Wholesome Goodness

In case you’re wondering by now, yes, I love soup.  Very, very much.  I make it at least once a week, and, lately, with the cold weather, I’ve been making it several times per week.  Here is another of my favorite recipes.  Although I seem to have developed a bit of an intolerance to mung beans, I hope you will enjoy them for me.  Of all legumes, they are the very easiest to digest (red lentils come in as a close second).  In case you’ve never seen them before, here’s a picture for your general edification:

 

They are small and green.  I can find them at my special HEB, but you may have to go to Whole Foods or another health store to procure them. 

Before I get to the recipe, I’d like to share one last thought.  Like lentils, mung beans do not require soaking.  I have successfully prepared this soup without soaking the beans.  If, however, you have an exceptionally sensitive digestive system, soaking them for 24 hours can help.  But if you choose to soak your mung beans, you must dramatically reduce the water in the recipe below.  I’d start with only 3 cups and increase as necessary.  If you add the full 10 cups of water, you will end up with a watery, tasteless mess–much like mine turned out when I made this for my in-laws.  Gotta love the timing…

Mung Bean Soup

2 tablespoons virgin, unrefined coconut oil
2 medium onions, chopped
8 garlic cloves, minced
a 4 inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced

Over medium heat, saute the onions, garlic, and ginger in the oil in a large pot.  Then, add the following:

6 serrano peppers, minced (reserve seeds for later)
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons garam masala

Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Next, add

2 cups dried mung beans, washed and rinsed
10 cups water
1 can (14 oz) coconut milk

Bring to a boil and simmer 30-45 minutes, until the beans are very tender.  They will seem to fall apart.  That’s good.  Partway through the cooking time, you may want to add another cup or two of water if the soup seems too thick.  Also check the spiciness of the soup.  If you’d like more spice, add some or all of the reserved seeds from the serrano peppers.

Right before serving, stir in

1 cup minced fresh cilantro
juice of 2 lemons

Taste the soup again and season with sea salt to bring out the flavors.  I often add a little more curry powder or garam masala at this point, since I like lots of spices in my food.  As for you, do as the spirit leads.

P.S.  I should mention that my in-laws are wonderful, kind people who extended a great deal of grace to me when faced with my culinary abomination.  My sense of shame comes from within.