On a scorching hot summer day, nothing cools you down more than an ice cold glass of red bean slush ((紅豆冰沙) also known as a red bean smoothie. It’s sweet but not overpowering with a rich flavor of red beans and the creaminess of milk. And best of all, red beans are packed with protein so it can pass as a protein shake. Ok, maybe not but it does have a good amount of protein and I really enjoy the gritty texture of the red bean slush.
There are basically a few ways to make red bean slush and the base ingredients require red beans, obviously, and then frozen liquid. Now frozen liquid can come in many forms. Usually it’s ice cubes + chilled liquid ingredients, depending on what you fancy. Now, if you really boil it down, we only need red bean paste and ice to make a slush. So let’s build from there. Here are some awesome combinations:
- Red bean & coconut milk – feels like you are on a tropical island
- Red bean & green tea / matcha – Japanese influence
- Red bean & milk, evaporated milk, or condensed milk – for the dairy lover
- Red bean & soy milk, almond milk, rice milk – for the dairy intolerant
- Red bean & cream – when calories don’t matter anymore
- Red bean & honey water – extra sweetness
- Red bean & coffee – I’m just kidding on this one – don’t try it at home!
If you can make a milkshake, you can make a red bean slush. I currently have a Vitamix which does the job quickly and can churn out 4 servings in a single blend. But if I only wanted one serving, I just relied on my Magic Bullet (which finally died after 5 years of use). Now, I got the NutriBullet replacement for these small jobs. 
Ingredients
- 1 cup smooth red bean paste
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup ice cubes
- 1 tbsp sweetened red bean (chunky)
- Optional: whipped cream, condensed milk, heavy cream
I encourage you to make your own red bean paste from my previous recipe. But if you must buy red bean paste from a can, that will also work for this recipe.
- 1 cup smooth red bean paste
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup ice cubes
- 1 tbsp sweetened red bean (chunky)
- Optional: whipped cream, condensed milk, heavy cream
- In a blender, add a cup of red bean paste, milk, and ice cubes
- Blend until smooth
- Scoop a tablespoon of sweetened red beans as topping
- Optional: drizzle with cream or condensed milk or whipped cream
