Mung beans are kind of magnificent. Ever tried them?
If not, you should! They’re easy to digest and quick-cooking, help rid the body of toxins and support liver health! How cool is that?
Ready your mung beans and let’s make soup!
This 10-ingredient, oil-free, grain-free soup starts by soaking and cooking your mung beans. You can soak them overnight, or if you’re in a hurry, you can do it in 1 hour! Once soaked, they cook up in 15-20 minutes. Then your soup is already nearly halfway done.
In a separate pot, you’ll add the basics: onion, carrot, and celery. They’re followed by green beans, kale, zucchini, and a wave of flavor with fire-roasted tomatoes and vegetable broth! We like making our own vegetable broth, but you can easily go for store-bought to save time.
Once all the ingredients are added, all that’s left to do is let it simmer away to perfection.
We hope you all LOVE this soup! It’s:
Hearty
Healthy
Rich
Satisfying
Loaded with vegetables
Easy to make
& Incredibly nourishing
This is the perfect soup to get you through cold, dark days or when you need a pick-me-up. We reach for this on days when our bodies need a little comfort, and we love making a large batch and freezing it so it’s always on hand. Amplify its nourishing, cleansing effects by topping with raw garlic and fresh parsley.
This soup would pair perfectly with our Cheesy Sunflower Coated Kale Chips, Loaded Kale Salad, Garlicky Kale Salad with Crispy Chickpeas, 5-Minute Detox Salad, or Layered Sweet Potato Butternut Squash Tortilla.
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a picture @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Fire-Roasted Tomato & Mung Bean Soup
Ingredients
BEANS
- 1 cup dry mung beans (soaked overnight or 6 hours in cool water // or quick-soaked*)
- 3 cups water
- 1 strip kombu (optional // added when cooking for easier digestion)
SOUP
- 3 Tbsp water
- 1 small yellow or white onion (diced)
- 4 whole carrots (thinly sliced)
- 2 ribs celery (diced)
- 2 small zucchini (or similar squash // sliced)
- 2 cups green beans (trimmed // large beans halved)
- 1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes with juices (or peeled and crushed tomatoes)
- 1 quart vegetable broth* (DIY or store-bought)
- 1/4 tsp each sea salt + black pepper (plus more to taste)
- 1 large handful greens of choice (such as kale or chard // chopped)
FOR SERVING optional
- Fresh garlic (minced)
- Fresh parsley (chopped)
- Flatbread
- Seeded bread (or gluten-free bread)
Instructions
- Start by soaking mung beans overnight or employing the quick-soak method found in the notes. Then add soaked, drained mung beans to a large saucepan with water (use 3 cups water per 1 cup dry beans) and kombu (optional) and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender but not mushy – about 17-23 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid and set aside.
- In the meantime, heat a separate large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add water and onion. Sauté for 4-5 minutes or until tender and light golden brown, stirring frequently.
- Add carrots and celery and sauté for 4-5 minutes more or until slightly tender, stirring frequently. Then add zucchini, green beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, vegetable broth, and salt and pepper. Stir to combine and increase heat. Bring to a low boil.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and add cooked (drained) mung beans. Simmer for 10-15 minutes more or until all vegetables are tender.
- Add greens and cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Then remove from heat and let rest 5 minutes.
- Serve as is or garnish with fresh garlic and parsley for more flavor and cleansing, nourishing benefits. Flatbread or whole-grain bread would make a delicious side as well as the salads linked above the recipe.
- Store cooled leftovers in the refrigerator up to 5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month (or more). Reheat leftovers on the stovetop until hot.
Video
Notes
*If not soaking beans overnight, you can cover the beans with water in a large pot and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Then remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 1 hour. Then rinse, drain, and proceed with cooking per instructions.
*Soup highly adapted from the Mung Bean Soup in the book Woman Code by Alisa Vitti.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without additional sides.
