Ayurvedic Green Mung Soup
Feeling sluggish from holiday indulgence? Then this healthy, detox soup is for you! The humble mung/moong bean is known in India as the “king of dal,” according to 5,000-year-old Vedic literature. Ayurveda classifies individuals according to body types, which are known as doshas. Mung beans are “tridoshic” which means they are a good food choice for any doshic or constitutional type, helping to balance the subtle energies of the body.
Mung beans are super easy to digest, too! They have the benefit of being mildly cleansing, containing both soluble and insoluble fiber. Insoluble fiber supports easy digestion, and soluble fiber has a mildly scraping action on the colon that helps keep it clean. In keeping with Ayurvedic tradition, this soup contains no onion or garlic to keep it sattvic. I added some cabbage to the soup for extra nutrients but you could certainly leave it out.
I use split green mung in this recipe. You could use whole mung beans as well but it would take about double the time to cook.
My gut feels so happy on this soup (as well as kitchari of course). Less gas producing and easier to digest than other legumes, mung beans help remove toxins from the body (including heavy metals!) and boost gut health. I hope you will indulge in this healthy dish, which is…
🌱 warming
🌱 nourishing
🌱 gut healing
🌱 balancing
🌱 comforting
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Ingredients
2 cups split green mung beans
12 cups water (10 cups if not using the ca
4 cups chopped green cabbage (optional)
¼ cup grated fresh ginger
1 TBS cumin seeds
1 TBS jaggery (or any minimally processed sweetener)
1 TBS black mustard seeds
10 fresh curry leaves (see notes)
½ tsp hing/asafoetida (see notes)
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp ground fennel seed
1 tsp ground black pepper
juice of one lemon plus some slices for garnish
½ cup fresh chopped cilantro
Method
Rinse, rinse, rinse your beans. A lot of starch will come off. Rinse until the water runs clear, or close to it.
Add the beans and all remaining ingredients to a large pot and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low and simmer until the beans are tender. This may take some time, usually about 30 minutes You could also use an Instant Pot but I’m sorry I haven’t done this so I’m not sure of the timing. Plus I happen to love the aroma of all those heavenly spices filling my home!
Add love! 💗
Pour about half of the soup into a blender and blend until smooth. Return to the pot. You could also use an immersion blender to blend about half of the soup.
Serve with some fresh lemon slices and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro.
Makes a LOT… about 3-4 quarts! It will last in the fridge for about 3 days but also freezes well. You can also just cut the recipe in half for less. Enjoy!
Notes
You can use dried curry leaves but fresh are SOOO much better. You can find them at any Indian Market or purchase on Amazon HERE.
What the heck is HING anyway? Hing, also called asafoetida, comes from the resin of giant fennel plants that grow wild in Afghanistan and Iran. Many Indians do not eat garlic and onion in order to adhere to a sattvic diet. Hing is a super pungent spice/herb that adds a deep note to any Indian dish and replaces the onion and garlic without sacrificing ANY flavor. If you’ve never used it, on first whiff it may seem overwhelming but it mellows perfectly after cooking. And you only need a VERY small amount. You can purchase it HERE.
