Black Sesame Soup (sesame paste)

Sweet black sesame soup (芝麻糊) is a traditional Chinese dessert thought to also have abundant health benefits. Have you ever questioned whether a supposedly “healthy” dessert is actually healthy? This one really is!

If you’ve enjoyed other black sesame desserts, like black sesame tang yuanblack sesame ice cream, or black sesame cakeyou will enjoy this warming dessert.

The Health Benefits of Black Sesame Seeds

Black sesame seeds are high in protein and healthy fats, as well as vitamins and minerals like calcium, B vitamins, and magnesium. They have also been found to have antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.

In the West, white sesame seeds are more popular than black sesame seeds. But in China, people favor black sesame seeds, as we believe they are more nourishing, help slow down aging, and promote healthy hair and skin.

According to traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, sesame seeds can help nourish the liver and kidneys, replenish blood, lower cholesterol, and protect blood vessels.

Expecting?

Because they are anti-inflammatory and help replenish the blood, black sesame seeds are recommended as part of the postpartum diet for new mothers. They are also believed to help boost milk supply.

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Black Sesame Soup Ingredients Overview

Black sesame seeds aren’t the only nutrient and antioxidant packed ingredients in this soup. Here’s an overview of what else is in it:

Black Rice: Black rice is a great source of phytonutrients and antioxidants with anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. It also packs fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It thickens the soup and gives it body and a subtle sweetness and nuttiness that complements the black sesame seeds. I prefer black rice for its health benefits, but cooked white rice, sticky rice, or brown rice will also work in this recipe.
Walnuts: With omega-3 fatty acids, protein, antioxidants, and healthy fats, these nuts are widely recognized for their health benefits! This isn’t an essential ingredient, but I find that walnuts add richness and sweetness to the soup and enhance its flavor.
Honey: We sweeten our black sesame soup with honey, which has anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties. To retain as much of the goodness in the honey as possible, wait for the soup to cool before adding it.

If you don’t have honey, you can of course use sugar (Chinese black sugar is best, but regular white sugar will do), or any sweetener of your choice.

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How to Cook Black Rice

This recipe calls for ½ cup cooked black rice. If you’ve never tried it, it is a delicious alternative to steamed white rice. We suggest making a batch to go with dinner one night, and then saving ½ cup to make this soup! Just make sure you reheat it beforehand. See our instructions on how to cook black rice.

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Thank Goodness for Blenders!

In the old days, making this black sesame soup recipe required a stone grinder, so it was a lot of work.

Luckily, we have modern conveniences in the kitchen today that make the process much easier. With a high-powered blender, you can make a perfectly smooth black sesame soup anytime you want, in less than 10 minutes.

Just put everything in the blender, and let it do the work. This recipe makes a small batch that can serve 2-3 people. Because it’s so easy to make, we suggest making it fresh each time you’d like to enjoy it.

More Dessert Soup!

If you’re hosting a Chinese dinner and need dessert options, you could always go with cut fruit, but a Chinese dessert soup is definitely a delightful way to end the meal.

This black sesame soup is a great candidate, but you could also try some of our other dessert soup recipes:

Black Sesame Soup Recipe Instructions

If you use leftover rice, make sure you reheat it for this recipe. The purpose of this ingredient is to thicken the soup, so the rice should be soft and warm.

For the toasted black sesame seeds: see our post on how to toast sesame seedsor use store-bought. Even with prepared roasted black sesame seeds, it is a good idea to toast them in a dry pan or wok for a couple of minutes over medium-low heat until you start to smell the sesame aroma. It is important to bring back the aroma for this recipe.

Toast the walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 6-7 minutes, until fragrant.

To a high-powered blender, add the warm cooked black rice, toasted sesame seeds, toasted walnut halves, and just-boiled water.

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Cover tightly and securely (the contents are hot!), and blend on high speed for 2 minutes. Pour into 2-3 bowls.

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Serve hot or warm, adding honey or sugar to taste.