Mung Bean, Coix Seed and Adzuki Bean Soup

Why people make this soup

Every summer in southern China and Hong Kong, hand, foot and mouth disease peaks among children under five. Traditional Chinese dietary wisdom suggests that keeping the body’s internal environment cool and free of excess dampness may help maintain resilience during this season. Nourilo has long recommended this three-bean soup as a gentle, family-friendly support drink throughout the warmer months — not as a substitute for medical care, but as a nourishing habit alongside sensible hygiene.

The beauty of this soup is its simplicity. Three everyday beans plus a sliver of dried tangerine peel, simmered for an hour, produce a lightly sweet broth that kids actually enjoy. It’s cooling in nature, so it fits perfectly into the sticky, humid days of a Hong Kong summer.

Method

1. Soak and rinse all the beans and the dried tangerine peel.
2. Place everything except the sugar into a clay or ceramic pot (avoid iron or regular steel cookware, as mung beans can react with iron and turn the soup grey).
3. Add enough water to cover generously — roughly 2.1–2.4 L.
4. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer for about 1 hour, until the beans are completely soft.
5. Stir in the raw cane sugar and simmer for a few more minutes until dissolved.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature. Both the liquid and the softened beans are edible.

Nourilo’s Tips

Always use raw cane sugar slab rather than white sugar in this soup — it’s the traditional choice and considered gentler in nature. More importantly, use a clay pot or a ceramic-lined pot (like a Corningware-style cooker). Iron cookware turns mung bean soups an unappetising grey.

For children with a weaker constitution, drinking this soup regularly through the summer is only one part of the picture. Avoid crowded, poorly ventilated spaces during peak season, and keep up rigorous hand-washing — the virus spreads very easily through contact.

If your child already has symptoms, this soup can be used alongside medical treatment for 2–3 days as a supportive measure, but do not rely on it as the sole response.