Jane says
I made this and it was very delicious. We don´t have fire roasted tomatoes here, so I roasted the tomatoes with a bit of red pepper. I didn´t have parsley so used fresh oregano and I added some smoked paprika.
Lovely! Thank you for sharing, Jane! xo
Shellie says
I just started soaking the mung beans to make this tomorrow night. Do I have to refrigerate them or can I leave them at room temp? This recipe sounds incredible. I can’t wait to try it.
Room temp is fine!
Shellie says
Fantastic recipe. Followed as written and topped with minced garlic. So good! We will definitely be having this again.
Yay! Thanks so much, Shellie!
Kelsey says
I only have yellow split mung beans. Would these work, and any change in prep?
Hi Kelsey, we think it would work, but not sure! Let us know if you try it!
PamelaB says
Can’t wait to try this. Love mung beans!
Hope you enjoy, Pamela!
Alexandria Phillips says
I made this tonight and it was amazing. I didn’t plan ahead properly and soak the beans so I adapted it to the IP. I just threw everything in, except the green beans and kale, and cooked for 20 min. Then I threw in the green beans and kale and let it sit for a few more min. it turned out perfect. I topped it with a little vegan parm. I did not have kombu so I just let it out. I was very surprised at how much sweetness the carrots brought to the flavor.
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Alexandria! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your Instant Pot method! xo
Alexandria Phillips says
Oh, I forgot to add that I put 7 cups of fluid in the IP.
Louise says
Excellent and easy recipe. Mung beans are extremely healthy, easy to digest and easy to cook. I’ve made it a second time today. Didn’t have green beans, zucchini or kale so used nappa cabbage and peas instead. Equally delicious. Will make it again and again with whatever greens I have. Love it with a squeeze of lemon on the dish before eating.
Amazing! Thank you so much for the lovely review, Louise! xo
Chloe says
Such a simple, satisfying, and filling soup. I crave this soup in the fall and winter. I sometimes add some quinoa and smoked paprika to spice it up (especially if I don’t have broth and use water, or use just plain diced tomatoes)! We use dino kale for our greens. With a squeeze of fresh lemon and parsley. Thanks for the recipe :)
Amazing! We love to hear this. Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Chloe!
taylor herndon says
Hi! Planning to make this recipe but wanted to check, should the mung beans be whole or halved?
Hi Taylor, we used whole green mung beans. You can find them in the second photo for reference. Hope that helps! Let us know how you like it!
Leeann says
So delicious, simple and nourishing. Subbed yellow squash for zucchini and used frozen green beans. Using the food processor to prep the veggies made this very quick to make! I loved the raw garlic on top! Where is the link to pin this? I don’t see it.
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Leeann!
Trina says
I just made this, it is delicious. Thank you very much for all your hard work. I especially appreciate the vegan gf meals you send my way. Wish you had a hard cookbook for sale.
Trina
We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes, Trina! You can find our cookbook here =)
Kaitlin says
Is there any way you can make this in a crock pot?
Hi Kaitlin, we haven’t tried it, but maybe? Let us know if you do!
Priya says
I’ve made this a bunch of times and really love it. Will you be coming up with more mung bean recipes? Please say yes!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Priya! We’ll add mung bean recipes to our requests list.
Rachel says
I wasn’t sure about this recipe but I sincerely LOVED it! (as I do all your recipes). A great way to use up those green beans (and I also put snow peas in) and the mung beans went all soft and delicious. Very nutritious. Thank you xx
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Rachel! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Alana says
Easy to make and so good! I topped mine off with a little harissa and almond milk cream (instead if sour cream). Lots of leftovers too!
The only thing for my recipe is I didn’t have to cook the mung beans as long, they started to soften after 12 minutes.
Maria says
I’ve made this at least 3 times now and I love it! It’s a really low carb and good for you soup that tastes like it’s good for you, but also tastes great! I crave this when I’ve not eaten so well for a while and want to get back on track to a healthier diet. Thanks for creating this recipe! It’s a keeper!
