I am a huge fan of beans. I love them. Nearly every person in "the West" could probably benefit from adding beans to their diet, that is my strong belief. Several years ago, I invested in an...
I am a huge fan of beans. I love them. Nearly every person in "the West" could probably benefit from adding beans to their diet, that is my strong belief.
Several years ago, I invested in an electric pressure cooker solely for bean consumption, and it is something I've never regretted.
I typically soak my beans, even though pressure cooker enthusiasts insist it's unnecessary. I find that soaking the beans in salted water results in a better texture and much more flavour. Kenji López-Alt agrees.. Black beans are the exception to this rule, as Kenji also taught me that these benefit from being cooked from dry, with minimal - if any - drawbacks.
I love to make chana masala, homemade hummus and chilli with soy mince and plenty of kidney and black beans. I probably eat these six or so times per month. In our house we also prepare soup every other Sunday in bulk, which will typically have some combination of beans in it for fibre, texture and protein.
I also love beans. Kindly share your electric pressure cooker make and model so I can shamelessly reuse your research efforts without falling down a rabbit hole myself :)
I also love beans. Kindly share your electric pressure cooker make and model so I can shamelessly reuse your research efforts without falling down a rabbit hole myself :)
[Not OP] 2 cups of dry black beans, 4 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of salt. Optional: 4 garlic cloves and half an onion cut into a few pieces. Pressure cook in an instapot on high for 30 minutes....
[Not OP]
2 cups of dry black beans, 4 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of salt. Optional: 4 garlic cloves and half an onion cut into a few pieces.
Pressure cook in an instapot on high for 30 minutes. Instant release.
Cooked beans freeze well. I have a few deli containers of different beans in my chest freezer.
I love beans, I'd wager more than OP (jk). And depending on how far you are willing to expand what a bean is, here are things I make/eat regularly enough: Hummus of all kinds Chili Beans and rice...
I love beans, I'd wager more than OP (jk). And depending on how far you are willing to expand what a bean is, here are things I make/eat regularly enough:
Hummus of all kinds
Chili
Beans and rice of different varieties
Banh mi with tofu (a bean product)
I make faux ricotta using tofu
Tacos/Burritos/Quesadillas with beans
Chickpea salad (kind like a chicken salad replacement)
Fesenjan with lentils (while not a bean, lentils are close enough, this is a favorite of mine and the base recipe is here )
I often use lentils when I make spaghetti
Curries (chana masala, dal makhani, rajma masala, chana korma which is another favorite of mine)
Ethiopian dishes (misir wot, kik alicha)
Made black bean patties and meatballs
Japanese/Korean style curry with chickpeas
Tempeh is life, made bbq from it, chili, buffalo sandiwches, the list goes on
I do not like natto
White chili
Shepherds pie with peas and lentil
Black bean and corn salsa
Kongnamul michim (I grew up eating a lot of Korean food)
I'm sure there more, but this is what I could come up with for now.
Can I ask about the spaghetti with lentils? Do you cook them in the sauce, or separately and add them? Do they give it an odd texture? My son loves spaghetti and loves beans. This might be a good...
Can I ask about the spaghetti with lentils? Do you cook them in the sauce, or separately and add them? Do they give it an odd texture? My son loves spaghetti and loves beans. This might be a good way to give him more of what he loves!
If I use red lentils (which isn't typical), I'll just cook it in the sauce since red lentils cook fairly quickly and I don't want them to get too soft. I cook green/brown lentils separately in...
If I use red lentils (which isn't typical), I'll just cook it in the sauce since red lentils cook fairly quickly and I don't want them to get too soft. I cook green/brown lentils separately in some mix of broth and seasoning (usually with mushroom powder added) and then add it to the sauce after it has cooked enough. Green lentils take a while to soften in simmering sauce so I don't generally do it that way, but you can if you have the time.
As far as texture, my wife and I like it (she prefers it with green lentils since red lentils aren't firm enough), but we use legumes frequently so I can't really say if the texture is odd. I think the biggest thing is imparting enough flavor into the lentils as your cook them which is partly why I'm not the biggest fan of cooked, canned lentils, but those can still work.
