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 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

Are mung beans good for diabetics? ›

Mung bean is one of the beans that people often eat in China (9) and is recommended for diabetics because of its high fiber content and low sugar content. At present, there is evidence that mung beans can ameliorate blood glucose, blood lipid, and blood pressure, protect the liver, and regulate immune activity.

Are mung beans healthy? ›

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.

Why do you soak mung beans before cooking? ›

Do you need to soak mung beans? No! Mung beans are small and quick to cook compared to other beans like black beans or chickpeas, so no soaking is required before cooking them. Of course you can soak your mung beans if you prefer.

Do mung beans spike blood sugar? ›

They're high in fiber and protein, which helps slow the release of sugar into the bloodstream. Animal studies have also shown that mung bean antioxidants vitexin and isovitexin can lower blood sugar levels and help insulin work more effectively ( 25 , 26 ). blood sugar levels and help insulin work more effectively.

Do mung beans spike insulin? ›

In the second (main clinical trial) study, mung bean protein isolate did not lower plasma glucose levels, although the mean insulin level decreased with consumption of mung bean protein. The homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) values significantly decreased with mung bean protein.

Is it OK to eat mung beans everyday? ›

Add moong dal to your diet every day for lowering cholesterol, improving liver function and balancing your blood sugar levels. "In Ayurveda, Moong beans (Green gram) are considered the Queen of Pulses (best among all pulses) and a superfood because of its multi-dimensional health benefits.

Are mung beans healthier than chickpeas? ›

Mung beans and chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans) are both legumes. As such, they have similar nutritional content and benefits. Compared to mung beans, chickpeas are slightly higher in calories, sugar, protein and carbs.

Is mung bean a protein or carb? ›

Mung beans are a protein-rich pulse that provide a significant amount of fiber, folate, and complex carbohydrates. They are a nutrient-dense source of copper and other minerals but provide minimal amounts of fat.

Are mung beans good for arthritis? ›

In conclusion, mung beans offer a range of nutrients and anti-inflammatory properties that may benefit individuals with arthritis.

How much mung beans should I eat a day? ›

One cup of cooked mung beans contains 80% of the RDI for folate (202 grams). It is also rich in iron, protein, and fiber, all of which are healthy for pregnant women. On the other hand, pregnant women should avoid eating raw mung bean sprouts because they may contain illness-causing germs.

Can I eat raw mung beans? ›

Yes. Raw mung bean sprouts are routinely eaten by many health enthusiasts. They are eaten as they are or are eaten with a few soaked groundnuts, soaked chana (chickpea beans), a few drops of lemon juice etc. Some cook them / saute them with a little oil and also add seasoning…

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.

Do I need to wash mung beans? ›

Like cooking mung beans on the stovetop, you'll want to rinse the beans before cooking.

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.

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.

What beans are best to lower blood sugar? ›

Kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans and chickpeas are all great for blood glucose control, as they are very high in fibre and take a long time to digest. On the whole, dried beans are a better choice than canned, as they are less expensive and contain less sodium.

Are mung beans high in carbs? ›

The nutritional value of mung beans is associated with their high and easily digestible protein content (Baraki et al., 2020). It also contains approximately 61% carbohydrates, 23.8% protein, 1.2% fat, 3.5% ash, and 4.5% fiber on a dry weight basis (Dahiya et al., 2015) .

What beans are good for blood sugar? ›

Beans are a diabetes super food, meaning they are good for your health and they have diabetes-specific benefits. They are a low-glycemic ingredient, and are high in protein and fiber. The American Diabetes Association advises people with diabetes to add dried beans or no-sodium canned beans to several meals each week.

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