This mung bean soup recipe can easily be turned into a vegetarian dish by eliminating the pork and the shrimp paste. It’s a great alternative when you want to reduce your meat intake. The protein can also be substituted with shrimp and its equally as delicious. There are so many health benefits to mung beans. Keep reading below to find out!
Mung Beans….What Is It?
Mung bean is a plant from the legume family and comes from East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Indian Continent. They are prepared by boiling the dried beans until they are soft and skin can be easily removed. In the Philippines, the dish Ginisang Monggo (Sauteed Mung Bean Stew) is traditionally cooked with prawns and served on Fridays for lent when Catholics are abstaining from eating meat. However, Mungo is delicious any day of the week and the shrimp can be substituted with pork or chicken or meat can be eliminated all together.
Health Benefits Of Mung Beans
- Rich in potassium, magnesium and fiber help to lower blood pressure
- Packed with healthy nutrients and essential amino acids
- Full of antioxidants that may help reduce chronic disease risk
- Helps lower cholesterol
- Aids in digestive health
- May lower blood sugar levels
- May promote weight loss by suppressing hunger and fullness hormones
- Folate in mung beans helps promote a healthy pregnancy
Mung Bean Soup
(“Monggo Guisado“) Recipe!
This Filipino dish is one that is very inexpensive to make. A package of Mung Beans at the local Asian market cost me about $2 and this recipe only calls for half the package. The pork cost me about $3 and the spinach, tomatoes, onion and garlic, I already had on hand. And you know how many meals this gave us? I actually don’t know because I lost count. All I know is that my family of four ate this for dinner and I had it for several more lunches after that.
Eat it with some white rice and a little goes a long way. What I love about this dish is not only is it inexpensive to make but its also very comforting, especially on cold days. It’s packed with loads of vitamins and antioxidants and if you’re trying to eat less meat, monggo guisado tastes just as good without any meat in it. I’m not a huge fan of legumes and beans but this dish is one of my favorite Filipino dishes. I hope you love it as much as I do!
How To Make Mung Bean Soup “Monggo Guisado“
- Boil the mung beans in the water until the beans get soft and easily mushed with a fork. Drain and set it aside.
- In a sauté pan, heat the oil and add the garlic, onions and tomatoes until they become soft and the onions look glassy.
- Add the pork and sauté until halfway cooked.
- Add the bagoong and sauté for a one minute more.
- Add the broth and the mung beans and bring it to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer and add the spinach leaves and cook until wilted.
- Serve with white rice.
More Filipino Recipes You’ll Love
Mung Bean Soup (Monggo Guisado)
Equipment
- Chef's Knife
- Cutting Board
- Wooden Slotted Spoon
- Large Pot with lid
- Large Deep Saute Pan with lid
Ingredients
- 1 cup Green Mung Beans
- 3 cups Water for boiling
- 1 tbsp Avocado oil
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 Onion chopped
- 2 Tomatoes chopped
- 1 lb Pork sliced thinly
- 2 cups Beef Broth
- 1 tbsp Bagoong
- 1 cup Fresh Spinach
Instructions
- Boil the mung beans until its soft and easily mushed with a fork. Drain and set it aside.
- In a large sauté pan, heat up the oil and add the garlic, onion and tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes are soft and the onion is transparent.
- Add the pork and bagoong and stir well until the pork is about halfway cooked.
- Add the beef broth and the mung beans and bring it to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and add the fresh spinach leaves. Cook until the spinach becomes wilted.
- Serve with white rice.