.

But, that’s not the only way we enjoyed mung beans. There was many a night when a large mung bean curry replaced lentil curry on the dinner table.

Mung beans made a name for themselves not too long ago as they are the main ingredient in the popular egg alternative: Just Egg.

Are Mung Beans Good For You?

These little guys pack a hefty nutrition punch. When cooked, they come armed with almost 14 grams of plant protein and 15 grams of fiber.

They are also a significant source of folate, manganese, magnesium, thiamine (B1), phosphorous, iron, copper, potassium, and zinc. In addition, these mung beans also contain some vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, selenium, calcium, and choline, which are linked to a plethora of health benefits.

Now, let’s talk about this recipe…

What are the ingredients needed to make this Mung Bean Soup Recipe?

This recipe is a versatile one, made with easy-to-find ingredients. To make this vegan soup, you will need the following 15 ingredients (plus 1-2 cups water):

1. Grapeseed oil
   I have recently started using grapeseed oil to sauté with, as I read that it is a better option for high-heat cooking than extra virgin olive oil. However, I am no expert, so please feel free to use our favorite oil.
   
2. Yellow onion
   You can use any onion you have on hand, it just happened that all I had were yellow onions. For this recipe, fresh onion is a must as it imparts so much more flavor and nutrition than onion powder. You can use red onion or white onion either. I have found that once they are cooked, there isn’t much difference in taste between them.
   
3. Garlic cloves
   As with the onion, fresh cloves of garlic are a must. You could also use some peeled and chopped garlic that is sold in the produce section of most grocery stores.
   
4. Fresh ginger root
   Along with fresh onion and fresh garlic, fresh ginger makes up the holy trinity of most Sri Lankan recipes. And, most of the recipes on here. For this recipe, fresh ginger is a must as well.
   
5. Celery stalks
   This is where the versatility of this recipe comes in. I added in celery as I had some on hand. However, you could substitute celery for green bell pepper, broccoli, green beans, or even fresh spinach.
   
6. Carrots
   Carrots are just so pretty in soup – right? But, they are another ingredient that can be substituted in this recipe. You could add in parsnips, sweet potatoes, or any other root veggie you prefer.
   
7. Dry green mung beans
   These can be found at most grocery stores these days. In Atlanta, I have found them at Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and Walmart. However, if you do not find them at any of your local stores, you could always get them from Amazon.
   
8. Vegetable broth
   I used vegetable broth as I wanted to keep this a vegetarian recipe. You could also use a vegetable bouillon and water. However, if you are not concerned with keeping this a plant-based recipe,, chicken broth can be used instead.
   
9. Tomato paste
   I found that tomato paste worked best in this recipe. I have used fire-roasted tomatoes and chopped-up fresh tomatoes. But, I prefer the creamy texture that tomato paste imbibes.
   
10. Ground coriander
    This is currently one of my favorite spices and adds such a delicious flavor to this soup.
    
11. Ground smoked paprika
    I have heard many sing the praises of the smokiness of smoked paprika, so please add it to this soup.
    
12. Ground turmeric
    This spice just rounds off the spices beautifully. And adds yet another nutritious boost to this recipe.
    
13. Full-fat coconut milk
    Make sure to use a thick and creamy coconut milk. Very often the lighter coconut milk on the market has a bit of a gritty consistency and often, the resulting soup or curry falls short of being rich and creamy.
    
14. Salt and pepper to taste
    I know these two are very often not included in a recipe list. However, I am adding them here because not using them at all results in a soup that just doesn’t taste the same ~ I speak from experience here!
    
15. Fresh parsley and/or fresh cilantro to garnish
    These are optional. If you do not have any fresh parsley or fresh cilantro on hand or would prefer to omit them, please feel free to do so.

If you like to add a bit of heat to this recipe, you could add in some cayenne pepper or chili pepper. Or, sprinkle this soup with some chili pepper flakes.

How to make this vegan mung bean soup?

This hearty soup is really so easy to make.

You start by washing the mung beans by sloshing them around in a bowl of cold water. Empty the water out of the bowl using a sieve or colander with small holes, so the mung beans won’t get through them. Fill the bowl with clean water, repeat this a few times, and set aside.

Sauté the peeled and chopped onion, ginger, and garlic in the grapeseed oil, over medium heat.

Then add in the carrots, celery, spices, tomato paste, vegetable broth, and water and give them a good stir.

Let this cook for about 40 minutes, or until the mung beans are tender.

Then, remove the cover, add in the coconut milk, and stir well.

Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Serve warm, garnished with fresh parsley or fresh cilantro, a chunk of crusty bread or roti, and enjoy!

Do you need to soak the mung beans to make this recipe?

Nope. You do not need to soak the mung beans to make this soup.

However, if you decide to soak the mung beans for 4 hours or overnight, then you will be cutting down on the cooking time of this soup. Instead of simmering it for 40 minutes, you would simmer this soup for about 15 minutes.

Storing, Freezing, Re-heating this soup…

This soup can be stored in an airtight container for up to 7 days.

This soup is also great for meal prep as it can be frozen as well. Just store the soup in freezer-safe, airtight containers.

When ready to thaw out, remove the container of soup and keep it in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, reheat it in the microwave until it is at the temperature you like.

I usually reheat my soup by placing it in a microwave-safe dish and heating it on high heat for about 30 seconds. Then I stir it a bit and microwave it for another 30 seconds. I repeat until it is hot and steamy.

Mung Bean Soup

4.86 from 14 votes

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Author: Shashi

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Ginger, garlic, and a spice-infused tomato broth make this Mung Bean Soup a delicious and healthy vegetarian meal that is so easy to make. Serve it with rice or roti for a satisfying plant-protein-packed meal.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• 1 large yellow onion
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 inch chunk of fresh ginger
• 3 stalks celery
• 2 carrots
• 2 cups green mung beans
• 7 cups vegetable broth
• 1 –2 cups water
• 6 oz can of tomato paste
• 3 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Parsley and/or cilantro to garnish

Instructions

• You start by washing the mung beans by sloshing them around in a bowl of cold water. Empty the water out of the bowl using a sieve or colander with small holes, so the mung beans won’t get through them. Fill the bowl with clean water, repeat this a few times until the water runs clean, and set aside.
• Peel the onion, ginger, garlic and dice them.
• Sauté the peeled and chopped onion, ginger, and garlic in the grapeseed oil, over medium heat, for about 5 minutes.
• Wash and chop the carrots and celery while the onion, ginger, and garlic are sautéing.
• Then add in the chopped carrots, celery, coriander, smoked paprika, turmeric, tomato paste, vegetable broth, water, and mung beans and give them a good stir.
• Cover the pan and let this cook for about 40 minutes, or until the mung beans are tender.
• Then, remove the cover, add in the coconut milk, and stir well.
• If it is too thick, add in more water and/or coconut milk to thin it out so it's the consistency you prefer.
• Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
• Serve warm, garnished with fresh parsley or fresh cilantro, a chunk of crusty bread or roti, and enjoy!

Notes

If you like to add a bit of heat to this soup, add in 1 tsp cayenne pepper or chili powder when mixing in the other spices. Or, serve this garnished with a bit of chili pepper flakes along with the fresh parsley/fresh cilantro.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 177kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 706mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g

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