One diced onion, one diced green pepper, one packet of Sazon seasoning, 1 TBSP of sugar, dry black beans, and water all go into an instant pot (or other electric pressure cooker). No pre-soak...
One diced onion, one diced green pepper, one packet of Sazon seasoning, 1 TBSP of sugar, dry black beans, and water all go into an instant pot (or other electric pressure cooker). No pre-soak needed.
Set the time for 45-50 mins depending on desired texture (longer = mushier). Allow to de-pressurize for 20 mins or so after the time has run.
At the end add 1 TBSP of Adobo seasoning and 1 TBSP brown sugar. Mix and serve.
This gets you really close to a traditional Cuban black beans.
I grew up with a charro style pinto bean, when I got into my teens I tried "BBQ" style sweet beans and thought it was the most disgusting thing I have ever tried. That being said, nothing like a...
I grew up with a charro style pinto bean, when I got into my teens I tried "BBQ" style sweet beans and thought it was the most disgusting thing I have ever tried.
That being said, nothing like a simple pinto bean recipe for me. Soak the beans over night and ditch the water in the morning. Boil them until very soft. My Grandma used to mash them up a little to let the starches out and thicken up the broth. Salt, pepper, and pork fat. That's all it needs. We used to use them through the week. Refrying them, or just warming them up as a side. We would add them to tacos or just by themselves as a snack. It was a great way to add filling to a meal.
The most basic recipe I use is, beans, water and better than bouillon (there’s a vegetable version). I toss everything in my instapot for an hr. Then make some rice and toss them together. I...
The most basic recipe I use is, beans, water and better than bouillon (there’s a vegetable version). I toss everything in my instapot for an hr. Then make some rice and toss them together. I usually eat it with egg mixed in with hot rice/beans and hot sauce. I usually top with kimchi or whatever veggies I have on hand. I never really like beans, but the instapot has been a game changer. I’d like to say I soak the beans first, but I don’t plan ahead enough to do that.
Off the top of my head: Meals: GGB (Grain Green and Bean) Bowls. Pick a grain, pick a vegetable, pick a bean, pick a sauce, throw it all together. Burrito. Use the GGB formula with a tortilla....
Off the top of my head:
Meals:
GGB (Grain Green and Bean) Bowls. Pick a grain, pick a vegetable, pick a bean, pick a sauce, throw it all together.
Burrito. Use the GGB formula with a tortilla.
Dahl/Dal. Basically lentils + spices. Simple, but really good.
Chana Masala was already mentioned in your post, but dang it's good.
Lightly mash chickpeas with a mayo of your choice (like with a tuna salad), and it makes a decent sandwich / rice ball.
Dessert:
Anko. A kind of red bean that traditionally used in desserts.
I tried to make this before, but something about the way texture of the meat with the beans really didn't jive with me. The flavors were pretty good, though, if a bit greasy.
I tried to make this before, but something about the way texture of the meat with the beans really didn't jive with me. The flavors were pretty good, though, if a bit greasy.
This is a easy one to follow from me but one of my all time favourite meals. Baked beans on toast. I'm not joking. That said it has to be done right. contrary to common advertising they don't have...
This is a easy one to follow from me but one of my all time favourite meals.
Baked beans on toast. I'm not joking.
That said it has to be done right.
contrary to common advertising they don't have to be Heinz, branston are my favourite but even the cheapo tins will do.
super important: a add a big dollop of butter, I would say between 1 or 2 teaspoons worth.
cook, cook, cook. they are not done when simply hot you need to keep them simmering down, let the butter emulsify and it needs to form a thick non runny sauce. by this time the beans will have softened up even more too.
when beans and sauce is done, take off heat, let them rest, you'll regret tucking in too soon, they are now hotter than the sun as far are your mouth is concerned.
while cooling, now is the perfect time to make the toast, throw in your favoured bread and wait.
add more butter to the toast if you want but I actually skip here (weighs less on the guilt of adding butter in step 2). serve the beans on top and dig in. careful it'll still be hot though!
Yes. Baked beans on toast is certainly what started my love for beans as a youngster. My partner is not British and for the longest time did not appreciate this mid-week staple. In fact, she...
