A few weeks ago, I received an email from someone asking about aduki bean soup with ginger. I didn’t have a good place to direct him to, so I made the soup last week and wrote a recipe. My soup didn’t have winter squash in it, but I think it would be a nice addition, especially in late Fall and early Winter.
I often add greens near the end of my bean soups to add more nutrition. The synergy of beans and greens is fantastic. They really compliment each other.
I hope you like this one. Feel free to substitute the aduki beans for any other bean, as well. If I did white beans I might leave out the ginger and add a handful of assorted fresh herbs. This soup is also oil-free. You can saute the onion in a little oil before adding the other ingredients if you wish. I don’t think it’s necessary. If you don’t have shoyu or don’t like to use it, you can replace it with a few pinches of sea salt added when you first add the 5 cups of water.
Aduki Bean Soup with Ginger
1 1/2 cups aduki beans, rinse and soak over night
Postage stamp size piece of kombu
4-5 cups water
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium size carrot, diced
1/2 cup of winter squash, peeled and cut into small chunks
Splash of shoyu
Knob of ginger, finely grate and squeeze out the juice
Handful of parsley, chopped
1. Strain the beans and place in a large, heavy bottom pot or pressure cooker. Pour water in to 1″ above the beans. Bring to a boil and scrape off any foam that rises to the surface. Add kombu. Reduce heat to simmer and cover, cooking until just starting to feel cooked all the way through. Or pressure cook for about 15 minutes. Strain the beans, saving the cooking liquid.
2. In another heavy bottom pot, layer the onion, celery and carrot. Place the cooked beans on top. Measure the cooking liquid and add enough fresh water to equal 5 cups. Pour over the top of the beans and vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cover. Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Add a little more liquid if needed.
3. Season with a splash or two of shoyu and cook for 5 more minutes. Add some of the ginger juice. Be moderate at first. Ginger juice can add some spiciness. Taste and adjust flavors. You want the soup to be flavorful, but not salty.
4. Serve at the table with a garnish of parsley. Enjoy!
Aduki Bean Soup with Ginger
Equipment
- 2 heavy bottom pots can also use the same pot to cook both the beans and the soup
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups aduki beans rinse and soak over night
- Postage stamp size piece of kombu
- 4-5 cups water
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 1 medium size carrot diced
- 1/2 cup winter squash peeled and cut into small chunks
- Splash of shoyu or tamari
- Knob of ginger finely grate and squeeze out the juice
- Handful of parsley chopped
Instructions
- Strain the beans and place in a large, heavy bottom pot or pressure cooker. Pour water in to 1" above the beans. Bring to a boil and scrape off any foam that rises to the surface. Add kombu. Reduce heat to simmer and cover, cooking until just starting to feel cooked all the way through. Or pressure cook for about 15 minutes. Strain the beans, saving the cooking liquid.
- In another heavy bottom pot, layer the onion, celery and carrot. Place the cooked beans on top. Measure the cooking liquid and add enough fresh water to equal 5 cups. Pour over the top of the beans and vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cover. Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Add a little more liquid if needed.
- Season with a splash or two of shoyu and cook for 5 more minutes. Add some of the ginger juice. Be moderate at first. Ginger juice can add some spiciness. Taste and adjust flavors. You want the soup to be flavorful, but not salty.
- Serve at the table with a garnish of parsley. Enjoy!