Ginisang Munggo (Filipino Mung Bean Soup) is a beloved staple in many Filipino households. It’s a delicious and humble soup that reflects the simplicity of Filipino cuisine. Serve it with a bowl of steamed white rice, and you’ll surely ask for seconds!
Ginisang munggo with pork and chicharon — this recipe is how my mom had always prepared this soup when I was growing up in Manila.
She would always cook a big pot, and we would reheat it for days. And nope, I never got tired of it because it tastes even better the day after.
As a quick translation, mung beans are called ‘munggo‘ in Filipino, and sauteed means ‘ginisa‘ because of the required sauteeing of the garlic and onion when preparing this dish.
You can serve mung bean soup as a side dish for grilled or fried fish or meat. Or you can just have it with a plate of white rice, which locals generally do.
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Why this recipe is a keeper!
- Budget friendly and healthy. It’s high in protein, fiber, and iron, making it economical and wholesome. It is ideal for feeding large families with minimal cost.
- Versatile. It’s easy to adjust and customize. You can make it vegetarian or use shrimp or tinapa (Filipino smoked fish) for that extra oomph.
- Meal prep friendly. It keeps well in the fridge and gets tastier the next day as everything melds, so it’s perfect for batch cooking.
Ingredients
(See the recipe card below for measurements.)
- Oil – sunflower or canola oil will be great for ginisang munggo.
- Garlic – minced, grated, thinly sliced, it’s all up to you.
- Onion – thinly sliced.
- Tomatoes – use any juicy tomatoes; I always use cherry ones because they’re excellent here in Stockholm year-round.
- Pork – you can have a bit of fat or not, just make sure you chop them into small bits (see image above).
- Mung beans – you need to use the dried ones, but no soaking overnight.
- Spinach – I always use baby spinach, so I don’t need to remove the hard stems.
- Chicharon or chicharones – use your hands to crush them into smaller pieces while still keeping their shape.
- Shrimp paste – locally known as ‘bagoong,’ has a distinct smell and taste, giving the dish a hint of salted shrimp flavor.
- Seasonings – fish sauce, salt, ground black pepper, and chicken bouillon cubes.
How to make ginisang munggo with pork
Combine the dried mung beans with three cups of water in a medium to large saucepan.
Place over medium-high heat, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil.
Then lower the heat and simmer for thirty to forty minutes or until the mung beans are soft.
In a separate saucepan (medium to large-sized), pour and heat the oil.
Once it’s ready, add the garlic and onion.
Saute until the onion softens, then add the chopped tomatoes.
Cook until the juices from the tomatoes are starting to come out.
Add the pork and bouillon cubes.
Mix and continue sauteing until the pork bits are no longer pink.
Pour three-quarters cup of water, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil.
Lower the heat and continue simmering to soften the pork — typically takes twenty to thirty minutes.
Add the cooked mung beans (with the liquid), bagoong, and two teaspoons of fish sauce.
Cover and bring to a soft boil — during this step, taste and adjust the seasoning by adding salt, ground black pepper, or more fish sauce.
Add spinach and half of the chicharon.
Mix, place the cover back, and take the saucepan out of the heat.
Keep covered for a couple of minutes, then transfer into bowls.
Garnish your Filipino mung bean soup with the remaining chicharon and serve!
Helpful tips
- No need to add salt to the dried mung beans when you cook them. Fix the seasoning once you’ve added the cooked beans into the pan with the pork and the other ingredients.
- Start with half the shrimp paste (bagoong) and fish sauce. Taste and add some more if you want more of those flavors. Otherwise, add salt and ground black pepper to adjust the seasoning.
- To save time, saute the garlic and onion once you’ve hit the thirty-minute mark of simmering the mung beans in another pan.
Recipe variation
- Salt and pepper for seasoning. If you cannot stand the smell of fish sauce or shrimp paste, you can completely remove them and adjust the seasoning using salt and ground black pepper — but you cannot skip the bouillon cubes.