Yes. Baked beans on toast is certainly what started my love for beans as a youngster. My partner is not British and for the longest time did not appreciate this mid-week staple. In fact, she mocked it and made sure to inform me that it is an often ridiculed dish in her home country. But then I made it for her when we were in a bind one day - very similarly to how you described - and she loved it!
It is not something she keeps as a dirty secret. Something she fears to mocked for by her nearest and dearest. And something she'd had to go through twice, as a similar tale unfolded when she discovered the little black jar with the yellow lid.
I'm not a huge bean person, but your post reminded me of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJGLDPG-_9I As for recipes, one of my favorite things I ate in London was Dishoom's Black Daal:...
As for recipes, one of my favorite things I ate in London was Dishoom's Black Daal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW8WDudl5gU
I experienced it with one of my Indian friends, and I personally come from a very Indian heavy town in America, and I can confidently say it's very very good :)
I’m not sure if this exactly counts as a bean recipe, but we make a pesto with white beans: 100g of rocket/arugula 60g basil 1 can white beans, drained 3 cloves garlic or so juice from 1/2 lemon...
I’m not sure if this exactly counts as a bean recipe, but we make a pesto with white beans:
100g of rocket/arugula
60g basil
1 can white beans, drained
3 cloves garlic or so
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 c toasted nuts (walnuts, pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts)
1 tbsp miso
olive oil (3 tbsp?)
1/2 wedge of parmesan
salt and pepper
Blitz in a food processor, starting with the leaves and oil. Usually grind the toasted nuts first and then set them aside to mix in since our food processor is small.
It’s delicious and filling on pasta or toast. Usually with pasta we’ll add frozen peas and sometimes another can of white beans.
I just love a good pot of beans with: thin half moon slivers of onion diced celery and carrots a couple of bay leaves at least 4 cloves of garlic a good quality chicken stock liberal amounts of...
I just love a good pot of beans with:
thin half moon slivers of onion
diced celery and carrots
a couple of bay leaves
at least 4 cloves of garlic
a good quality chicken stock
liberal amounts of salt and pepper
Once they're tender and the stock has reduced down, I'll throw in a big handful of fresh chopped parsley and serve myself a bowl with a wedge of crusty bread and maybe a slow roasted chicken leg.
It's simple food so the quality of ingredients is super important, try it with some beans from somewhere like Rancho Gordo if you can. I have some friends in the states who kindly sent me the Christmas lima beans and vaquero beans and they were wonderful.
If you're in the UK, you can keep a close eye on Hodmedod's in case their beans come back in stock but I've been waiting for the last couple of years to see anything there. However, their peas are also excellent and in plentiful supply.
I have a love-hate relationship with beans/legumes. I love them (and don't eat much meat), but there are many I can't properly digest, so I have to be careful with the types I choose and how I...
I have a love-hate relationship with beans/legumes. I love them (and don't eat much meat), but there are many I can't properly digest, so I have to be careful with the types I choose and how I prepare them.
Mostly I adapt bean recipes to use black turtle beans (well-cooked and rinsed before adding to the dish). I can also eat (well cooked, rinsed) yellow split peas and some lentils, so my diet isn't totally monotonous :)
Some of my faves / adaptations I'm particularly happy to have found:
-Yellow-split-pea 'hummus'
-Black bean dip
-Gormeh Sabzi* (normally uses red kidney beans, but black beans work just fine)
-Homemade falafel using well-soaked/rinsed yellow split peas (bonus points when I have fresh mint to add to the herb/spice mix)
-Black bean burgers (still tweaking, but I like the method of using canned, rinsed black beans and drying them slightly in the oven to reduce their moisture content)
-Red lentil or yellow split pea dal (I like using individual spices to my own taste vs. a premade garam masala).
I also love soup, so most of my other 'main' recipes are soups :)
*In writing this post, I realized my favourite persian recipe website is no longer running, so I'm now saving as many as I can using the wayback machine :(
A pound of cranberry beans, washed then soaked overnight, or pinto beans are fine too Two carrots, chunked Half an onion, peeled Couple of pints of water Three bay leaves Spoon of thyme One garlic...
