Mung Bean Soup (Printable)

Healing mung beans cooked with warming spices and fresh vegetables for a nourishing, digestion-friendly meal.

# What you'll need:

→ Legumes

01 - 1 cup dried mung beans, rinsed and soaked for 2 hours

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated
05 - 2 medium carrots, diced
06 - 2 celery stalks, diced
07 - 1 medium tomato, chopped

→ Spices

08 - 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
09 - 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
10 - 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
11 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
13 - 1 bay leaf

→ Liquids

14 - 6 cups vegetable broth or water

→ Seasoning & Garnish

15 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
16 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
17 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice

# Method:

01 - Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and toast until fragrant, approximately 1 minute.
02 - Add onion, garlic, and ginger to the pot. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until onion becomes translucent.
03 - Add carrots and celery to the pot. Cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Stir in turmeric, coriander, black pepper, cinnamon, and bay leaf. Cook for 1 minute to release aromatic oils.
05 - Add soaked mung beans, chopped tomato, and vegetable broth. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
06 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes until mung beans are tender.
07 - Remove bay leaf. Add salt and lemon juice. Adjust seasoning to taste.
08 - Ladle into bowls and serve hot, garnished with chopped cilantro.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's gentle on your stomach but deeply satisfying, the kind of soup that feels like it actually does something good for you.
  • The spice balance here is addictive but never aggressive, warming without overwhelming.
  • You can have it on the table in under an hour, which means this works for both slow weekends and weekday needs.
02 -
  • Don't skip soaking the mung beans, no matter how tempting it is; it's the difference between soup that's creamy and soup that's gritty.
  • The lemon juice is not optional if you want this to actually taste alive; add it at the very end so it doesn't fade into the warmth.
03 -
  • If your mung beans are taking longer than 40 minutes to soften, your heat is probably too high; dial it back and give them more time instead of cranking up the temperature.
  • Taste and adjust your seasonings before adding the lemon juice, so you know exactly how much salt and spice you actually need.
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