Tết Sweet Soups (Vietnamese Chè with Coconut Milk)
Why this recipe works
- Creamy, glossy texture: Mung beans soften and partly break down while tapioca starch gives the coconut milk a smooth, lightly thickened finish.
- Balanced sweetness: A small amount of salt sharpens the coconut and mung bean flavours, so the dessert tastes rounded rather than overly sweet.
- Simple texture contrast: Toasted sesame seeds add a nutty crunch against the soft beans and silky coconut base.
Get the most out of this recipe
Timing notes
- Serve warm or chilled: Serve straight after cooking for a looser, comforting sweet soup, or chill for a firmer, pudding-like texture.
- Chilling changes the texture: As it cools, the tapioca-thickened coconut milk becomes denser, so loosen gently with a little water when reheating if needed.
Authenticity notes
- Vietnamese chè style: Chè covers a wide range of Vietnamese sweet soups and puddings, often built around beans, coconut milk, tapioca, fruit or jellies.
- Flexible serving temperature: Many chè desserts are enjoyed either warm or cold, making this version suitable as a freshly cooked dessert or a chilled make-ahead sweet.
Texture tips
- For a smoother finish: Whisk the mung beans more vigorously once tender so they break down further into the coconut base.
- Keep coconut milk silky: After adding the coconut milk, use a very gentle simmer and avoid a hard boil to help prevent splitting.
Ingredient notes
- Add tapioca starch as a slurry: Whisking the tapioca starch with water before adding it to the pot helps it thicken evenly without clumping.
- Sugar choice affects flavour: Caster sugar keeps the coconut flavour clean, while coconut sugar gives a deeper caramel note and a slightly darker colour.
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Ingredients
Instructions
- Rinse the mung beans in a sieve until the water runs mostly clear. Tip into a large pot with the water and bring to the boil, skimming any foam. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 18 to 22 minutes until the beans are tender and starting to break down.
- Meanwhile, toast the sesame seeds in a dry saucepan over a medium heat for 2 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant and lightly golden. Tip into a small bowl to stop them cooking further.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the tapioca starch with 120 ml water (taken from the measured water if you prefer) until smooth. Pour the slurry into the simmering pot in a thin stream, stirring constantly, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the soup turns glossy and slightly thickened.
- Stir in the caster sugar and fine sea salt until dissolved. Add the coconut milk and return to a very gentle simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring so it does not catch. Do not let it boil hard once the coconut milk is in.
- Taste and adjust with a little more sugar if you like it sweeter. Ladle into bowls and finish with the toasted sesame seeds. Serve warm, or cool to room temperature then chill for at least 30 minutes for a colder pudding-like texture.
Recipe notes
Tips
- For a smoother, creamier che, whisk the pot more vigorously once the mung beans are tender to break them down further.
- Keep the heat low after adding the coconut milk so it stays silky and does not split.
- If serving chilled, cover the surface directly with a thin layer of coconut milk from the pot before chilling to reduce a skin forming.
Substitutions
- Replace caster sugar with coconut sugar for a deeper caramel note and a slightly darker colour.
- Replace sesame seeds with roasted peanuts for a different nutty finish.
Storage
- Refrigerate up to 3 days
- Cool completely, then refrigerate in a sealed container. Reheat gently on the hob with a splash of water, stirring often, or serve cold; it will thicken as it stands.
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Recipe overview
- Servings: 4 servings
- Total time: 50min (20min active)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
-
Allergens:
Sesame
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