Sweet Red Bean Soup

Ingredients

 * 1) 1/3-1/2 cup sugar
 * 2) 1 cup red beans (soaked in cold water overnight)
 * 3) 1/3 cup dried lotus seeds (at asian grocery stores or health food stores, soaked in cold water overnight)
 * 4) 1 tablespoon vanilla
 * 5) 1/4 cup pearl tapioca (optional)
 * 6) 1/4 cup glutten rice balls (can be found at asian grocery stores) (optional)
 * 7) 7 cups water

Directions
Combine water and beans in a large pot, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cook uncovered till beans are tender (about 2 hours?). Add lotus seed and sugar (plus tapioca and rice balls if you choose to), cook until soup thickens a little and lotus seeds are tender, but not mushy (20 minutes). Add vanilla, serve hot for a perfect winter dessert, or you can let the soup cool down, then add ice. With this basic recipe, you can take out all the beans, increase the amount of lotus seeds and have a lotus seeds sweet soup instead.