A pound of cranberry beans, washed then soaked overnight, or pinto beans are fine too
Two carrots, chunked
Half an onion, peeled
Couple of pints of water
Three bay leaves
Spoon of thyme
One garlic clove
Pepper
Boil all those until beans are tender (half an hour?)
Add salt to taste
Super easy and very tasty. Brown rice, or even easier crushed tortilla chips go well with them. I eat them for a late breakfast, sometimes adding a spoon of sour cream.
Cook a batch of beans in stock with a little more liquid than normal. Bam! You've got soup! There's a ton of bean soups out there and if you travel around ask the old ladies for their recipes and...
Cook a batch of beans in stock with a little more liquid than normal. Bam! You've got soup!
There's a ton of bean soups out there and if you travel around ask the old ladies for their recipes and you'll get some regional variations.
Most markets I have been to will have a "soup mix" mixed into their bean section.
I like Alton Brown's Lentil Soup personally, even if I've still never found whatever "Grains of paradise" are supposed to be in any market.
Just finished making (and eating) a batch of my mom's 5-layer bean dip recipe, which is one of my wife's favorite dishes. Not an exact science, but I make it like this: Base layer is mashed...
Just finished making (and eating) a batch of my mom's 5-layer bean dip recipe, which is one of my wife's favorite dishes. Not an exact science, but I make it like this:
Base layer is mashed together in a pot over medium heat until smooth (roughly):
2 cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans stewed tomatoes (I drain a bit of the juice first so the base isn't too liquidy)
4 tbsp chili powder (I am quite liberal with this)
2 tsp cumin
2 cloves minced garlic
My mom also chops a jalapeno into the base, which I love but my wife and kids aren't into spice so I leave it out. Once the base has been mashed into a paste-like consistency and some of the liquid boiled off, spread it into a lasagna dish (or similar) and let it cool.
Next layer is a couple small tubs of sour cream (we usually mix one regular and one lite) with a healthy dose of taco seasoning mixed in (at least 4 tbsp but I usually wing it and probably add more like 6-8 because it's so yummy). Spread that evenly on top of the beans.
Next layer is shredded cheddar, sprinkled evenly to cover the sour cream layer. I use most of a brick, it's really up to you how much cheese you like and want to eat.
My wife and kids stop here at 3 layers because none of them like the remaining ingredients, but I couldn't imagine doing that because the next layers are what make the dip for me:
diced fresh tomato (I'll use one large or two smaller tomatoes)
diced olives (I'm quite liberal with these too)
sometimes I'll add a 6th bonus layer of diced canned jalapenos here to make up for them missing in the base
Usually you'd spread and layer those last ingredients out on top, then enjoy the bean dip by digging in with tortilla chips, but since I'm the only one who eats the top veggies I've just been tossing them all into a tupperware and scooping them out on top of my helpings of the bean/sour cream/cheese layers in a bowl (which lets me add more or less depending on my mood for a particular serving).
I also make a separate smaller dish with the same bean base, but using vegan sour cream and shredded cheese since one of my kids is allergic to dairy. I probably need to start upping how much I make since my kids are getting older and eating way more, I barely got two helpings out of this last batch.
So it's not completely beans, but pasta e fagioli is one of the most delicious and satisfying winter soups I've ever made. It was the first bean dish I ever had (short of refried beans, which are...
So it's not completely beans, but pasta e fagioli is one of the most delicious and satisfying winter soups I've ever made. It was the first bean dish I ever had (short of refried beans, which are their own thing) that made me think of undisguised beans as a food I liked. Most of the bean and pulse dishes I'd had before cooked the beans to near-paste consistency (think hummus, chana dal, etc.).
But pasta e fagioli has distinct bean and pasta textures, along with the simple broth thickened with the wheat and bean starches released when they're cooked together. It's divine.
oh bummer, your recipe's behind the NYT's paywall (we actually sub to the NYT but decline to pay the extra for the cooking section; it feels too much like double-dipping from the paper) .. so here...
oh bummer, your recipe's behind the NYT's paywall (we actually sub to the NYT but decline to pay the extra for the cooking section; it feels too much like double-dipping from the paper)
.. so here it is in the Archive: https://archive.is/bTMv2
I also discovered this recipe, although I use Kenji's variation. I think I like his style more because of the ungodly amount of garlic, that is also minced with a microplane for maximum effect....
