Soups

Mung Bean, Coix Seed and Adzuki Bean Soup

traditionally associated with clearing heat and supporting immunity in children

In short: Mung Bean, Coix Seed and Adzuki Bean Soup is a soup that traditionally associated with clearing heat and supporting immunity in children. It is most often made for children's wellness, immune support. Total time about 70 min. Key ingredients: mung beans, coix seeds / job's tears, adzuki beans, tangerine peel.

Prep
10 min
Cook
60 min
Total
70 min
Makes
0.9–1.2 L
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.

What studies say about the key ingredients

Traditional use is not the same as clinical proof. Here is the strongest human research we found for each ingredient, limitations included.

  • Mung beans · Randomized crossover trial, 20 participants · 2019
    Breath hydrogen and methane were higher after wheat than after rice or mung bean noodles. Bloating scores after mung bean did not differ significantly from wheat, and mung bean produced gas levels similar to rice.Limitation: Small sample of 20 patients, with single meals tested rather than habitual intake, so longer-term effects of mung bean on symptoms are unknown.PubMed 31484315 · 1 more mung beans study
  • Job's tears (coix) · Randomized controlled trial · 2024
    Myeloperoxidase activity rose significantly in the placebo group after 8 weeks but showed no significant change in the adlay tea group. Vascular endothelial function improved in the adlay group, especially in those over 40.Limitation: Participants were healthy adults and the outcomes were surrogate markers, so the results say little about clinical disease outcomes. Tea is a polyphenol-rich extract, not whole grain.PubMed 38945894 · 2 more job's tears (coix) studies
  • Adzuki beans · Randomized crossover trial, 10 participants · 2019
    Adzuki bean meals had a low glycemic index (21–51 range reported with lotus seed), whereas other starchy foods did not differ significantly from rice. Adzuki bean hydrolysis index was lower than other test foods.Limitation: Only ten healthy participants and acute single-meal responses, so effects in people with diabetes or with regular intake are unknown.PubMed 30875961 · 1 more adzuki beans study

From the Nourilo Research Library. Findings come from specific doses, extracts and populations and may not apply to a home-cooked recipe.

Safety first — read before you cook

This is a traditional food, not a treatment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before making it a regular part of your diet if you:

  • are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are cooking for a young child;
  • take regular medicines — especially blood thinners, blood-pressure, diabetes or immune-suppressing drugs;
  • have a kidney, liver or heart condition, or a known food allergy.

Stop eating it and seek advice if you notice an allergic reaction or feel unwell. Safety notes reviewed 8 October 2026 · How we write safety notes

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