January 5, 2025
Ginisang Munggo (Filipino Mung Bean Soup)
This Ginisang Munggo (Monggo), or Filipino Mung Bean Stew, is a delicious and rich dish, flavored with creamy coconut milk, tomatoes, ginger, lots of fresh garlic and spinach. Serve with rice for a hearty and budget-friendly meal that the entire family is sure to love!
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what is Ginisang Munggo (Monggo)? Why you’ll love ginisang munggo jump to recipe video step-by-step instructions tips and faqsGinisang Munggo (Filipino Mung Bean Stew)
This Ginisang Munggo (or Monggo), a classic Filipino mung bean stew, is a rich, flavorful, and nutritious dish that’s perfect for any day of the week. Made with creamy coconut milk, ripe tomatoes, aromatic ginger, garlic, and spinach, this dish is both comforting and budget-friendly. Pair it with rice for a hearty meal that the entire family will love!
What is Ginisang Munggo?
In case you’re new to this dish, Ginisang Munggo (also spelled monggo) is a traditional Filipino dish that translates to “sautéed mung beans.” It is a savory stew made with mung beans (a type of small green legume), vegetables, and often proteins like pork, shrimp, or crispy tofu in vegan versions. The dish is typically flavored with aromatics such as garlic, onions, and ginger, and it’s commonly enriched with coconut milk for added creaminess. It’s usually served over steamed rice, making it a hearty and nutritious meal.
Mung beans were likely introduced to the Philippines through early trade with India and other Southeast Asian countries, where mung beans are a staple. Over time, the dish evolved to reflect Filipino culinary traditions and local flavors.
It is often served during Lent or on Fridays in Catholic households, as it is considered a meatless alternative. However, it is also a popular everyday dish due to its ease of preparation, nutritional benefits, and cost-effectiveness.
Growing up, my mom and aunt always made this dish, and they always added lots of ginger and coconut milk, so now that I’m older, that’s how I make it, too! It’s savory, and garlicky, and gingery, and honestly … it just reminds me of home every time I make it. So if you’re looking for a cozy, hearty, and budget-friendly recipe, this is for you!
Grab a drink and let’s get to cookin’ the most delicious ginisang munggo!
Why You’ll Love Ginisang Munggo (Monggo)
- Affordable Ingredients: Mung beans and simple vegetables are easy on the wallet and packed with nutrients.
- Perfect for Meal Prep: The dish reheats beautifully, making it ideal for meal prep or batch cooking. Store in the fridge or freezer for quick, ready-to-eat meals.
- Customizable: Add crispy tofu or serve with rice for a complete meal.
- Nutritious: Packed with plant-based protein, fiber, and vitamins.
- One-Pot Convenience: Easy to prepare and clean up, this recipe only requires one pot, making it perfect for busy weeknights.
- A Taste of Filipino Comfort Food: This dish is steeped in tradition, offering a chance to explore and enjoy authentic Filipino home-cooked meals! Personally, I love learning about other culture’s through food 🙂
How to Make Ginisang Munggo
As simple as the ingredients list is for this dish, so are the steps to make it! Here’s how:
1. Sauté:
First, heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the tomatoes, onion, ginger, garlic, and jalapeno. Season with 1 teaspoon of the salt and pepper, the msg, and the bouillon and sauté, stirring often, until the tomatoes are cooked down and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Simmer!
Then, add the mung beans and 6 cups of water, stirring to combine. Increase the heat to high and once it reaches a light boil, reduce the heat to low, then cover and simmer until the mung beans are cooked through, about 1 hour.
3. Coconut Milk & Spinach Join the Party:
Next, add the coconut milk, soy sauce, vegan fish sauce, and another 1 to 2 cups of water (I like my ginisang munggo on the soupier side, so I always add an additional 2 cups). Stir until the coconut milk is thoroughly combined, then taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
4. Garnish and Enjoy!
Garnish your ginisang munggo with crispy tofu (optional), and serve immediately over rice, and enjoy!
Tips and FAQs
What are Mung Beans?
Mung beans are small, green legumes commonly used in Asian cuisine. They’re a great source of plant-based protein and cook down to a creamy texture in this stew.
What do I serve with it Ginisang Munggo?
I love to serve it over a bed of freshly cooked white rice. You can also add your protein of choice, such as crispy air-fried tofu, prepared soy curls, or vegan chick’n pieces. It’s also often garnished with chicharron or pork rinds, so sometimes I’ll top it with vegan pork rinds if I can find them!
