Green beans have a cultivation history of over 2000 years in China. They are originally from India and Myanmar. Green beans have both edible and medicinal value. They can lower blood lipids and cholesterol, have anti-allergic, antibacterial and anti-tumor effects, enhance appetite, and protect the liver and kidneys. The most popular way to consume green beans in folk medicine is to make green bean soup or green bean porridge. It is well known that green bean soup can relieve summer heat, detoxify and clear heat. So, how is the best way to cook green bean soup?
How to Cook Green Bean Soup to Reduce Heat
After washing the green beans, soak them in boiling water for half an hour, then boil them in a pot over high heat for about 10 minutes. Be careful not to overcook them. The soup cooked this way has a bright green color and is relatively clear. Since the cooling effect of green beans is in the skin, it is not necessary to cook them until they are soft. When drinking the soup, there is no need to eat the beans. Just pour out the soup and drink it. The green beans can be used to continue cooking green bean porridge.
How to Cook Green Bean Soup for Detoxification
Wash the green beans and drain the water, then pour them into a pot. Add boiling water to the pot, with the water level just covering the green beans by about two centimeters. Boil on medium heat. When the water is about to boil dry to avoid scorching the pot, add a large amount of boiling water and cover the pot. Continue to cook for 20 minutes. The green bean soup will have a bright green color and the beans will become soft and tender. Since the detoxification effect of green beans is in the flesh, this kind of green bean soup that thoroughly cooks the beans is most effective for detoxification.
How to Cook Green Bean Soup to Save Time
Method 1: After washing the green beans, dry fry them in an iron pot for about 10 minutes, then put them in a pot and bring to a boil. This method takes less time, is simple to operate, and has a bright color.
Method 2: Soak the green beans in boiling water for 10 minutes, let them cool, then put them in the freezer of the refrigerator for 4 hours. Take them out and cook them, and the green beans will become tender quickly.
How to Cook Green Bean Soup for the Best Color
The main factors that affect the color of green bean soup are the pot, water, and air. The fundamental reason is the oxidation of polyphenols in green beans. By avoiding these factors, you can cook the greenest green bean soup.
Method: After washing the green beans, put them in a clay pot or pressure cooker and cook them with purified water. After boiling for 10 minutes, the poured-out clear soup will have a bright green color and the best cooling and heat-clearing effect. Of course, you can continue to cook without pouring out the soup until the green beans become tender. Generally, it takes about half an hour to 40 minutes to cook until they are soft. The cooked green bean soup will have a bright and beautiful color, but it should not be left in the air for too long, as it may turn red.
Tips
Although green bean soup has the effects of cooling, nourishing qi, moisturizing the throat, and quenching thirst, it is not suitable for everyone. There are three groups of people who should not drink green bean soup.
1. People with a cold physique, such as those with cold limbs and weak limbs, cold and painful waist and legs, and loose stools, will worsen their symptoms after eating green beans.
2. The elderly, children, and people with weak constitution should not drink green bean soup. Green beans contain more protein than chicken, and large-molecule proteins need to be converted and decomposed into small-molecule substances by enzymes before they can be absorbed by the body. These people have poor digestion and cannot digest green bean protein in a short period of time, which can easily cause indigestion.
3. Patients who are taking Chinese medicines with warm and tonic properties should not drink green bean soup, as green beans are cold in nature and can weaken the effectiveness of these warm and tonic Chinese medicines. However, if the Chinese medicine being taken is for clearing heat and detoxification, green bean soup can be consumed as it can enhance the effectiveness of the medicine.
