Red Bean Soup

Method

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1. Soak the adzuki beans in cold water 8 hours, then drain and rinse them.

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2. Soak the tangerine peel in warm water 15 minutes, then scrape the white pith off the inside with a spoon.

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3. Put the beans, the 2 litres of water, the tangerine peel and the pandan leaves in a pot and bring to the boil.

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4. Simmer, half covered, 60 minutes.

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5. Add the lotus seeds if using and simmer 30 minutes more, until the beans have collapsed and the liquid has thickened.

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6. Crush some of the beans against the side of the pot to thicken it further.

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7. Only now add the rock sugar and the salt, and simmer 10 minutes until dissolved.

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8. Serve warm, or chill and serve cold with a spoonful of coconut milk.

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Chef’s Tips

• Sugar at the end. Early sugar stops the beans softening.
• Scrape the pith from the tangerine peel or it turns bitter.
• Crush some of the beans to thicken it.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• For a non-vegan version, double cream can generally stand in for the coconut milk; going the other way, a plant-based cream sold for cooking is the closer match to dairy than tinned coconut milk on its own.

Pairing Suggestions

• Coconut milk
• Sesame balls
• Served cold in summer

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerated for 5 days and it thickens. Freezes 3 months.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.