Japanese Zenzai Recipe (Sweet Red Bean Soup)
Feb 27, 2019 • Updated Jun 20, 2023
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This delicious and authentic Japanese zenzai recipe is made with homemade adzuki beans and topped with sweet and chewy mochi. Naturally vegan and gluten-free, this dish is cozy and comforting and perfect for a celebration or a simple sweet treat.
What is Zenzai?
Zenzai is a traditional Japanese dessert soup made with azuki beans, mochi, or glutinous rice cake. If you’ve never had azuki or sweet red beans before, the idea of beans in a dessert might sound a little strange, but it’s a very common item to see in Asian desserts.
Texturally, the azuki beans are typically cooked down until completely soft and delicately sweetened. It pairs really beautifully with the chewy, springy texture of mochi and is served with a sweet “soup.”
You can enjoy this either hot or cold, and there are various ways you can approach making this dish. You can opt to use azuki beans made from scratch, as I did in this recipe, or you can purchase canned, prepared, sweet azuki beans.
For the mochi, the easiest way would be to use a prepared mochi, like this microwavable mochi used in my Youtube tutorial, or frozen mochi/rice cake, which can be added. You could also make your own using glutinous rice flour or spend hours beating rice with a mallet until it turns into mochi, but my preference is to go for microwavable mochi.
Looking for more Japanese inspired dishes? Try this Miso Mushroom Burger, Sautéed Lotus Root, or Matcha Bubble Tea.
What Makes This Recipe Great
Japanese sweets are some of my favorites, and zenzai is no exception! It’s a snack or dessert that is typically enjoyed around January when it’s cold and wintertime. Served hot, it’s cozy and comforting, warms you up, and tastes amazing. However, it’s also delicious and served cold and can be enjoyed any time of year!
Zenzai is an easily customized dish. You can make this as sweet or as mild as you’d like, and enjoy this protein-packed, fiber-licious, bean-based dessert! It’s something different but absolutely delicious and a Japanese classic.
Ingredient Notes
- dry azuki beans: You can use adzuki beans made from scratch or purchase a can of sweetened, prepared whole beans in a can.
- water
- sugar of choice: You can use brown sugar, coconut sugar, date sugar, etc. Adjust the sweetness to taste.
- pinch of salt
- mochi: I used this microwavable mochi, which I find to be the simplest way to make it.
How to Make Japanese Red Bean Soup/ Zenzai
- Begin by preparing azuki beans. If using dry, bring 1 cup of beans (rinsed) to a boil with 3 cups of water. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer.
- Allow beans to cook for about 1-2 hours or until tender. Taste to test whether it’s ready.
- Once ready, make sure there is excess liquid among the beans. If not, add water. Do not drain!
- In a saucepan, add your sugar, and on low heat, stir until completely incorporated and melted down. Adjust to your taste.
- Serve by spooning red beans and some of the “soup” into a small bowl. Add prepared mochi and enjoy.
Serving Tips
- You can serve hot zenzai right off the stove or serve it cold. Both are delicious ways to enjoy this sweet treat.
Storage Tips
- To store, let the leftovers cool completely. Then, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Serve hot or cold, and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
In Japanese, the term “zenzai” refers to a sweet red bean soup or dessert made with azuki beans.
The terms zenzai and oshiruko are regional variations of the name for this dessert. In some regions of Japan, it is called zenzai, while in others, it is called oshiruko.
More Authentic Asian Recipes
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Japanese Zenzai Recipe (Sweet Red Bean Soup)
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry azuki beans
- 3 cups water
- 1/2-2/3 cups sugar of choice use brown, coconut, date, etc.
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup mochi per serving I used this microwavable mochi
Instructions
- Begin by preparing azuki beans. If using dry, bring 1 cup of beans (rinsed) to a boil with 3 cups water. Once boiling, lower heat to a simmer.
- Allow beans to cook for about 1-2 hours, or until tender. Taste to test whether it's ready.
- Once ready, make sure there is excess liquid among the beans. If not, add water. Do not drain!
- Add your sugar and on low heat, stir until completely incorporated and melted down. Adjust to your taste.
- Serve by spooning red beans and some of the "soup" into a small bowl. Add prepared mochi and enjoy.
Notes
Serving Tips
- You can serve hot zenzai right off the stove or serve it cold. Both are delicious ways to enjoy this sweet treat.
Storage Tips
- To store, let the leftovers cool completely. Then, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Serve hot or cold, and enjoy!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
