Japanese Zenzai Recipe (Sweet Red Bean Soup)
Feb 27, 2019 • Updated Mar 14, 2024
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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 delicious red bean soup is cozy and comforting during cold winter months and perfect for a celebration or a simple sweet treat.
What is Zenzai?
Zenzai is a traditional Japanese dessert soup with a slightly sweet taste 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 sweet 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 unique Japanese dessert either hot or cold, and there are various ways you can approach making this simple 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.
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, cold zenzai is perfect during warmer months and can be enjoyed any time of year!
This homemade version of Zenzai is an easily customized dish and served in small serving bowls. You can make this warm soup as sweet or as mild as you’d like, and enjoy this protein-packed, fiber-licious, bean-based dessert that promotes good health! It’s something different but absolutely delicious and a traditional dessert for Japanese families, especially during cold seasons but is also available year-round.
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. These can be found in most Asian grocery stores or online stores.
- water
- sugar of choice: You can use brown sugar, coconut sugar, date sugar, etc. Adjust the sweetness to taste.
- pinch of salt
- Mochi: A sticky rice cake. 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, add 3 cups of cold water and 1 cup of beans (rinsed) to a large pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. 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 hot soup into a small serving bowl. Add prepared mochi and enjoy the warm zenzai.
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.
You may see different names for this wintertime dessert. The terms zenzai and oshiruko are dregional variations of the name for this dessert. In certain 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.
