What Are Adzuki beans and How Can I Use Them?
Wondering what to do with adzuki beans? This guide covers how to pick them, cook them, store them, and swap them — with 12 recipes to put them to work.
What are adzuki beans?
Dried Bean Purchasing Guide
Dried beans should be clean, uniform in size and quality. Today dried beans are usually sold pre-packaged and a reliable brand will guarentee clean, uniformly sized beans.
1 pound, raw = approximately 2 1/3 cups
1 pound, cooked = approximately 6 cups
Storage
After opening the package place the unused beans in a clean, tightly covered container and store on the pantry shelf.
Kitchen shelf: 1 year
Refrigerator shelf, cooked, covered: 3 to 4 days
Refrigerator freezer, cooked beans and cooked bean dishes, prepare for freezing: 1 month
Deep Freezer, cooked beans and cooked bean dishes, prepared for freezing: 4 to 6 months
Basic Preparation
Packaged beans are usually sorted and washed before packaging, so need only be rinsed.
Bean bought in bulk should be sorted carefully, discarding broken and defective beans, and washed until the water runs clear.
It's a good idea to soak the beans to replace some of the water lost during the drying process.
In general, if directions are not given on the package, use the amount of water called for in the recipe; save the nutritious soaking water to use in cooking the beans.
There are two ways of soaking dried beans:
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Quick method: Measure the soaking water into a large, heavy pot. Add the washed beans and bring to the boil. Cover the pot and cook for 2 minutes; remove from heat and let stand for one hour, then cook according to recipe directions.
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Overnight method: Measure the soaking water into a large pot; add washed beans; cover pot, and let stand for 6 to 8 hours. To prevent souring and hard skins the two minute boil above is recommended even when the beans are soaked overnight.
Add one teaspoon of salt per cup of soaked beans. If ham, bacon or salt pork is to be added use a smaller amount of salt.
Always try to cook in the soaking water. Cover the pot and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer according to the recipe.
Stir carefully but not too often to avoid breaking apart the beans. When done they should hold their shape as well as be tender. Cooking time can range from 20 minutes to 1 ½ hours depending on the type of bean and how long they have been stored.
| In Chinese: | 赤豆 | |
| British (UK) term: | ||
| en français: | azuki | |
| en español: | azuki |
Recipes using adzuki beans
There are 12 recipes that contain this ingredient.
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Aduki & Squash Soup
Aduki and squash soup blends sweet butternut, earthy adzuki beans, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, and savory miso for a rich vegan fall soup with a Japanese-macrobiotic backbone. High in fibre and deeply warming.
Glutinous Rice & Bananas
Sticky rice steamed in foil with sweet bananas and red adzuki beans in coconut milk. A traditional Southeast Asian sweet snack.
Sweet Azuki Bean Puree
Traditional Japanese sweet azuki bean paste (anko) made with adzuki beans, kombu, raisins, and barley malt. Naturally sweetened, vegan, and endlessly versatile for Japanese desserts.
Flavorful Beans with Mushrooms
Baked adzuki beans with chopped mushrooms, scallions, tarragon, and dill seed in olive oil. A simple, earthy vegetarian side dish with just seven ingredients and 40 minutes total.
Magnificent Minestrone
Three-bean vegetarian minestrone soup with chickpeas, adzuki beans, kidney beans, pearl barley and tomatoes, finished with red wine, soy sauce, and grated Parmesan. A hearty Italian soup packed with protein and fiber.
Stir Fry Lentils & Beans
Red lentils, adzuki beans, and mung beans sauteed in sesame oil with mushrooms, water chestnuts, and warm spices like marjoram and nutmeg. A high-protein, plant-based stir-fry that's hearty and filling.
Red Dragon Pie
Red dragon pie is a vegetarian British-style shepherd's pie with adzuki beans and brown rice braised in tomato and herbs, blanketed with mashed potatoes and baked until the top browns. Hearty, meatless, freezer-friendly comfort food.
Squash & Adzuki Beans
This recipe reminds me a Japanese style soup because of kombu (kelp or seaweed). It's a nice change from my normal chicken broth and cream based squash soup. This one has a much cleaner taste, and really highlights the flavor of each ingredient.
Potato & Adzuki Bean Patties
Potato and adzuki bean patties coated in grated Parmesan and pan-fried until golden. A vegetarian main with a crispy cheese crust and creamy mashed interior.
Adzuki Bean Stew
A spicy and delicious stew made with adzuki beans, carrots, mushrooms and a dash of cayenne pepper.
Peter's Adzuki Bean Casserole
Adzuki bean casserole with Granny Smith apples, bell pepper, onion, basil, and soy sauce. A vegan baked bean dish with a sweet-savory twist that improves overnight.
