After devouring a sumptuous meal, why not complete your appetite with a bowl of red bean sago? This red bean soup is a sweet Chinese dessert made with 5 ingredients, or less if preferred. It is gluten-free, vegan, and nutrient-dense!
Everything About Sweet Red Bean Sago (红豆西米露)
Sweet red bean sago is made from adzuki beans or red beans. In traditional Chinese medicine, red beans are categorized as herbs that drain dampness. It helps remove coldness from the body, increases blood circulation, eliminates toxins, and reduces swelling, to name a few.
Have red bean sago as a cold dessert for summer or a warming soup in winter. It has a mild sweetness and a nutty taste. Apart from red beans, the soup is filled with sago, sugar, and coconut milk.
With the added coconut milk, it becomes rich and creamy in taste and texture. For a satisfying texture, the chewy bits of sago pearls make it a great addition to the soup.
This soup is excellent for any season and time of the day. For the ultimate combo, pair it with rice cake, rice balls, or taro balls, and maybe add a fruity taste with slices of mangoes or your choice of fruit.
How To Prepare Red Beans
The most important step in preparing the red beans is soaking them in water overnight or at least 8 hours. Allowing it to absorb the water for long hours will reduce the cooking time and soften it quickly.
In my recipe, I follow a similar method to my green bean dessert soup recipe. I begin by washing the beans and then freezing them with water overnight.
Freezing the beans improves the texture and sweetness. Moreover, it helps expand the beans more quickly. After the beans have expanded overnight, it is simmered in a pot of water for 1 hour.
If you have extra red beans, make use of it by creating the following recipes:
How To Prepare Sago
While the beans are being simmered, get another pot and cook the sago pearls. If you don’t have sago, you can substitute it with tapioca pearls. Both types of pearls serve the same purpose and are similar in taste and texture.
Learn more about their differences with my guide, Sago Vs. Tapioca Pearls. To cook sago, cook it in a pot of boiling water for 20 minutes and let it sit in hot water afterward for 15 minutes until it becomes translucent in color. Then, you will also have to rinse the cooked sago with cold water to remove excess starch and prevent clumping.
Check out my recipe on How To Cook Sago for more detailed instructions. If you have leftover sago pearls, use it to make the following delicious recipes:
- Taro Sago (Tapioca) Dessert Soup
- Sweet And Refreshing Mango Pomelo Sago Dessert 楊枝甘露
- Super Easy Mango Sago Dessert Recipe (Mango Tapioca Pudding)
What You Need To Make Red Bean Sago
Prepare two cooking pots for boiling the red beans and sago, as well as your chosen dessert bowl. That’s all you need! As for the ingredient amount, here’s what you need to prepare:
Ingredients
- 2 cups of red beans
- 1 cup of sago (or more if desired)
- 1000 ml water for cooking the red beans
- Cold water for rinsing the cooked sago
- Sugar (adjust to taste)
- A splash of coconut milk (or your choice of milk)
Kitchenware
- 2 cooking pots with lid
- Spatula
- Strainer
- Dessert bowl
A Step-By-Step Guide To Make Red Bean Sago
Create this recipe in 7 simple steps. Watch my 30-second tutorial video on Instagram or TikTok to learn more about the steps. If you enjoyed this dessert soup, you might also like Chinese Black Sesame Dessert Soup (芝麻糊), Green Bean Dessert Soup, and Taro Sago (Tapioca) Dessert Soup.
Finished making this sweet soup? Remember to tag me @kitchenmisadventures to share your soup. Post a comment below to share your thoughts and recommendations as well!
Wash and freeze the red beans with water overnight. This step is crucial in helping the beans expand and soften more quickly during cooking.
After freezing, take it out from the container and let the frozen beans simmer in a pot of boiled water for 1 hour. You do not need to defrost the frozen beans and can add it directly to the pot.
In a separate pot, bring water to a boil and cook sago for 20 minutes on medium heat.
After 20 minutes, turn off the heat and let the sago sit in hot water for 15 minutes until translucent in appearance.
Use a strainer to drain and rinse the cooked sago with cold water. This helps remove the starch and prevent the sago from sticking together.
Once the red beans are cooked, add sugar, sago, and coconut milk. Adjust the taste according to your liking.
Transfer the soup to a dessert bowl and serve hot or chilled.
Sweet Red Bean Soup With Sago
Equipment
- 2 cooking pots with lid
- Spatula
- Strainer
- Dessert bowl
Ingredients
- 2 cups of red beans
- 1 cup of sago or more if desired
- 1000 ml water for cooking the red beans
- Cold water for rinsing the cooked sago
- Sugar adjust to taste
- A splash of coconut milk or your choice of milk
Instructions
- Wash and freeze the red beans with water overnight. This step is crucial in helping the beans expand and soften more quickly during cooking.
- After freezing, take it out from the container and let the frozen beans simmer in a pot of boiled water for 1 hour. You do not need to defrost the frozen beans and can add it directly to the pot.
- In a separate pot, bring water to a boil and cook sago for 20 minutes on medium heat.
- After 20 minutes, turn off the heat and let the sago sit in hot water for 15 minutes until translucent in appearance.
- Use a strainer to drain and rinse the cooked sago with cold water. This helps remove the starch and prevent the sago from sticking together.
- Once the red beans are cooked, add sugar, sago, and coconut milk. Adjust the taste according to your liking.
- Transfer the soup to a dessert bowl and serve hot or chilled.
