Red Bean Dessert Soup (红豆汤)

Name: Red Bean Dessert Soup (红豆汤)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 135 min
Total time: 320 min
Ingredients: 250 g / 0.55 lb adzuki beans; 2 dried tangerine peels; 50 g / 0.11 lb rock sugar ((or to taste)); 1 brown sugar slab ((or to taste)); 2 L / 8.5 US cup water ((plus more for soaking and washing))

Red Bean Dessert Soup is the crowning jewel that ends almost every Chinese restaurant banquet! It’s beautifully simple, made using only 5 ingredients and even fewer steps – just boil, mash and serve. Keep reading to learn our family’s technique on how to get that signature grainy texture!

Red Bean Dessert Soup in a bowl with a spoon in it.

A tong sui fit for every occasion

For my family, banquets at our favorite Chinese restaurants aren’t complete unless they’re finished off with a light sweet soup, affectionately known as ‘tong sui’ in Cantonese. Alongside Sago Soup With Taro (西米露), Red Bean Dessert Soup has become a quintessential finale, and you’re often served one or the other with a platter of fresh seasonal fruit.

I understand that when you’re at home, you might want to change things up a bit (we certainly do, using bean curd sheets, sweet potato, hashima, snow fungus or black sesame). But for the days when you’re keen to recreate that beloved restaurant experience right in your own kitchen, this is the recipe to turn to.

Try it this weekend and you’ll taste the comforting simplicity of a 5 ingredient tong sui that can be left to boil while you spend time doing what you really want!

For the little effort that’s involved, it’s incredibly rewarding to scoop up the smooth and tender adzuki beans that simply melt away in your mouth. The flavors are delicately sweet, complemented by the earthy and lightly grainy texture.

Bring this restaurant classic home and nourish your family this week!

Red Bean Dessert Soup in a pot with a wooden spoon in it.

Why this recipe works

Using a combination of brown sugar slabs and rock sugar means extra dimension to the sweetness.
Tangerine peel is a signature flavor that adds a light citrus aroma.
Mashing the beans into a paste gives the tong sui a wonderful grainy texture.

What you’ll need

A food processor with water alongside bowls of adzuki beans and a brown sugar slab near dishes of rock sugar and tangerine peels.

About the ingredients

For this Red Bean Dessert Soup recipe, we use a combination of brown and rock sugar. The brown sugar slab gives it more of a toffee sweetness while the rock sugar a gentle sweetness. You can use just one of the two or swap them out for regular granulated sugar. Just make sure to adjust to taste.

We buy our dried adzuki beans and tangerine peels from the Asian supermarket. They’re packaged in plastic bags and can be found alongside the dried herbs and spices.

Modifications

For a simple Cantonese tong sui, there are many ways you can change it up. This not only adds new flavor, but it’s great for introducing texture and more nutrients to the dish. Some popular ingredients include:

Lotus seeds (soaked overnight)
Lily bulbs (soaked overnight)
Sago
Taro balls

If want to enjoy it Vietnamese style, you can add coconut cream.

Speeding up the process

To keep the cooking time low, you can soak the adzuki beans over night, then freeze them in a ziplock bag along with the soaking liquid. Just before you plan to cook them, thaw everything using hot water. You’ll be able to cook the beans in one hour.

How to make this recipe

Soak the adzuki beans in cool water for 3 hours, then drain. Fill a pot up with water and bring to a boil. Pour the drained beans in to cook for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse.

Adzuki beans and tangerine peel in a pot of water.

Add 2L (8.5 US cup) water into the pot and bring it to a boil. Add the beans and tangerine peel in to boil for 2 hours with the lid partially on.

Note: Make sure the beans are boiling and cooking rapidly the entire time. If it looks like the liquid is starting to overflow, turn the heat down but make sure to keep it as close to a boil as you can.

After the two hours, add the sugars in and stir to dissolve.

Mashed adzuki beans in a sieve over a bowl.

Optional: Scoop half the beans into a sieve, then mash them into a bowl to extract the paste.

Note: This step is done to achieve the grainy texture, but can be skipped if you prefer a smoother consistency.

Adzuki bean pulp in a bowl held by a hand.

Pour the paste back into the pot.

Optional: Take the tangerine peel out and finely mince it until it resembles a paste, then mix it back in.

Note: If you don’t like the sharp kick of tangerine peels and only want the light citrus flavor, just take it out after it has cooked through.

Serve hot or cold as is!

Recipe FAQs

What can I substitute for the tangerine peel?

If you can’t find any at the Asian supermarket, you can grate some grapefruit or lemon zest in. Just keep in mind that the flavors aren’t exactly the same. Or, you can make your own using the recipe from The Woks of Life.
Alternatively, skip the ingredient altogether.

Can I make this in a pressure cooker?

You sure can! It will take about 30 minutes to cook. Just make sure to clean the ingredients well first.

Why does it taste bitter?

If the beans are old, you’ll find that they have a bitter taste when cooked. You can try soaking them for longer beforehand to remove some of that bitterness.

Tips for the best results

Start with less sugar. You can always add more to taste, but try to avoid adding too much at first because you can’t take it back out.
Use new dried beans. The older they are, the more likely you’ll end up with bitter undertones. Our family likes to buy smaller packets so we can quickly replace them with new ones when we’re out.
Opt for older dried tangerine peels. Considered a Chinese delicacy, the older the dried tangerine peels, the more fragrant and complex the flavors.

More desserts for your family to love!

Chinese Silky Egg Pudding (冰花燉蛋) – Smooth, luscious and so easy to make, this is a family favorite served hot or cold.
Yum Cha Mango Pancakes (芒果班戟) – We never pass an opportunity to order mango pancakes from our local dim sum restaurant, but it’s even better making them fresh at home!
Liu Sha Bao (Molten Custard Salted Egg Buns 流沙包) – The name says it all – hot, molten salted egg lava oozing freely from soft buns is the perfect way to enjoy a weekend.
Sinh Tố Sầu Riêng (Vietnamese Durian Shake) – Thick, creamy and tropical is exactly the taste you’ll get with this drink.
Sương Sáo (Grass Jelly) – Cool down with this light and refreshing treat, easily customized with your best toppings!

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