I also discovered this recipe, although I use Kenji's variation. I think I like his style more because of the ungodly amount of garlic, that is also minced with a microplane for maximum effect. Since I'm mostly a vegetarian I substitute chicken broth for a high quality store bought vegetable stock.
It's super easy to cook and my SO requests it once per week.
This is a traditional recipe that I make a couple of times a year. There's room for tons of changes, but as it is, it makes for a great hearty meal https://whereismyspoon.co/grandmas-perfect-beans/
This is a traditional recipe that I make a couple of times a year. There's room for tons of changes, but as it is, it makes for a great hearty meal
I also love beans! I recently made up this recipe which is so fast and delicious, and even my fussy 6 year old likes it. Sautee one onion until translucent. Add garlic and stir until fragrant,...
I also love beans! I recently made up this recipe which is so fast and delicious, and even my fussy 6 year old likes it.
Sautee one onion until translucent. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add some kind of dried herb, I like an Italian mix.
Add a tin of tomatoes (must be good quality, they’re doing a lot of the heavy lifting here).
Add half a tsp of stock powder. Simmer until the tomatoes have sweetened a little.
Add a tin of butter beans. You could use any bean but the texture of butter beans goes really well here. Could also cook beans from dry but I’m honestly never organised enough for that. Cook for 5 mins or so until beans are hot through.
Add a splash of cream.
EAT!
I’ll have this with rice, as a side for a protein, with eggs for breakfast, or just a big bowl by itself.
I do something kind of similar. For mine, it's basically just 'Italian' red sauce, but with beans. Fry garlic, oregano and chilli flakes together for about 30 seconds Add tomato paste/puree...
I do something kind of similar.
For mine, it's basically just 'Italian' red sauce, but with beans.
Fry garlic, oregano and chilli flakes together for about 30 seconds
Add tomato paste/puree whatever your country calls concentrated tomato (in the UK it's tomato puree) and a good pinch of salt.
After a minute or two, add a splash of water
After another minute, add a can of tinned plum tomatoes, and then refill the can with water and add that too.
Either cook low and slow for a few hours, or baby it on high heat for at least half an hour.
Add beans of preference (butter beans are great if you like the texture; pinto beans are also amazing in this.)
I like to add a bunch to carne guisada, but I have also cooked it before without the chuck roast. It's a pretty standard latin flavor, and ends up super saucy. Great with tortillas or rice.
I like to add a bunch to carne guisada, but I have also cooked it before without the chuck roast. It's a pretty standard latin flavor, and ends up super saucy. Great with tortillas or rice.
Mexican bean salad: very versatile. Mix different types of beans, onion, peppers, corn, some spices and oil and vinegar. It goes well as a side dish, but I like it so much I even eat it as a light...
Mexican bean salad: very versatile. Mix different types of beans, onion, peppers, corn, some spices and oil and vinegar. It goes well as a side dish, but I like it so much I even eat it as a light meal sometimes. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/14169/mexican-bean-salad/
I've recently been on a veggie chili kick, but that's arguably soup, so I'll share my go-to cheap meal prep option: 1 can black beans 1 can corn 1 can Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chiles) 1 cup...
I've recently been on a veggie chili kick, but that's arguably soup, so I'll share my go-to cheap meal prep option:
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 can Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chiles)
1 cup rice
1 can of water or broth (just refill the can of beans or corn to measure)
I have no doubt that this is tasty, but that quantity does not look like enough food to feed an adult for an entire week. Do you intentionally eat small lunches? (I mean no disrespect or anything,...
I have no doubt that this is tasty, but that quantity does not look like enough food to feed an adult for an entire week. Do you intentionally eat small lunches? (I mean no disrespect or anything, I am genuinely curious).
The Tupperware that I pack this in is 2 cups or 500 ml, and I can usually get four or five portions out of this recipe, depending on how full I fill it. That keeps me full enough to tide me over...