Also, note that there is a noticeable difference in taste; the traditional mung bean soup always has that bit of ‘funk’ in aroma and flavor.
- Malunggay or alukbati. These are both leafy vegetables that locals use, but since I can never find them here in Stockholm, I opted for baby spinach instead — all of them have very mild taste, so it works to add them interchangeably.
- Shrimp and tinapa. You can add shrimp and dried, smoked fish (tinapa) if you make ginisang munggo with pork and chicharon. The fish amps up the smokiness and funkiness (you must try it yourself to judge). 😉
Serving Suggestions
Filipino mung bean soup pairs excellently with various traditional Filipino dishes. Here’s a couple to get you started:
Tortang Giniling. A Filipino-style omelet made with ground pork and potatoes and lightly fried in a pancake form. Its savory and hearty profile pairs well with the lighter, nutty flavors of ginisang munggo with chicharon.
Lumping Gulay (Filipino Vegetable Spring Roll). If you want a full-vegetarian option, this is perfect. They’re crispy spring rolls filled with a mix of vegetables, giving you a crunchy contrast to the soft texture of mung bean soup.
Oh! Do not forget to have steamed white rice as well. Combining ginisang munggo with these dishes will give you a well-rounded, legit Filipino meal.
Want to try it this week? Remember, if you have not tried shrimp paste and fish sauce before, go easy on both — regardless, you’re in for a flavorsome bowl of soup!
More classic Filipino recipes
Ginisang munggo with pork is an excellent example of Filipino cuisine because it reflects the core values and practicalities of Filipino cooking: resourcefulness, nutrition, and comfort — just like this soup:
Sopas (Filipino chicken macaroni soup). It is hands down the country’s favorite comfort soup. It’s a delicious, creamy soup with pasta, chicken, and vegetable bits in every bowl.
In the Philippines, there is no rainy season without ginisang munggo and sopas. 🙂
GET MORE IDEAS FROM THIS LIST OF INTERNATIONAL SOUPS!
📖 Recipe
Ginisang Munggo Recipe
Equipment
- Medim to Large saucepans
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried mung beans (munggo)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 1 large tomato (or 6 to 8 cherry tomatoes), chopped
- 125 to 150 grams pork (4 to 5 ounces), chopped into small bits
- 3/4 to 1 cup chicharon
- 1 tablespoon shrimp paste (bagoong)
- 2 to 3 teaspoons fish sauce
- 2 cubes chicken bouillon
- 2 to 3 handfuls fresh spinach
- salt and pepper, to season
Instructions
- Combine the dried mung beans with three cups of water in a medium to large saucepan.
- Place it over medium-high heat, cover it with a lid, and bring it to a boil.
- Once it starts boiling, lower the heat, then simmer for thirty to forty minutes or until the munggo beans soften.
- In a separate saucepan (medium to large-sized), pour and heat the oil.
- Once it's ready, saute the garlic and onion until it softens.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until the juices start coming out.
- Add the pork and bouillon cubes, then mix and continue sauteing until the pork bits are no longer pink.
- Pour three-quarters cup of water, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat and continue simmering to soften the pork — typically takes twenty to thirty minutes.
- Add the cooked mung beans (with the liquid), bagoong, and two teaspoons of fish sauce.
- Cover and bring to a soft boil — during this step, taste and adjust the seasoning by adding salt, ground black pepper, or more fish sauce.
- Add spinach and half of the chicharon.
- Mix, place the cover back, and take the saucepan out of the heat.
- Keep covered for a couple of minutes, then transfer into bowls.
- Garnish your ginisang munggo with the remaining chicharon and serve!
Notes
- Cook’s Tip: If you’re not used to the flavor and smell of fish sauce and shrimp paste, start only with half the amount. Taste and add some more if you’re happy with it; otherwise, add salt and ground black pepper to the seasoning.
- Refer to the post for more tips and suggestions.
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