Pressure Cooker Chenpi Red Bean Soup

Name: Pressure Cooker Chenpi Red Bean Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h 50 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 3–4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: Xianyitang Dried Red Beans 200 g; Water 1.4–1.6 litres; Xianyitang Dried Tangerine Peel Shreds 2–4 g, or Xianyitang Xinhui Chenpi ¼–½ piece; Rock sugar, slab sugar or granulated sugar 60–80 g, to taste; A pinch of salt (optional)

A Cantonese sweet soup with no overnight bean soaking

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Chenpi Red Bean Soup — finished bowl of Cantonese sweet soup

This electric pressure cooker version uses the same bean, chenpi and sugar quantities as our stovetop recipe. There is no need to soak the dried red beans: pressure cook until soft, then simmer uncovered with chenpi, mash some beans and add sugar at the end. The settings below are a guide for a 5.7–6 L electric pressure cooker, such as an Instant Pot. For a stovetop pressure cooker, adjust according to its own instructions.

Prefer a regular saucepan? Try our stovetop chenpi red bean soup.

Serves3–4

Bean soakingNot needed

High pressure30 minutes

Pressure releaseFull natural release

DifficultyEasy

Total timeAbout 2 hours

The 30-minute timer starts once pressure is reached. Allow about 10 minutes to prepare, 10–20 minutes to build pressure, roughly 20–40 minutes for natural release, and 20–30 minutes to simmer with chenpi, add sugar and thicken. Usually this adds up to about 90–130 minutes. Release can take longer: wait for the float valve to drop and all pressure to release. Any extra pressure cooking adds more time.

Ingredients

Xianyitang Dried Red Beans 200 g
Water 1.4–1.6 litres
Xianyitang Dried Tangerine Peel Shreds 2–4 g, or Xianyitang Xinhui Chenpi ¼–½ piece
Rock sugar, slab sugar or granulated sugar 60–80 g, to taste
A pinch of salt (optional)

Rock sugar is crystallised sugar; slab sugar comes in solid blocks. If neither is available, use ordinary granulated sugar, adding a little at first and adjusting to taste.

Method

Rinse the beans — no soaking

Pick out any debris and damaged beans, rinse well and drain. Use 200 g dried red beans for this version; no advance soaking is needed.

Add beans and water

Put the beans and 1.4–1.6 L fresh water in the inner pot, with the beans fully submerged. Beans and water together must stay below half the pot capacity or the manufacturer’s bean limit, whichever is lower. Also meet the cooker’s minimum liquid requirement. Do not add chenpi or sugar yet.

Set high pressure for 30 minutes

Check the sealing ring and steam valve, close the lid and set it to sealing according to your cooker’s instructions. Select Pressure Cook at high pressure for 30 minutes. This is the time at pressure; heating and pressure build-up take additional time.

Prepare the chenpi while waiting

Prepare the peel while the cooker heats and cooks. Rinse shredded chenpi and soak in warm water for about 10 minutes. For whole Xinhui chenpi, soak for 20–30 minutes until soft, gently scrape off the white pith, then cut into fine strips or small pieces. Save a little soaking water to add after opening the pot.

Allow full natural release and check softness

What does natural release mean? After pressure cooking finishes, let the cooker cool on its own so the pressure gradually falls. Leave the steam release valve sealed throughout, without manually venting it.

When cooking finishes, cancel Keep Warm and leave the valve sealed. Wait until the float valve drops and all pressure has released, then open according to the cooker’s instructions. Never force the lid open or judge readiness by elapsed time alone. This may take about 20–40 minutes or longer. A spoon should easily crush the beans. If they still have firm centres, ensure sufficient liquid, pressure cook for another 5–10 minutes, and allow a full natural release again.

Simmer uncovered with chenpi

Once the beans are fully soft, add the prepared chenpi and a little of its soaking water. Use a lower Sauté setting, uncovered, to maintain a gentle simmer for about 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a little hot water if needed.

Mash, then sweeten

Gently crush about one third of the beans against the pot with a spoon, leaving some whole. Start with 60 g rock sugar, slab sugar or granulated sugar and stir over gentle heat, uncovered, until dissolved. Increase to about 80 g to taste. Add a small pinch of salt if liked.

Adjust the texture and serve

For a thicker soup, simmer uncovered for another 5–10 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking. For a thinner soup, add a little hot water. Cancel the heat once the texture is right and ladle into bowls.

Tips

These pressure settings are for unsoaked beans. Soaked beans, bean age and cooker model affect the time needed; check that the beans are completely soft.
Little water evaporates under pressure. Mashing and simmering uncovered create the creamy texture; stay by the pot and stir while reducing.
Choose one of the two chenpi products and start with a small amount. Add the peel after the beans soften, and sugar at the end.
Before doubling the batch, check the half-full limit for beans and follow your cooker’s instructions. Do not simply double the ingredients and start pressure cooking.

Tangerine Peel or Xinhui Chenpi — which should you use?

Xianyitang stocks two chenpi products suitable for this recipe, with slightly different aromas and preparation methods. As a starting point, use less than you think you need — chenpi should lift the natural sweetness of the beans, not overpower it.

Xianyitang Dried Tangerine Peel Shreds (120 g)

Pre-shredded for convenience, with a fresh and lightly aromatic citrus character. For this recipe, simply rinse and soak briefly before adding — no scraping needed. Suggested amount: 2–4 g for 200 g red beans, added once the beans start to soften.

Xianyitang Xinhui Chenpi (100 g)

Whole pieces of Xinhui (新會) chenpi with a deeper, more complex fragrance — the classic choice for traditional Cantonese sweet soups. Requires soaking and scraping the white pith before use. Suggested amount: ¼–½ piece for 200 g red beans, added after the beans begin to split.

Shop the ingredients for this recipe

→ Xianyitang Red Beans 400 g — ideal for sweet soups, red bean paste and Chinese desserts
→ Xianyitang Dried Tangerine Peel Shreds 120 g — pre-shredded, straightforward everyday choice
→ Xianyitang Xinhui Chenpi 100 g — deeper fragrance, traditional Cantonese character

Explore more Xianyitang ingredients

Browse our dried herbs, mushrooms, flowers and soup blends. UK delivery, ships in 1–2 working days. Select sulphur-free ingredients using the individual product labels.

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Allergens

The Xianyitang red bean and both chenpi packs state that they are packed in a facility also handling peanuts, tree nuts, sesame and soya. Check the actual packs and the label on your chosen sugar.

Storage and serving

Divide cooked red bean soup into shallow containers, cool promptly and refrigerate at 5°C or below within 2 hours of cooking. Eat within 48 hours or freeze promptly. Do not leave it in the pot at room temperature overnight. Reheat only once, stirring until steaming hot throughout; add a little drinking water if needed.