The Tupperware that I pack this in is 2 cups or 500 ml, and I can usually get four or five portions out of this recipe, depending on how full I fill it. That keeps me full enough to tide me over until dinner, but I'm at a sedentary workplace, so I don't typically eat a huge lunch. Back when I was a bachelor, I would eat this whole thing over 2 or 3 dinners instead.
I haven't seen it listed yet, but chickwheat shreds are an absolute meat-free delight: https://avocadosandales.com/2017/12/17/chickwheat-shreds/ I've made this several times now and it goes so...
I've made this several times now and it goes so well with so many recipes. I've used them in pastas, stir-fries, vegan cubanos, and just snacks on their own, to give a few exampes.
I've made this one several times as well and it's always just so dang good that I can eat it with a spoon. Now that I'm growing my own jalapenos/habaneros too, I should make a very fresh batch...
My wife and I also enjoy black bean taco salad.
In fact, we love beans so much that we grow about 60 pole beans along the front of our house every year. It provides (delicious) shade and we typically harvest close to a kilogram every day from about late July to first frost in October. I did try to dry some to make into cooked beans, but something went awry and I wound up with moldy beans :(
Ok, this is different than all your amazing suggestions but one of my comfort foods is simply tin beans in molasses or in tomato sauce with fried baloney and fried eggs. Shen the beans mixes with...
Ok, this is different than all your amazing suggestions but one of my comfort foods is simply tin beans in molasses or in tomato sauce with fried baloney and fried eggs. Shen the beans mixes with egg yolk with some crispy baloney, it is sooo good.
I am a huge fan of beans. I love them. Nearly every person in "the West" could probably benefit from adding beans to their diet, that is my strong belief.
Several years ago, I invested in an electric pressure cooker solely for bean consumption, and it is something I've never regretted.
I typically soak my beans, even though pressure cooker enthusiasts insist it's unnecessary. I find that soaking the beans in salted water results in a better texture and much more flavour. Kenji López-Alt agrees.. Black beans are the exception to this rule, as Kenji also taught me that these benefit from being cooked from dry, with minimal - if any - drawbacks.
I love to make chana masala, homemade hummus and chilli with soy mince and plenty of kidney and black beans. I probably eat these six or so times per month. In our house we also prepare soup every other Sunday in bulk, which will typically have some combination of beans in it for fibre, texture and protein.
What are your favourite bean recipes?
I also love beans. Kindly share your electric pressure cooker make and model so I can shamelessly reuse your research efforts without falling down a rabbit hole myself :)
I have an old instant pot model from around 2018. The only setting I ever use on it is high pressure :)
Old?! From 2018?
Are you 7 seconds old or how do you explain calling something that new "old" haha
Because there are several newer models, therefore mine is an old model.
[Not OP]
2 cups of dry black beans, 4 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of salt. Optional: 4 garlic cloves and half an onion cut into a few pieces.
Pressure cook in an instapot on high for 30 minutes. Instant release.
Cooked beans freeze well. I have a few deli containers of different beans in my chest freezer.
I also make a similar bean chili and it's so good. Have a red lentil stew to eat and then I will probably make the chili again.
I love beans, I'd wager more than OP (jk). And depending on how far you are willing to expand what a bean is, here are things I make/eat regularly enough:
I'm sure there more, but this is what I could come up with for now.
Can I ask about the spaghetti with lentils? Do you cook them in the sauce, or separately and add them? Do they give it an odd texture? My son loves spaghetti and loves beans. This might be a good way to give him more of what he loves!
If I use red lentils (which isn't typical), I'll just cook it in the sauce since red lentils cook fairly quickly and I don't want them to get too soft. I cook green/brown lentils separately in some mix of broth and seasoning (usually with mushroom powder added) and then add it to the sauce after it has cooked enough. Green lentils take a while to soften in simmering sauce so I don't generally do it that way, but you can if you have the time.
As far as texture, my wife and I like it (she prefers it with green lentils since red lentils aren't firm enough), but we use legumes frequently so I can't really say if the texture is odd. I think the biggest thing is imparting enough flavor into the lentils as your cook them which is partly why I'm not the biggest fan of cooked, canned lentils, but those can still work.
One diced onion, one diced green pepper, one packet of Sazon seasoning, 1 TBSP of sugar, dry black beans, and water all go into an instant pot (or other electric pressure cooker). No pre-soak needed.
