Red Bean, Black Rice and Red Date Sweet Soup

Why people make this sweet soup

As the days shorten and temperatures drop through autumn and winter, Cantonese households reach for warming, blood-nourishing foods. This sweet soup came about when Nourilo bought a packet of black rice at the supermarket and discovered it was far better suited to a slow-cooked sweet soup than mixed into plain rice. The result is a deeply coloured, naturally sweet bowl that warms from the inside out — and the combination of red beans, black rice and red dates makes it as nutritious as it is satisfying.

Method

1. Rinse all ingredients. Pit the red dates.
2. Combine all ingredients except the brown sugar in a pot with 1.8–2.1 L of water.
3. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
4. Cook for about 1 hour, until the beans and rice are soft and the liquid has reduced to about 900 ml.
5. Stir in brown sugar to taste, cook until dissolved, then serve warm.

Nourilo’s Tips

Black glutinous rice can be used in place of black brown rice — the resulting soup will be richer and stickier. However, for people with diabetes or weaker digestion, black brown rice is the better choice as it is less starchy and lighter on the stomach. A handy way to tell the two apart: snap a grain in half — if the inside is transparent, it is black rice; if the inside looks white and cloudy, it is black glutinous rice.