Azuki Bean Soup

Description
Serves 4

Ingredients

 * 1 cup azuki (adzuki) beans
 * 5 cups water
 * 1 strip dried tangerine peel or fresh orange peel
 * ¼ cup canned lotus seeds
 * ⅓ – ½ cup brown sugar, as desired

Directions

 * 1) Soak the azuki beans in water for several hours to soften them (it's easiest to soak them overnight).
 * 2) Drain.
 * 3) In a medium saucepan, bring the 5 cups of water with the tangerine peel to a boil.
 * 4) Turn the heat down, add the adzuki beans and lotus seeds and simmer, partially covered, for 1 to 1½ hours, until the beans are softened to the point where they are just beginning to break apart.
 * 5) Add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved.
 * 6) Taste and add more sugar if desired.
 * 7) Serve hot or cold.
 * 8) Variations:.
 * 9) Use white instead of brown sugar.
 * 10) Other versions of this dish are made with longan seeds, lotus roots or lily bulbs.