Sweet Red Bean Soup (红豆汤) — Classic Chinese Dessert

Name: Sweet Red Bean Soup (红豆汤) — Classic Chinese Dessert
Total time: 90 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 200g adzuki beans (red beans), soaked overnight; 1 litre water; 100g rock sugar (adjust to taste); 2 strips dried tangerine peel (optional); 100ml coconut milk (optional, for serving)

Prep:90 min

Cook:90 min

Serves:2–4

Difficulty:Medium

Sweet red bean soup (红豆汤, hóng dòu tāng) is one of China's most beloved desserts — a warm, sweet soup of soft red adzuki beans that's been eaten for centuries as both a dessert and a nourishing tonic. It's incredibly simple to make: just beans, water, and sugar, simmered until the beans are soft and the liquid becomes slightly thickened and creamy. Some versions are smooth (blended), others are chunky — both are traditional.

Red bean soup is eaten across China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia. In traditional Chinese medicine, red beans are considered warming and nourishing for the blood. It's a common dessert at Chinese banquets and festivals.

Ingredients

• 200g adzuki beans (red beans), soaked overnight
• 1 litre water
• 100g rock sugar (adjust to taste)
• 2 strips dried tangerine peel (optional)
• 100ml coconut milk (optional, for serving)

Instructions

1
Drain soaked red beans. Place in a large pot with 1 litre fresh water and tangerine peel.
2
Bring to a boil over high heat. Skim any foam from the surface.
3
Reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook for 60-75 minutes until beans are very soft and starting to break apart.
4
Add rock sugar and stir until dissolved. The sugar should be added near the end — adding it too early prevents the beans from softening properly.
5
Simmer for 5 more minutes. The soup should be slightly thickened from the broken-down beans.
6
Serve warm in bowls. Drizzle with coconut milk if desired.

Pro Tips

💡Soak the beans overnight — this dramatically reduces cooking time and ensures even softening.
💡Add sugar near the end of cooking, not at the beginning. Sugar added early prevents beans from becoming tender.
💡For a smoother soup, blend half the beans and stir back in.