How to Make Shiruko

Last Updated: November 25, 2022

Shiruko is a sweet bean soup that is great for warming you when it's cold outside. It's a Japanese soup and it's made from adzuki beans and grilled pieces of mochi rice cake are added to float in the bowl. You can either mash the beans or leave them whole (zenzai). It's a great snack in between meals, or can be a meal served with bread if you use a large bowl.

Ingredients

200g adzuki beans
Fresh water for cooking beans
Fresh water for soup
250g sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Mochi rice cake, grilled (enough to add to each bowl of soup)

Steps

1
Wash the adzuki beans. Place them into a large bowl and cover with water. Leave to soak overnight.
2
Next day, drain the beans. Put the beans into a large pan. Pour over enough water to cover the beans, and some. Heat them to boiling, then remove from the heat.

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3
Pour into a strainer or colander. Rinse the beans under a tap.
4
Pour in fresh water to the saucepan and add the beans back in. Bring the water to the boil, then add 400 milliliters (13.5 fl oz) of cool water to bring down the temperature.
5
Simmer over a low heat. Remove from the heat when the beans are soft.
6
When the beans are soft enough to mash, fill the pot with water. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Leave to stand.
7
Use a cup to scoop out the top part of the water when the beans fall to the bottom of the pot.
8
Return the remaining liquid and beans to the heat. Simmer and skim off any more scum that surfaces. Add the sugar and salt. When it dissolves and tastes good, it's ready to serve.
9
Serve. Add grilled mochi rice cake to each bowl.

Community Q&A

Question

What does red bean paste taste like?

Community Answer

Red bean paste has a powerful flavor, it's a smidge salty and earthy at the same time. Red beans taste especially good when seasoned with bay leaves, olives, and a touch of sofrito.

Warnings

This is time-consuming, be prepared. Adzuki beans contain tannin and need to be treated in this manner to remove their bitterness.

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