I was at Sheng Siong the other day and saw a lovely carton of pearl beans on sale. Just couldn’t resist grabbing one bunch of the beans. I was planning to make lotus root peanut soup but decided to replace the peanuts with these pearl beans instead. My mum had made pearl bean soup a few times before and though the flavour wasn’t as robust as others, I just liked how tender and light the pearl beans were.
If you’re unfamiliar with pearl beans, this is how they look like. The beans would have to be removed from the pods and then the pods can be discarded.
The reason why I had added the pearl beans only at the end was because they’d turn soft really quickly and would disintegrate if boiled for too long so this way we can still enjoy the whole beans with a creamy texture. Enjoy!
Pork Ribs, Lotus Root and Pearl Bean Soup Recipe
Ingredients (serves 4)
400g pork ribs
250g pearl beans, removed from pods
1 small lotus root, peeled & sliced
2 carrots, unpeeled & cut into chunks
water (approx. 7-8 cups)
salt or seasoning powder to taste
Instructions
1. Place all ingredients (except pearl beans) into soup pot and fill with enough water to cover them.
2. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Add pearl beans and continue simmering for another 15-20 minutes till beans are tender.
4. Season with a little salt or seasoning powder before serving.
I miss the soup! 😀