Mung Bean Soup (Printable)

Hearty mung beans slowly simmered with warming spices, onions, garlic, ginger, and colorful vegetables for a nourishing and digestible meal.

# What Goes In:

→ 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, optional
13 - 1 bay leaf

→ Liquids

14 - 6 cups vegetable broth or water

→ Seasoning and Garnish

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

# How to Make It:

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 if using, and bay leaf. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Add soaked mung beans, chopped tomato, and vegetable broth or water to the pot. Stir well to combine.
06 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, or until mung beans are tender.
07 - Remove bay leaf. Add salt and lemon juice. Adjust seasoning to taste.
08 - Serve hot, garnished with chopped cilantro.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It actually makes you feel better, not just full, with the kind of gentle nourishment that sits well even on difficult days.
  • The spices unfold slowly as you eat, revealing new warmth with each spoonful instead of hitting you all at once.
  • You can have it on the table in under an hour, which feels like a small miracle when you need comfort food fast.
02 -
  • Don't skip soaking the mung beans—I learned this the hard way when I tried to rush and ended up with a pot that took over an hour to cook, and the beans still weren't as tender as they should have been.
  • The bay leaf must come out or someone will bite it and give you a look you'll never forget; fish it out with a spoon before you serve.
03 -
  • If you're using store-bought vegetable broth, verify the ingredients for allergens—some brands sneak things in that you might not expect.
  • Make a double batch and freeze half of it in portions; this soup keeps beautifully and tastes even better the next day when all the spices have had time to meld together.
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