Thanks for sharing, Maria!
Tamara Graham says
This soup was fantastic. My 16-year-old told me it was the best soup I have ever made. Now that’s saying something. I cooked this recipe in my InstaPot. I cooked it on the soup setting for 12 minutes and vola instant deliciousness. I didn’t use carrots and I added some garlic.
We are so glad you both enjoyed it! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
JoAnn says
I made this last night for my husband and I. We both loved it and will make it again. I made it exactly as directed. Love this soup, would be good for any family gathering.
Thanks for sharing, JoAnn!
Valerie says
Hi Dana!
This dish looks so hearty and delicious. I can’t wait to try it. Our company wants to feature your recipes in our weekly blogs, one of them is highlighting mung beans. You will get full credit and it will be linked back to your site. Please let me know if that is ok! :)
Denise says
I bought sprouted mung beans. Can I use them in this recipe?
Yep! They’ll just take less time to cook. And you can probably just throw them in with the the simmering broth and they’ll cook quickly.
Veronica Forbes says
Wow! This is really tasty and So healthy. I’ll be making a lot more minimalist baker recipes now (This was my first. ?) Thank you So Much!
Ellie says
Absolutely terrific! I never knew I loved mung beans (or really what they were!) until I tried this recipe. Didn’t have quite enough once cooked, so I added some cooked lentils and quinoa, mushrooms, and a tablespoon of hummus to thicken the soup a little. Also some julienne red cabbage for color and texture, and a splash of lemon juice for a little acidity. Topped it with a dash of sriracha and nutritional yeast to make it a meal. Definitely a keeper!!!
Dorothy says
This recipe looks so wonderful! & I have all the fresh ingredients in my garden so I can’t wait to try it! I’d like to make a big batch & my freezer is almost full so I’d like to can some. I’d like to substitute the veggie broth for bone broth, so it would have to be pressure canned. Do you think it would can well?
Hi Dorothy, we’ve never tried pressure canning soups so we’re not sure. Let us know if you try it!
Leorah says
Can this be made in slow cooker.
We haven’t tried! If you do, let us know how it goes!
Melissa says
Did it work?? ?
Crystal says
Do you know if mung beans can be frozen? A coworker just gave me a big tupperware of mung beans that I won’t be able to eat before vacation, so I’d like to freeze them and make this recipe when I return home. Everything I find online is about freezing the sprouts, not the beans themselves.
Yes! This recipe in particular can be frozen for up to 1 month, but mung beans in general can be frozen as well.
Sierra says
Yum!
Kelly Maggiore says
I’ve been wanting to use mung beans for awhile now. I love soup recipes and your recipe and photos look amazing! I love that you add the length of time you can freeze it as well!
Julian says
Mung beans boiling now, it’s cold and raining in the blue mountains in Australia. Perfect for a no get in.
Sandi says
I occasionally have a very hard time finding mung beans in the stores that I shop at, they are all sort of hit or miss with carrying them. So I wanted to share that since I have done this with kitchari also, I used pigeon peas instead in the recipe above and it was delicious. They are a good match nutrition wise to mung beans if not quite a perfect flavor match. Just a heads up, if mung beans cannot be found!
Thanks for sharing, Sandi! This will surely be helpful for others :D
Christine says
My grocery store only had sprouted mung beans. Should those still be soaked?
Nope! They can go straight into the pot for cooking.
Patty says
Delicious is how I would describe this soup. First time I have eaten the mung beans and I really like their crunch and flavor. All the vegetables in this soup and the protein in the beans is a perfect meal! Thank you for another winning recipe. You never disappoint.
Elizabeth Elliott says
Great soup with a ton of veggies. I am cutting down my red meat consumption so when your recipe showed the amount of protein in mung beans, I knew it was for me.
It did not disappoint—-two for one—veggies & protein! Yeah!