Set the time for 45-50 mins depending on desired texture (longer = mushier). Allow to de-pressurize for 20 mins or so after the time has run.
At the end add 1 TBSP of Adobo seasoning and 1 TBSP brown sugar. Mix and serve.
This gets you really close to a traditional Cuban black beans.
I grew up with a charro style pinto bean, when I got into my teens I tried "BBQ" style sweet beans and thought it was the most disgusting thing I have ever tried.
That being said, nothing like a simple pinto bean recipe for me. Soak the beans over night and ditch the water in the morning. Boil them until very soft. My Grandma used to mash them up a little to let the starches out and thicken up the broth. Salt, pepper, and pork fat. That's all it needs. We used to use them through the week. Refrying them, or just warming them up as a side. We would add them to tacos or just by themselves as a snack. It was a great way to add filling to a meal.
The most basic recipe I use is, beans, water and better than bouillon (there’s a vegetable version). I toss everything in my instapot for an hr. Then make some rice and toss them together. I usually eat it with egg mixed in with hot rice/beans and hot sauce. I usually top with kimchi or whatever veggies I have on hand. I never really like beans, but the instapot has been a game changer. I’d like to say I soak the beans first, but I don’t plan ahead enough to do that.
Off the top of my head:
Meals:
Dessert:
I tried to make this before, but something about the way texture of the meat with the beans really didn't jive with me. The flavors were pretty good, though, if a bit greasy.
This is a easy one to follow from me but one of my all time favourite meals.
Baked beans on toast. I'm not joking.
That said it has to be done right.
Yes. Baked beans on toast is certainly what started my love for beans as a youngster. My partner is not British and for the longest time did not appreciate this mid-week staple. In fact, she mocked it and made sure to inform me that it is an often ridiculed dish in her home country. But then I made it for her when we were in a bind one day - very similarly to how you described - and she loved it!
It is not something she keeps as a dirty secret. Something she fears to mocked for by her nearest and dearest. And something she'd had to go through twice, as a similar tale unfolded when she discovered the little black jar with the yellow lid.
I'm not a huge bean person, but your post reminded me of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJGLDPG-_9I
As for recipes, one of my favorite things I ate in London was Dishoom's Black Daal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW8WDudl5gU
I experienced it with one of my Indian friends, and I personally come from a very Indian heavy town in America, and I can confidently say it's very very good :)
I’m not sure if this exactly counts as a bean recipe, but we make a pesto with white beans:
Blitz in a food processor, starting with the leaves and oil. Usually grind the toasted nuts first and then set them aside to mix in since our food processor is small.
It’s delicious and filling on pasta or toast. Usually with pasta we’ll add frozen peas and sometimes another can of white beans.
I just love a good pot of beans with:
Once they're tender and the stock has reduced down, I'll throw in a big handful of fresh chopped parsley and serve myself a bowl with a wedge of crusty bread and maybe a slow roasted chicken leg.
It's simple food so the quality of ingredients is super important, try it with some beans from somewhere like Rancho Gordo if you can. I have some friends in the states who kindly sent me the Christmas lima beans and vaquero beans and they were wonderful.
If you're in the UK, you can keep a close eye on Hodmedod's in case their beans come back in stock but I've been waiting for the last couple of years to see anything there. However, their peas are also excellent and in plentiful supply.
The recipe looks wonderful, and I'll definitely be checking out Hodmedod's. Somehow I'd never heard of them before.
I have a love-hate relationship with beans/legumes. I love them (and don't eat much meat), but there are many I can't properly digest, so I have to be careful with the types I choose and how I prepare them.
Mostly I adapt bean recipes to use black turtle beans (well-cooked and rinsed before adding to the dish). I can also eat (well cooked, rinsed) yellow split peas and some lentils, so my diet isn't totally monotonous :)
Some of my faves / adaptations I'm particularly happy to have found:
-Yellow-split-pea 'hummus'
-Black bean dip
-Gormeh Sabzi* (normally uses red kidney beans, but black beans work just fine)
-Homemade falafel using well-soaked/rinsed yellow split peas (bonus points when I have fresh mint to add to the herb/spice mix)
-Black bean burgers (still tweaking, but I like the method of using canned, rinsed black beans and drying them slightly in the oven to reduce their moisture content)
-Red lentil or yellow split pea dal (I like using individual spices to my own taste vs. a premade garam masala).
