Alright, listen up, y’all. I’m gonna tell ya how to make this sweet soup thing, like them Viet folks do, but without any of that cow juice or nothin’. It’s easy, even I can do it, and that’s sayin’ somethin’!
First off, you gotta get yourself some of them little green beans, the mung beans they call ’em. Get a cup of those, yeah, a whole cup. Soak ’em overnight, like you do with them dry beans for cookin’. Just put ’em in a bowl with water, enough to cover ’em good, and let ’em sit. They get all fat and soft, see?
Now, next day, you gotta cook them beans. Don’t just throw ‘em in the pot dry, ya hear? Drain out that water they was soakin’ in, and rinse ’em off a bit. Then, put ’em in a pot, a good-sized one, and pour in maybe four cups of water. Let it boil, then turn it down low, and let it simmer. You want them beans soft, real soft, like mushy peas almost. Might take a half hour, maybe more. Just keep checkin’ on ‘em, eh?
- Soak mung beans overnight.
- Cook mung beans until soft.
- Get coconut milk ready
Okay, while them beans are cookin’, get yourself a can of that coconut milk. Not the thin watery kind, the thick creamy stuff. You know, the good stuff. And you’ll need some sugar too. I like that brown sugar, it’s got more flavor, but white sugar works too, I guess. About half a cup, maybe more if you like it real sweet. I ain’t one for too much sweetness, gives me the heebie-jeebies, but you do what you like.
Now, once them beans are all soft and mushy, pour in that coconut milk. Stir it all up good. Then add your sugar. Keep stirrin’ until that sugar melts all the way. Let it simmer for a bit, maybe ten minutes, just to let all them flavors get to know each other. You don’t want it to boil hard now, just a little simmer.
Taste it! Yeah, go on, taste it! Not sweet enough? Add a little more sugar. Too thick? Add a little water. It’s your soup, make it how you like it. Don’t be scared to play around with it a little.
That’s pretty much it. Easy peasy, right? You can eat it warm, or you can put it in the fridge and eat it cold. I like it both ways, myself. Sometimes I put in some of them tapioca pearls, them little chewy balls. Makes it fun to eat. You can find them at the store, where they sell all that Asian food stuff. Just cook ’em up separate, according to the directions on the package, and then stir ’em in at the end.
And if you want to get fancy, you can add some fruit. Mangoes are good, or bananas. Just cut ’em up and stir ’em in. Or some of them little jelly things, they sell them too. Makes it look pretty, and tastes good too. But honestly, just the beans and coconut milk and sugar is good enough for me. It’s simple, and it’s tasty, and it fills you up.
So there you have it. My version of that Viet sweet soup, without any of that animal stuff. Go on, give it a try. You might just like it. And if you don’t, well, more for me!
Oh, and one more thing! Don’t forget to wash your dishes afterward. Ain’t nobody got time for a dirty kitchen, you hear?
Tags: vegan, vietnamese, sweet soup, dessert, recipe, coconut milk, mung beans, easy, dairy-free, ch
