Hong Dou Tang: Chinese Red Bean Soup

Votes: 1

Time: 9 hours 45 minutes
Complexity: easily
Servings: 6

Nutritional value per serving:

Calories 265, total fat 1 G., saturated fats 0 G., proteins 11 G., carbohydrates 56 G., fiber 8 G., cholesterol 0 mg, sodium 173 mg, sugar 27 G.

Sweet red bean soup is commonly served as a dessert or light appetizer at Chinese celebrations and during Chinese New Year. Its popularity is partly due to the fact that in Chinese culture, red beans are considered a source of strength due to their color (red symbolizes strength) and high protein content. This soup is also made with tapioca pearls and is typically thinned. However, this recipe offers a thicker version. If desired, you can always thin it with a little water and sweeten it further if needed.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

1.5 cups (about 280 g) dried adzuki beans, rinsed
3 small pieces (about 3-5 grams in total) of dried tangerine peel
0.5 tsp of soda
2 tablespoons small white tapioca pearls
140 g lump sugar (or 3/4 cup granulated sugar)
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

We recommend

Recipes with similar ingredients: red beans, unrefined sugar, tapioca, tangerines

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Soak beans in a medium bowl in enough cold water to cover the beans by 2 inches (5 cm) for at least 8 hours or overnight.
When the beans are almost done, soak the dried mandarin peel in a small bowl with plenty of warm water until softened, about 20 minutes. Use a spoon to scrape out as much of the white pulp as possible, then finely chop the zest.

Drain the beans and transfer them to a 5-quart (5-liter) saucepan. Add 1 teaspoon of chopped tangerine zest, baking soda, and 7 cups of cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, soak the tapioca pearls in a small bowl of water until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
When the beans are done, transfer 0.5 cups of cooked beans to a small bowl. Mash with a fork or potato masher, then return to the cauldron. Add the tapioca pearls, sugar, and salt.
Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the balls are completely translucent and soft, about 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Note

If you can't find adzuki beans, substitute small red kidney beans.

Dried mandarin peel imparts a distinctive floral-citrusy aroma to dishes. It's usually sold whole in Asian grocery stores. It can be found online both whole and in strips.

This recipe uses lump sugar, which is commonly added to Chinese soups because it's slightly less sweet than granulated sugar. However, you can substitute regular granulated sugar or even brown sugar, which adds a pleasant caramel flavor.