By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 6
169 cal · 65 min
Mung Bean and Shrimp Soup
Recipe GLPRda3fd3b7ec8da5
A hearty Filipino-inspired soup combining tender mung beans with tender shrimp, seasoned with salt pork, onion, garlic, and dried shrimp for rich umami depth. Leafy greens add nutrition and color to this comforting, protein-packed dish served warm and finished with fish sauce seasoning.
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Ingredients
1½ cups Dried mung beans, rinsed
½ cup Salt pork or thick-sliced bacon, cut into matchsticks
1 Medium yellow onion, diced
2 Garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons Dried shrimp
1 tablespoon Fish sauce
2 cups Fresh spinach, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Place the rinsed mung beans in a large pot with about 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30–35 minutes until the beans are mostly tender but still hold their shape.
While the beans cook, heat a small skillet over medium heat and cook the salt pork or bacon matchsticks until the fat renders and the pieces become crispy, about 5–7 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving about 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat in the skillet.
Add the diced onion to the same skillet with the rendered fat and sauté until softened and lightly golden, about 3–4 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and dried shrimp, cooking for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
Transfer the onion-garlic-shrimp mixture to the pot with the simmering mung beans. Stir to combine and continue simmering for another 5–10 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld.
Stir in the fish sauce and add the chopped spinach, stirring until the greens wilt into the soup, about 2–3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Divide the soup among serving bowls, top each portion with the reserved crispy salt pork or bacon pieces, and serve hot.
Comments
Mung beans are sold at every major Charlotte chain, salt pork is standard at Harris Teeter and Food Lion, and dried shrimp are available at Kroger and Harris Teeter; fish sauce is the one catch, requiring a trip to an Asian market like H-Mart or a specialty section—a real inconvenience for a weeknight. Cost per serving lands around $2.50 to $3, driven mostly by dried shrimp and salt pork, which is reasonable for a six-serving soup. The stated 65 minutes understates bean-soaking and simmering time by about 20 minutes if you start with dried mung beans, though this is largely hands-off cooking. The dish reheats beautifully and feeds a family without fussiness, and spinach ties it to Southern greens traditions while dried shrimp echoes coastal and Low Country cooking.
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