Oh Hey, Mung Bean! 16 Unique Recipes to Cook With the Trendiest Legume (2024)

Pulses recipes have been a *huge* health food trend so far this year, and that’s not going to be changing anytime soon. The aquafabarecipe obsession is still going strong and it seems like black bean desserts are going to be around forever. That means it’s time to embrace a new player to the pulse recipe team: the mung bean. Like other legumes, the mung bean has a mild flavor and can be used in sweet and savory applications. If you’re interested in learning more about cooking with this unusual bean, keep reading for 16 delicious and healthy recipes.

1. Korean Mung Bean Pancakes: These savory pancakes are chewy in the middle and crispy on the outside. Plus, they’re as easy as blending the ingredients together and giving them a quick pan fry. Serve them with a spicy sesame soy sauce and eat up! (via Lands and Flavors)

2. Mung Bean Hummus: If you can make hummus from chickpeas, why not mung beans? Just give your dried beans a quick boil and prepare your hummus the way you normally would. The flavor possibilities are totally endless. (via 101 Cookbooks)

3. Mung Bean and Kale Soup: If you have recipes that you love that use split peas or lentils, you can easily interchange them for mung beans. They’re great in this spiced soup that’s also *full* of nutritious kale. (via Skinny Ms.)

4. Braised Mung Bean Noodles With Shrimp: Mung bean noodles are a quick and easy way to cook with the legume. They look similar to rice noodles and all you have to do is soak them for 15 minutes before incorporating them into this braised shrimp dish. (via China Sichuan Food)

5. Mung Bean Oatmeal Protein Pancakes: Talk about a healthy and hearty breakfast. Mung beans are packed with protein and fiber, so these pancakes will keep you full and satisfied all morning. (via Watch What You Eat)

6. Mung Bean and Cilantro Falafel Tacos: This Middle Eastern meets Mexican fusion is a treat for the tastebuds. Soaked mung beans act like the garbanzo beans in traditional falafels and add a unique flavor and texture. (via Dolly and Oatmeal)

7. Mung Bean Popsicles: The top portion of these popsicles are filled with whole cooked mung beans, while the bulk of them are sweetened mung bean soup. The combination might sound a bit odd, but trust us… it’s delicious! (via Betty Liu)

8. Mung Bean Salad With Butternut Squash and Grated Coconut: How can so much flavor be packed into one little salad? Pomegranate adds a juicy tartness while butternut squash lends their sweetness and heartiness. Try boiling a big batch of mung beans at the beginning of the week so you can have them ready for recipes like this one. (via Kitchen Repertoire)

9. Mung Bean Soup: With the exception of a few aromatics for flavor, mung beans are the only main ingredient in this soup. Think of it as your basic split pea soup but with mung beans instead of peas. Make this for a vegan in your life and they may never leave. (via Sips and Spoonfuls)

10. Sprouted Mung Bean Burgers: Beef burgers, be gone! This vegan version is much less messy, has tons of vitamins and nutrients and is even kid-friendly. (via Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes)

11. Mung Bean, Mushroom and Vegetable Strudel: This definitely isn’t your grandma’s strudel recipe. This version is savory and full of body-nourishing veggies, beans and mushrooms for a healthy snack any time of the day. (via Win Win Food)

12. Summer Veggie Mung Bean Salad: This fresh mung bean salad is simply dressed and loaded with corn, tomatoes and avocado. All of the flavors work beautifully together and perfectly highlight the star ingredient — Mung beans. (via The Kitchen Paper)

13. Sweet Potato Canapes With BBQ Mung Bean Sprouts: Every dinner party needs a knockout vegan appetizer and these canapes are it. You might want to make extra because even the carnivores will love them. (via Vegan Richa)

14. Tangy Raw Cauliflower Salad: There’s so much delicious crunch to this raw salad. Along with the grated cauliflower, there are boiled mung beans, walnuts and bell pepper. AKA, the perfect NOT #saddesklunch weekday meal. (via Give Recipe)

15. Chinese Vegan Potstickers: The texture of mung bean noodles, eggplant and mushrooms mimic the ground pork typically found in potstickers. Serve these as a first course to a full-on Chinese feast. (via China Sichuan Food)

16. Vegetable Stir Fry Mung Bean Noodles: Incorporating mung bean noodles into your stir fry is probably the simplest way to get started with them. Stock up on the noodles at an Asian market or online and you can have amazing stir fry whenever you fancy. (via Healthy Nibbles and Bits)

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Paige Johnson

Paige is a blogger, food writer and culinary master from Louisville, Ky. She's a newlywed who's obsessed with dogs and renovating her 117 year old home. When she's not working on her blog — My Modern Cookery — you can find her binge watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S with a triple shot latte in-hand.