Do I have to soak the mung beans?
Not at all! It’s recommended that you cook the ginisang munggo according to the directions, without soaking them!
How will I know the mung beans are cooked through?
You’ll know when the mung beans are cooked through when much of the liquid has absorbed and the mung beans are puffy, yet still hold share. If there is any bite or crunch to the mung beans, they need additional time to cook.
Can I freeze Ginisang Munggo?
Absolutely! Let it cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stove.
What can I use instead of vegan fish sauce?
If vegan fish sauce isn’t available, substitute with additional soy sauce and a splash of lime juice for a tangy flavor.
Leftovers, storage, and reheating:
Store in a covered container in the refrigerator up to 7 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl or over the stovetop. To reheat from frozen, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight prior to reheating it.
More Filipino-Inspired Dishes to Try
If you love this Ginisang Munggo, make sure to check out these Filipino dishes as well!
Enjoy the Comfort of Ginisang Munggo (Monggo) Tonight!
Whether you’re introducing your family to Filipino cuisine or revisiting a beloved classic, this dish is sure to warm your heart and satisfy your taste buds. Easy to make, budget-friendly, and packed with nutrients, it’s a recipe you’ll want to add to your regular rotation.
I hope you love this Ginisang Munggo soup as much as I do! If you try this dish and enjoy it, I wanna know! Snap a photo, take a video, or make a story and post it to Instagram or TikTok, and tag me at @eat_figs_not_pigs and #EatFigsNotPigs. I love seeing your recreations of my recipes!
xx!
Ginisang Munggo (Monggo)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 ½ pounds tomatoes, seeds removed, and chopped
- 1 onion, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 1-inch knob of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced (about ¼ cup)
- 1 jalapeno thinly sliced, optional
- 8 cloves fresh minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon vegan chick’n bouillon paste or powder, sub vegetable bouillon paste or powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon MSG, optional
- 1 ½ cups dried mung beans, rinsed
- 1 13.5 ounce can of full fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegan fish sauce
- 6 cups baby spinach
- Crispy tofu, for serving, optional
- White rice, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add the tomatoes, onion, ginger and jalapeno.
- Season with the bouillon paste, the salt, pepper, and the msg and sauté, stirring often, until the tomatoes are cooked down and the onions are translucent, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and sauté another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the mung beans and 6 cups of water and stir to combine.
- Increase the heat to high and once it reaches a light boil, reduce the heat to low, then cover and simmer until the mung beans are cooked through, about 1 hour (if using split mung beans, check them at around 30 minutes).
- Remove the lid and add the coconut milk, soy sauce, vegan fish sauce, and another 1 to 2 cups of water (I usually end up adding an additional cup of water, but depending on your preference, you may want to start with ½ cup if you like a thicker texture or up to 2 cups if you prefer it soupier).
- Stir until the coconut milk is thoroughly combined, then working in batches, mix in the spinach.
- Continue to stir until the spinach is slightly wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Garnish with crispy tofu (optional) and serve immediately over rice (optional) and enjoy!
This was absolutely delicious! Best munggo I’ve ever had. I think next time I make it, I may omit the coconut milk or reduce it to 1/2c because the umami flavor was slightly neutralized by the sweetness if the coconut milk. Regardless though it’s was sooo yummyyy!! Served it with fried tofu, purple rice, and roasted Brussels sprouts.
Delicious! Just what I was looking for!!
This might be the best soup I’ve ever tried!
WOW! This has so much flavor, umami, and texture (don’t skip the crispy tofu). I do agree with another reviewer who said you need to halve the coconut milk, and I wish I had added a bit more jalapeno (or 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper), but this was perfect. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Hello! Can you specify what “raw” mung beans are? I’m in Canada, I know we have dried mung beans, but I’m not sure that’s what this dish calls for?
Hi Stacey!
I meant dried mung beans, and have changed the recipe to reflect that! Sorry for any confusion 🙂
This is amazing! I was trying to find a dish that goes well with common sickness and rain, this was it! Thank you and may God bless you for sharing!
I echo the others! This was one of the best recipes for this dish. I substituted the whole can of coconut milk for 1 small can of coconut cream! Next time too I’ll half th soy sauce and fish sauce cause it was a bit too salty for my taste! But absolutely loved it. I added shiitakes and bittermelon for extra uummmppph!
So happy to hear that Ariane!