If you attend a fancy multi-course banquet dinner at a Chinese or Vietnamese restaurant, you might be served warm sweet bean soup in small white porcelain bowls at the end of the meal. That’s the dessert.
In Vietnamese and other Asian cuisines, beans aren’t used in savory dishes. Instead, they are almost exclusively used in desserts, just like avocados.
We have all sorts of desserts made with legumes, including kidney beans, black-eyed peas, and lotus seeds, just to name a few. They are all part of the category of sweet soup known as chè in Vietnamese.
One of the most popular varieties served at banquets is made with unpeeled mung beans and coconut milk, called Chè Đậu Xanh.
It’s usually served room temperature or warm. But for a hot summer day, you can add crushed ice for refreshing finish.
What You Will Need
To make Che Dau Xanh, gather the following ingredients:
- Whole, Unpeeled Mung Beans: Nothing fancy here. Just regular whole dried green mung beans. Skip the peeled, split yellow mung beans for this recipe, the one used in this more fancy mung bean dessert; the skins add an earthy, nutty flavor, rustic texture, and keep the soup from turning into pure mush.
- Water: Used to simmer the beans until soft and tender. You can adjust the amount at the end depending on whether you prefer a thicker or soupier consistency.
- Coconut Milk: Adds a creamy and traditional finish. You can sub with coconut cream but you will need to dilute with water.
- Dried Red Dates / Jujubes (Optional): Adds mild natural and nutritious sweetness. You can omit these and just use sugar instead.
- Small Tapioca Pearls / Sago (Optional): Adds a fun, chewy, bouncy texture. Since these cook directly in the same pot, a little goes a long way. Using too much will absorb the liquid and turn the soup too thick.
- Sweeteners: You can use granulated white sugar or substitute with yellow or white rock sugar (đường phèn) for a gentler, more mellow sweetness.
- Salt: A small pinch is essential. It cuts through the heavy sweetness and makes the coconut milk pop.
- Vanilla Extract: A convenient alternative if you can’t find pandan. Traditionally, fresh or frozen whole pandan leaves are tied into a knot and simmered directly with the mung beans.
How to Make Che Dau Xanh
Step 1: Cook the Mung Beans
Rinse and drain the dried mung beans and dried red dates (if using). Partially snip the red dates so they release their sweetness into the broth quicker.
In a medium pot, combine the mung beans, red dates, and water. Bring to a medium simmer. Cover partially and cook for about 30 minutes.
Step 2: Check Doneness
To check for doneness, press a bean between your fingers. It should smash with just a bit of resistance. Keep them slightly firm at this stage, as they will finish softening later. Remove red dates if using, leaving just the boiled mung beans in the pot.
Step 3: Add Tapioca Pearls (Optional)
If you’re using small tapioca pearls (sago), stir them into the pot now. Simmer for another 10 minutes until they become translucent, stirring occasionally to prevent the pearls from sticking to the bottom.
Step 4: Sweeten and Cream
Stir in the sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and coconut milk. Let everything gently simmer together over low heat for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed.
Step 5: Serve
Ladle into small bowls and serve. Enjoy it warm, chilled or with crushed ice.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
Let the soup cool completely to room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container or a covered pot, and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Keep in mind that the dessert will thicken a bit as it sits.
To reheat, add a splash of water and warm it on the stove or in the microwave to loosen it back up to your preferred consistency.
If you prefer to enjoy it cold, simply skip the reheating and stir in a splash of filtered water to loosen the consistency.
Tips for Success
- Presoaking the beans: You can soak the beans for at least 4 hours (or overnight) to cut down cook time.
- Sweeten at the End: Always make sure your beans are cooked through before adding coconut milk and sweetener.
- Adjusting Thickness: As the soup sits, the beans and tapioca will continue to absorb liquid. If leftovers become thicker than you’d like, simply loosen with a splash of water when reheating.
Related Recipes
If you are looking for a different type of che, check out these other related favorites:
- Chè Hoa Cau (a glossier, tapioca-thickened version made with split yellow mung beans and finished with coconut cream spooned on top)
- Chè Ba Màu (Vietnamese Three Color Dessert)
- Chè Bánh Lọt (Vietnamese Pandan Jelly Dessert)
Chè Đậu Xanh (Vietnamese Mung Bean Dessert with Coconut Milk)
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
A comforting, traditional Vietnamese sweet dessert soup made with unpeeled green mung beans, dried red dates, chewy sago pearls, and rich coconut milk.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole unpeeled green mung beans
- 9 cups water
- 1 cup dried red dates / jujubes
- 1/4 cup small tapioca pearls / sago (optional)
- 3.5 oz yellow rock sugar (or approx. 1/3 cup granulated white sugar)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine ground sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup coconut milk
Instructions
- Prep and Simmer the Beans: Rinse the dried mung beans under cold running water until the runoff is clear; drain well. Rinse and drain the dried red dates, then partially snip each one with kitchen shears so they release their natural sweetness into the broth. In a medium pot, combine the drained mung beans, prepared red dates, and 9 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Lower the heat to maintain a steady simmer, cover partially with the lid slightly ajar, and cook for about 40 minutes.
- Check for Doneness: To check if the beans are ready, carefully pinch a bean between your fingers. It should smash easily with just a tiny bit of resistance in the center. Keep them slightly firm at this stage, as they will continue to soften in the next steps. Remove red dates if using so, leaving just the boiled mung beans in the pot.
- Add Tapioca Pearls (Optional): If using small tapioca pearls (sago), stir them directly into the simmering pot. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally along the bottom to prevent sticking, until the pearls become mostly translucent.
- Sweeten and Cream: Stir in the rock sugar (or granulated sugar), fine sea salt, vanilla extract, and coconut milk. Let everything gently simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, allowing the flavors to marry into a velvety sweet soup. Taste adjust sweetness if preferred.
- Serve: Ladle the sweet soup into small bowls and serve. Enjoy it warm, chilled, or with crushed ice.
Notes
Using pandan leaves instead of vanilla extract: Tie 2 whole fresh or frozen pandan leaves into a knot and simmer them with the beans in Step 1, then discard before adding the coconut milk.
Pre-soaking beans: To cut stove time down from 40 minutes to roughly 20–25 minutes, soak the mung beans in room-temperature water for at least 4 hours or overnight before cooking. Drain and rinse thoroughly before boiling.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Chinese, Vietnamese