Oh Hey, Mung Bean! 16 Unique Recipes to Cook With the Trendiest Legume (2024)

FAQs

How much mung beans should I eat a day? ›

Taking in 30 grammes of mung beans per day may have the following advantages. 1. Rich in nutrients: Protein, fibre, iron, potassium, magnesium, and other vital elements can all be found in abundance in mung beans. How do you prepare raw mung bean sprouts, and are they safe to consume?

Is mung beans good for diabetics? ›

Low-glycemic-index mung bean was able to reduce plasma lipid level, epidilymal adipocyte volume and plasma insulin [6–8]. Thus, mung bean has been recommended as a food of choice for diabetic patients.

Are mung beans healthy? ›

Mung beans are high in nutrients and antioxidants, which may provide health benefits. In fact, they may protect against heat stroke, aid digestive health, promote weight loss and lower “bad” LDL cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

Why do you soak mung beans before cooking? ›

Cooking With Mung Beans

However, I find that they are even easier to digest, and faster to cook, if soaked the night before. Â A tip from macrobiotics is to soak them with kombu – a pacific seaweed – which is believed to further activate enzymes helpful for digestion (this is true for all legumes).

Is it OK to eat mung beans everyday? ›

Mung beans are good because they supply protein and fiber and they protect the liver and you can eat them daily. Mung beans are popular as fresh salads and cooked as lentils or soup in India, China, and Southeast Asia. Mung beans are rich in proteins, vitamins, minerals, fiber, oligosaccharides, and polyphenols.

Are mung beans good for your stomach? ›

"One cup of [cooked] mung beans also contains an estimated 14 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber," says Warren. 5 Protein helps to produce antibodies, enzymes, blood, hormones, connective tissue, and more, while fiber supports a happy gut for a filling snack that promotes digestion.

Do mung beans spike blood sugar? ›

In addition, the antioxidants vitexin and isovitexin in mung beans also work to lower blood sugar and help insulin work more effectively, helping to control diabetes more effectively. Abundant vitamin and mineral content also contributes significantly to the benefits of eating green beans.

Are mung beans good for kidneys? ›

Mung Beans (Moong Dal): A rich source of protein, mung beans are low in potassium and phosphorus, making them suitable for individuals with kidney concerns. They can be included in dal (lentil curry) or soups.

What is the healthiest bean for a diabetic? ›

Kidney, pinto, navy or black beans are packed with vitamins and minerals such as magnesium and potassium. They are very high in fiber too. Beans do contain carbohydrates, but ½ cup also provides as much protein as an ounce of meat without the saturated fat.

Who can't eat mung beans? ›

Children, older adults, pregnant women, and persons with weakened immune systems should avoid eating raw sprouts of any kind (including alfalfa, clover, radish, and mung bean sprouts). Cook sprouts thoroughly to reduce the risk of illness. Cooking sprouts thoroughly kills the harmful bacteria.

What are mung beans called in America? ›

Mung bean (Vigna radiata) is a plant species of Fabaceae and is also known as green gram. It is sometimes confused with black gram (Vigna mungo) for their similar morphology, though they are two different species.

Are mung beans healthier than chickpeas? ›

Both legumes have similar amounts of fiber and are good sources of folate, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and manganese. Chickpeas are a slightly better source of certain nutrients like manganese and iron, while mung beans have a bit more folate, but the two are very comparable.

What is the best way to eat mung beans? ›

Sprouted mung beans are also a classic addition to chaat, especially as a filler for beloved pani puri or dahi puri. They also play well in veggie stir-fries: Add them in as the very last vegetable in this Summer Vegetable Stir-Fry, or cook them up palya-style with curry leaves and shredded coconut.

Does mung beans expire? ›

When does mung beans expire? When does mung beans expire? Unopened mung beans can last for up to 2 to 3 years, provided they are stored under suitable conditions (cool, dry, and dark). They do not have a printed expiry date, so it's advisable to follow the 'first-in, first-out' rule and use your oldest packages first.

What happens if you soak mung beans too long? ›

It is possible to soak beans for too long before cooking. Beans should soak for 8 to 10 hours overnight. If they are soaked for longer than 12 hours, they can lose their familiar flavor and become overly mushy. For the best result, refrain from soaking them for too long.

How much does 1 cup of mung beans make? ›

Yield – 1 : 3 – 1 cup of dried mung beans cooked in 3 cups of water will give around 2 cups of cooked mung beans.

How much is a serving of mung beans? ›

A 1-cup serving of mung beans that have been boiled without added salt delivers most of its energy from carbohydrates. The carbs in mung beans are mainly complex carbohydrates, which provide the body with sustained energy.

How often should I eat mung beans? ›

Mung bean sprouts are nutritious and low in calories. They can be eaten daily as part of a balanced diet. However, moderation is key, and individual dietary needs may vary. It's generally safe to include them in meals a few times a week for variety and nutritional benefits.

Do mung beans count as 5 a day? ›

Beans and pulses contain a lot of good fibre and protein, and have a different mixture of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients than fruit and veg. You can have as many beans and pulses as you like, but they will only count as 1 of your 5 A Day.

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