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Red bean Soup with rice dumpling

 Directions

1. Soak the red bean in water for 2–3 hours.
2. Wash, drain and pour into a pot. Add 1.5l of water to the red bean and bring to the boil. Add the pandan leaves. Once boiling, reduce to low heat and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
3. After 2 hours, remove the pandan leaves. Add the rock sugar gradually, and stir to dissolve. Taste, and sweeten with more rock sugar if necessary.
4. Make the tang yuan dough. Sift the glutinous rice flour into a bowl. Gradually add water to form a stiff dough. Place dough on board and knead well for 3-4 minutes. Roll firmly into the size of a marble ball.
   
5. Drop the balls into the red bean syrup, and cook until they float to the surface. Serve each bowl of hot red bean soup with 3 tang yuans.

RED BEAN SOUP 

It is nearing December and the weather has been chilly in Singapore lately so today I made sweet red bean soup to keep me as warm as toast even though it’s windy and cold outside :). Red bean soup (紅豆汤 hóng dòu tāng) is an all time classic Chinese dessert soup.

This post was first published on Dec 4, 2015 and now updated on 18/11/16 with improved recipe and photos.

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The basic ingredients for this red bean soup recipe are red beans (also known as adzuki beans), dried tangerine peel and rock sugar. For this recipe, I added ginkgo nuts and sago for extra texture to the soup. If you have pandan leaves, tie a few into a knot and throw them into the soup pot as well to add some fragrance.

 Green Bean Soup 

Ingredients for green bean soup

The basic ingredients that you’ll need are green beans, water and rock sugar. Sago pearls and pandan leaves are optional but I find that they really enhance the enjoyment of the soup.

If you want, you can also add the following ingredients into the green bean soup:

Gingko nuts (for convenience, use vacuum packed ones)

Lotus seeds

Candied winter melon

Sago pearls are flavorless on its own but once you add it into desserts like this, it gives the soup a smoother and more interesting texture. It also enhances the appearance of the soup, don’t you think? 

Do you like green bean soup with a thicker consistency or a more watery texture? For a thicker soup, mash up some of the softened beans with the back of a spoon against a sieve. Ladle up some soup and pour it through the sieve to let the mashed beans return to the soup. (refer to recipe for full instructions) Simmering for a longer time will also thicken the soup. And if you like a more watery consistency, turn off the heat once the beans have softened and opened up. 

mushroom soup

Ingredients of making mushroom soup

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•  1/4 cup unsalted butter
•  2 pounds sliced fresh mushrooms
•  1 pinch salt
•  1 yellow onion, diced
•  1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
•  6 sprigs fresh thyme

•  2 cloves garlic, peeled
•  4 cups chicken broth
•  1 cup water
•  1 cup heavy whipping cream
•  1 pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
•  1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves for garnish, or to taste
•  Add all ingredients to list

Directions

 

• Prep
  15 m
• Cook
  1 h 20 m
• Ready In
  1 h 35 m

1. Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat; cook mushrooms in butter with 1 pinch salt until the mushrooms give off their juices; reduce heat to low. Continue to cook, stirring often, until juices evaporate and the mushrooms are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Set aside a few attractive mushroom slices for garnish later, if desired. Mix onion into mushrooms and cook until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 more minutes.
2. Stir flour into mushroom mixture and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes to remove raw flour taste. Tie thyme sprigs into a small bundle with kitchen twine and add to mushroom mixture; add garlic cloves. Pour chicken stock and water into mushroom mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 hour. Remove thyme bundle.
3. Transfer soup to a blender in small batches and puree on high speed until smooth and thick.
4. Return soup to pot and stir in cream. Season with salt and black pepper and serve in bowls, garnished with reserved mushroom slices and a few thyme leaves.  

Green bean and sweet potato soup

Green Bean With Sweet Potato Soup

I was happy my family members enjoyed very much the Green Beans With Barley Sweet Soup which I prepared for them.  My Pa who is usually very selective with his food finished a bowl of it for tea time.  So this time, I tried cooking another green beans sweet soup with sweet potatoes and coconut cream. 

Green Bean, Sweet Potato Soup with coconut cream

Green Bean, Sweet Potato Soup without coconut cream

I came across this recipe in the local newspaper sometime ago which looks good.  The soup taste good with or without the coconut cream.  For those who are on healthy diet, just omit the coconut cream.

Ingredients for the Sweet Soup

Ingredients
[serves 8-10]

300 gm dried green beans - pick and discard any grit or discoloured beans, rinse beans under running water

2-3 screwpine [pandan] leaves - wash and knotted

3 litres water

500 gm sweet potatoes [orange colour] - peel and cut into cubes or wedges
125 gm honey rock sugar to taste

1. Pour water in a large deep pot, add in green beans and pandan leaves. Bring to boil over high heat, then turn to medium heat and continue cooking for 40 - 45 minutes or until beans are cooked and soft.  Stirring occasionally. 
2. Add in sweet potatoes to cook for another 15 minutes or until soft.  Add in rock sugar to taste and stir until it dissolves.  Turn off heat and serve with or without coconut cream.