Mung beans are among the healthiest legumes and have been part of Ayurvedic cooking for thousands of years. This light soup brings together cleansing mung beans with squash and zucchini and is finished with an aromatic spiced oil — essentially kitchari in soup form. It’s gluten-free, vegan (with oil instead of ghee), and well suited to a cleansing diet.
- Category
- soup
- Portion
- 350 g
- Yield
- 10 servings
- Nature (TCM)
- neutral
- Nature (Ayurveda)
- tridoshic (vata ↓ · pitta ° · kapha ↓)
TCM: Mung beans and zucchini are cooling and cleansing; squash, ghee, ginger, garlic, cumin, and asafoetida balance them into a neutral to slightly warming soup — light on the stomach, yet supportive of the digestive fire.
Ayurveda: Classic kitchari logic: mung beans + ghee + warming spices. Warm, moist, and easy to digest — it calms vata, the spices and lemon kick-start agni and lighten kapha, and pitta stays balanced as long as you don't overdo the hot spices.
Ingredients
Base
- Mung beans – 200 g (soaked at least 4 h, ideally overnight)
- Squash – 200 g
- Zucchini – 100 g
- Water – 1 l
- Ghee or a good plant oil (coconut, olive) – 1 tsp
Spices
- Turmeric – ½ tsp
- Asafoetida (hing) – a pinch
- Black pepper – ½ pinch (improves turmeric absorption)
- Fresh ginger – 1 tsp
- Garlic – 1 clove
- Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
- Coriander seeds – ½ tsp
- Salt – to taste
To finish
- Fresh cilantro, parsley, mint, or Thai basil for garnish
- Juice of 1 lemon or lime
- Aromatic oil (from toasting the spices)
Method
Preparation
- Cut the squash and zucchini into 1–1.5 cm cubes. Chop the herbs.
- Rinse the mung beans thoroughly and leave them to soak for at least 4 hours (ideally overnight) — this makes them easier to digest.
Cooking
- Heat the ghee in a pot, add the turmeric and asafoetida to release their aroma and active compounds.
- Pour water over the spices, add the mung beans and fresh ginger. Simmer for about 30 minutes, until the beans are soft.
- Add the squash and zucchini and simmer for about 12 minutes, until tender.
Aromatic oil and finishing
- In a small saucepan, heat about 100 ml of your chosen fat and, over a gentle flame (about 120 °C), toast the cumin, coriander seeds, and garlic until it's time to serve.
- Strain the mixture, set the fat aside, tip the spices into the soup, salt, and simmer briefly.
Serving
Serve hot with fresh herbs, a few drops of the aromatic oil, and a squeeze of lemon or lime.
Key ingredients
- Mung beans (split, yellow dhal)
- Easily digestible plant protein and fibre; in Ayurveda a 'clean' legume suited to detox.
- Pumpkin
- Sweet, gentle and easy to digest; beta-carotene and potassium.
- Zucchini
- Light, high in water, gentle on the stomach.
- Ghee (clarified butter)
- Clarified butter without milk proteins; in Ayurveda a carrier of spices and 'agni'.
- Turmeric
- Curcumin — strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects; traditionally supports the liver and digestion.
- Ginger
- Warming; supports digestion and circulation, anti-inflammatory; traditionally used for nausea and cold.
- Garlic
- Antibacterial and antiviral; supports immunity and the circulatory system.
- Cumin
- Supports digestion and eases bloating; a source of iron.
- Coriander seeds
- Soothes digestion and gently cools the heat of spices.
Why it’s good for the body
- Mung beans are easy to digest and rich in plant protein and fiber — in Ayurveda, a “clean” legume suited to cleansing.
- The combination of asafoetida, cumin, and coriander traditionally eases digestion and reduces bloating.
- Turmeric, ginger, and garlic together support the body's defenses.
- Making your own aromatic oil also captures the healthy spice compounds that aren't water-soluble.
Traditional and functional notes on the ingredients — not medical claims.