Mung Bean Soup - Ginisang Mungo
Ginisang mungo, or mung bean soup is one of those timeless dishes. When the weather turned cold here the other day and I thought to myself that is was time to make a soup this is the one that popped into my head. Easy to cook, this dish carries its self well and a vegetarian, meat or seafood dish.
My resent memories of the soup go back to Dubai, where is would be awaiting my arrival home after a long day in the kitchen. Mung beans are easy to digest so this made for a great late dinner, where otherwise I might not eat or I would just grab a couple of Maamoul cookies and a coconut water and I was good to go.
Mung beans are more commonly known here in the US as bean sprouts, and are consumed fresh. The beans in other parts of the world are used in everything from stews and soups to desserts and sweets. Mung beans are a versatile ingredients and should be in everyone’s pantry, if you ask me…
I have swapped a couple of ingredients in this traditional Filipino dish to highlight the best of organic fall produce that is available now. Organic chard leaves are subbed for spinach, and impart a heartiness to the soup. Bacon, or more specifically bacon ends and pieces offer a bit more substance that plain old bacon does. Smoked pork hocks, beef tendon, chicken and seafood each will find an perfect home here.
Seasoning I have left to the traditional. Feel free to substitute sage or rosemary as both work very well. Ginisang mungo is the perfect palette to play around with and let your soup creativity run…
| Mung Bean Soup – Ginisang Mungo Recipe |
- 1 cup mung beans
- 4 cups water
- 1 medium organic yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 large organic chard leaves, diced
- 1 large organic tomato, cored and wedged
- 10 fresh organic basil leaves, torn
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- fish sauce, optional
- 1 – rice cooker or soup pot
- Place the beans and the water into the rice cooker and turn on.
- Bring to a simmer and add the chopped chard leaves.
- BTAB and cook until beans are half way cooked, about 45 minutes.
- Add the onion and garlic and stir.
- Cook for another 3 minutes, adding water if necessary.
- When beans are cooked and start to get mushy, add the tomatoes.
- Continue to cook until beans begin to fall apart and the soup starts to look like split pea soup.
- When beans are broken up and soft, season with salt, pepper and if you want fish sauce.
- Eat while hot with some warm bread.
* Chef’s note – I cooked my Ginisang Mungo in a rice cooker. That’s right…a rice cooker. I wanted to see how long it would take and what the final product would be like. It came out great, but the cooker got a little messy. If you feel like it go ahead and try it in a rice cooker. If not, then just use a more traditional cooking vessel like cast iron or stainless steel. Cooking time will be reduced using any other method other than a rice cooker, so be forewarned.
Mung Bean Soup
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