I am not vegetarian or a vegan, no one in my family is, we love to eat meat but once in a while I do take a break from meat or at least omit it in vegetable dish like this one. You won’t actually miss the meat here, personally I don’t think it needs it, Mung beans or mongo is already packed with protein as it is and besides, we usually serve it as a side dish to other meat dish or fried fish.
This was my favorite when I was pregnant with my kids. It’s a good way to get my protein without too much calories, that way, I still have room for some sweets. I also cook this often when I want to lose some pounds gained from over-eating baked goods. My sisters-in-law started having their guisadong mungo this way too 🙂
This is quite easy and quick to make once the mung beans have been pre-soaked (this applies to all beans, too). In case you don’t know it yet, it is a must or it will take forever to cook the beans, I’m telling you this from a personal experience- I’d swear before I’ll never cook guisadong mongo (it’s how we call this dish in Filipino) again…it just takes too long to cook. Then my mama told me the right way of cooking mung beans. She thought I knew how because she made this often for us before and I was always in the kitchen whenever she’s cooking. I knew it, alright, except for the soaking part. 😉
For those who doesn’t eat rice or not used to eating rice with soup, you can serve this with crusty bread.
You can of course add some meat into this if you really must, cooked chicken tenders or fish fillet are good toppings; or leftover roasted chicken or crab cakes, it’s your call.
Here’s how to make Vegan Mung Bean Soup:
pre-soak the mung beans
wait..before you cook it into soup, try this first, spoon some into a bowl and add sweetened condensed milk …yum
My mom used to cook more than enough mung beans so me and my sibling can snack on this when we were little. I do the same for my kids now and they love it too!
Mash the mung beans with potato masher,
saute the garlic, onion, tomato and green chilli, mash as well
and pour into the pot of mashed mung beans.
add the greens, I used leaves of ampalaya (bitter gourd)
VEGAN MUNG BEAN SOUP
no-meat mungo guisado
serves 4
Ingredients:
1 cup mung beans (green, yellow will do just fine, I haven’t tried red with this)
1 red onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green chilli pepper, sliced
1 large tomato, diced (cut into small squares)
fish sauce, salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups bitter gourd leaves or malunggay leaves or spinach
extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling (optional)
olive oil/ canola/coconut oil for sauteeing
note: this is a quick version, I usually do this with some sliced chayote or young papaya but it will take a little longer to cook it.
If you want the with-meat version: Add 250 grams diced pork (shoulder cut) or shrimp and cook it with the tomatoes until browned or pink for shrimp. Add some sliced chayote too.
Directions:
Wash and pre-soak mung beans in a saucepan with 3 cups of water.
After at least 4 hours, put the saucepan with pre-soaked beans over high heat and bring to a boil; lower the heat until beans are just simmering ( I was told that beans or any protein cooks faster on low heat). Cook until beans are tender, it’ll take about 30 minutes; more or less depending on how long you soaked the mung beans.
Meanwhile, saute the garlic, onion, tomato and chilli on a pan with a tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Cook until tomato and chili are tender, then using the same potato masher, mash the sauteed tomato. Pour it into the pan of mashed mung beans. Add 1-1 1/2 cups or just enough water to thin the mixture. Season with fish sauce (if using), salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 3 minutes then add the greens and cook for 5 minutes more or until the greens are cooked. Turn off heat and let cool a bit before serving.
That’s it! Done.
Serve extra warm with a drizzle of olive oil. Serve as a side dish or serve with crusty bread for a light meal.
Enjoy!
Olive
serve warm with a drizzle of olive oil (optional)
Vegan Mung Beans Soup (Mongo Guisado w/o meat)
Ingredients
- 1 CUP MUNG BEANS GREEN, YELLOW WILL DO JUST FINE, I HAVEN’T TRIED RED WITH THIS
- 1 RED ONION MINCED
- 2 CLOVES GARLIC MINCED
- 1 GREEN CHILLI PEPPER SLICED
- 1 LARGE TOMATO DICED (CUT INTO SMALL SQUARES)
- FISH SAUCE SALT AND PEPPER, TO TASTE
- 2 CUPS BITTER GOURD LEAVES OR MALUNGGAY LEAVES OR SPINACH
- EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL FOR DRIZZLING OPTIONAL
- OLIVE OIL/ CANOLA/COCONUT OIL FOR SAUTEEING
- NOTE: THIS IS A QUICK VERSION I USUALLY DO THIS WITH SOME SLICED CHAYOTE OR YOUNG PAPAYA BUT IT WILL TAKE A LITTLE LONGER TO COOK IT.
- IF YOU WANT THE WITH-MEAT VERSION: ADD 250 GRAMS DICED PORK SHOULDER CUT OR SHRIMP AND COOK IT WITH THE TOMATOES UNTIL BROWNED OR PINK FOR SHRIMP. ADD SOME SLICED CHAYOTE TOO.
Instructions
- WASH AND PRE-SOAK MUNG BEANS IN A SAUCEPAN WITH 3 CUPS OF WATER.
- AFTER AT LEAST 4 HOURS, PUT THE SAUCEPAN WITH PRE-SOAKED BEANS OVER HIGH HEAT AND BRING TO A BOIL; LOWER THE HEAT UNTIL BEANS ARE JUST SIMMERING ( I WAS TOLD THAT BEANS OR ANY PROTEIN COOKS FASTER ON LOW HEAT). COOK UNTIL BEANS ARE TENDER, IT’LL TAKE ABOUT 30 MINUTES; MORE OR LESS DEPENDING ON HOW LONG YOU SOAKED THE MUNG BEANS.
- MEANWHILE, SAUTE THE GARLIC, ONION, TOMATO AND CHILLI ON A PAN WITH A TABLESPOON OF OLIVE OIL OVER MEDIUM HIGH HEAT. COOK UNTIL TOMATO AND CHILI ARE TENDER, THEN USING THE SAME POTATO MASHER, MASH THE SAUTEED TOMATO. POUR IT INTO THE PAN OF MASHED MUNG BEANS. ADD 1-1 1/2 CUPS OR JUST ENOUGH WATER TO THIN THE MIXTURE. SEASON WITH FISH SAUCE (IF USING), SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE. SIMMER FOR 3 MINUTES THEN ADD THE GREENS AND COOK FOR 5 MINUTES MORE OR UNTIL THE GREENS ARE COOKED. TURN OFF HEAT AND LET COOL A BIT BEFORE SERVING.
- THAT’S IT! DONE.
- SERVE EXTRA WARM WITH A DRIZZLE OF OLIVE OIL. SERVE AS A SIDE DISH OR SERVE WITH CRUSTY BREAD FOR A LIGHT MEAL.
