Red Bean and Tangerine Peel Soup 陈皮红豆汤

Red adzuki beans are summer's own color in this tradition, and this is the soup I keep coming back to all summer. Dried tangerine peel (陈皮) works quietly underneath so the soup never sits heavy. Serve it warm or at room temperature. Summer is the wrong season for ice anyway.

Serves 3 to 4.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried red adzuki beans, soaked a few hours or overnight
• 2 to 3 pieces dried tangerine peel (陈皮), soaked 1 hour
• 1/4 cup dried lotus seeds (莲子), soaked 1 hour
• 5 to 6 cups water
• Rock sugar to taste (start with 2 tablespoons)
• Dried osmanthus flowers (桂花), for garnish, optional

Steps

1. Rinse the soaked beans and add them to a pot with the water. Bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer, partly covered, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the beans are soft and starting to break down.
2. Add the lotus seeds and tangerine peel for the last 15 minutes. Any longer and the peel turns bossy.
3. Sweeten with rock sugar to taste. Scatter a few dried osmanthus flowers on top if you like. Serve warm or at room temperature. It keeps 3 days in the fridge.