Thx
Elizabeth
Glad you enjoyed it, Elizabeth!
Shanna says
Wow great video! I loved the music and my mouth is watering! This looks delicious and I love the bowl you put the soup in.
Aislyn says
Delicious! I’ll cut the mung beans back to 1/2 c. next time as the soup ended up bigger than the pot I have, but it’s very tasty. A keeper! Thanks for creating and sharing the recipe.
Kelly says
I’ve been to both grocery stores in my town and neither have mung beans. Is there a substitute I could use? I already bought all the other ingredients and would like to make this tonight. Thanks!
Hi Kelly! I would recommend pigeon peas in place of mung beans.
Michelle says
As always, wonderful recipe! :) So many hearty veggies – I loved it.
Janna Ross says
Would this work with split mung beans? Maybe if I reduce the soaking time?
I think so, but am not sure. Let us know if you give that a try!
Julie says
This soup was delicious, although I couldn’t find fire roasted tomatoes. It was still good with diced tomatoes. I added nutritional yeast on top.
Thanks for sharing!
Linda says
This sounds great, but it’s out of season. I think I’ll wait to try it in the summer when both zucchini and green beans are available locally.
ANTO says
awesome
Chanel says
Made it this weekend – another great MB recipe that will be added to our regular rotation. Used TJ Baby Green Mix for the Kale portion plus plenty of parsley, followed the recipe as written. This soup has wonderful textures, and flavours from the assortment of veggies and as a bonus you get the nutritional benefits the mung beans provide (protein, fiber, antioxidants and phytonutrients) – what is there not to love.
yay! Thanks for sharing!
Choclate cake says
It looks very delicious . . . I must try it . . . T hank you for sharing this wonderful recipe with us :)
Liz says
Made this soup a few days ago, was deeeliscious!!! ?? finally found some canned fire roasted tomatoes in my area and what a difference it makes! Thank you for this recipe! A keeper! ???♂️??♂️
Pooja Haney says
Mung beans and sprouted mung beans are super popular in Indian culture as well! Try a mung daal recipe (using split mung beans) one day (I think it goes especially well with broccoli in it)!
Ang says
The grocery store only have dried mung beans… would that work instead of the raw? Thanks so much!
Yeah, as far as we know they’re the same!
Susan P says
That looks so healthy & good! Soup is about all I am interested on these chilly So. CA days!
I hear ya! Hope you love it, auntie!
Carly says
Thank you for posting a recipe so wonderful for those of us with grain/carbohydrate sensitivity! I can’t wait to try to make this once green beans, zucchini, and tomatoes are in season. Most of these vegetables will all be easily found from the farm market/CSA throughtout the warmth this year, so I’m excited to make this a staple :)
Whoop! Thanks for sharing. Hope you love it!
Allegra says
I love mung! Thanks for the recipe :)
Alexis says
This is just what I need for the cold weather we’re having. I’ve been looking for a tomato soup with lots of veggies in it. I’m not sure if I’ll find the kombu but I’ll be making this next week. Thanks for sharing :)
Cindy says
Are the “raw” mung beans the same as “dried” mung beans? Please clarify. Thank you.
Yep! And you can also buy already sprouted mung beans, which then wouldn’t require soaking and can go straight into the pot for cooking.
Chelsea says
My store only had sprouted mung beans. Can you clarify – even if I bypass the initial soak, do I still simmer them with Kombu first?
Nope! If they’re sprouted, they can go right into the pot for cooking (Step 4)
Jayce says
This is next level delicious! I had everything on hand, was craving a really good vegetable soup, saw this post and made it immediately! It checks all the boxes, fresh, substantial, delicious and beautiful! I’m actually really excited to have leftovers tomorrow!! And the raw garlic at the end was such a great touch!! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing!
dipti says
nice
Chanel says
Thanks for posting a Mung Bean recipe! I have some in my pantry that urgently need a home :) Putting this soup on the meal plan for next week.