I also love soup, so most of my other 'main' recipes are soups :)
*In writing this post, I realized my favourite persian recipe website is no longer running, so I'm now saving as many as I can using the wayback machine :(
A pound of cranberry beans, washed then soaked overnight, or pinto beans are fine too
Two carrots, chunked
Half an onion, peeled
Couple of pints of water
Three bay leaves
Spoon of thyme
One garlic clove
Pepper
Boil all those until beans are tender (half an hour?)
Add salt to taste
Super easy and very tasty. Brown rice, or even easier crushed tortilla chips go well with them. I eat them for a late breakfast, sometimes adding a spoon of sour cream.
Wait? You can make soups with beans?
Please teach me your weirding ways.
Three bean soup: coffee with vanilla soy milk
Good lord you've never had a nice black bean soup?
One of my favorite comfort foods ever. Makes a good dip or a standalone meal.
I'm from a country where beans aren't a staple. We're potato people over here :)
Cook a batch of beans in stock with a little more liquid than normal. Bam! You've got soup!
There's a ton of bean soups out there and if you travel around ask the old ladies for their recipes and you'll get some regional variations.
Most markets I have been to will have a "soup mix" mixed into their bean section.
I like Alton Brown's Lentil Soup personally, even if I've still never found whatever "Grains of paradise" are supposed to be in any market.
Just finished making (and eating) a batch of my mom's 5-layer bean dip recipe, which is one of my wife's favorite dishes. Not an exact science, but I make it like this:
Base layer is mashed together in a pot over medium heat until smooth (roughly):
My mom also chops a jalapeno into the base, which I love but my wife and kids aren't into spice so I leave it out. Once the base has been mashed into a paste-like consistency and some of the liquid boiled off, spread it into a lasagna dish (or similar) and let it cool.
Next layer is a couple small tubs of sour cream (we usually mix one regular and one lite) with a healthy dose of taco seasoning mixed in (at least 4 tbsp but I usually wing it and probably add more like 6-8 because it's so yummy). Spread that evenly on top of the beans.
Next layer is shredded cheddar, sprinkled evenly to cover the sour cream layer. I use most of a brick, it's really up to you how much cheese you like and want to eat.
My wife and kids stop here at 3 layers because none of them like the remaining ingredients, but I couldn't imagine doing that because the next layers are what make the dip for me:
Usually you'd spread and layer those last ingredients out on top, then enjoy the bean dip by digging in with tortilla chips, but since I'm the only one who eats the top veggies I've just been tossing them all into a tupperware and scooping them out on top of my helpings of the bean/sour cream/cheese layers in a bowl (which lets me add more or less depending on my mood for a particular serving).
I also make a separate smaller dish with the same bean base, but using vegan sour cream and shredded cheese since one of my kids is allergic to dairy. I probably need to start upping how much I make since my kids are getting older and eating way more, I barely got two helpings out of this last batch.
My favorite is chipotle bean burritos
https://veganhuggs.com/vegan-burrito/
We also do roasted chickpea gyros
So it's not completely beans, but pasta e fagioli is one of the most delicious and satisfying winter soups I've ever made. It was the first bean dish I ever had (short of refried beans, which are their own thing) that made me think of undisguised beans as a food I liked. Most of the bean and pulse dishes I'd had before cooked the beans to near-paste consistency (think hummus, chana dal, etc.).
But pasta e fagioli has distinct bean and pasta textures, along with the simple broth thickened with the wheat and bean starches released when they're cooked together. It's divine.
oh bummer, your recipe's behind the NYT's paywall (we actually sub to the NYT but decline to pay the extra for the cooking section; it feels too much like double-dipping from the paper)
.. so here it is in the Archive: https://archive.is/bTMv2
I also discovered this recipe, although I use Kenji's variation. I think I like his style more because of the ungodly amount of garlic, that is also minced with a microplane for maximum effect. Since I'm mostly a vegetarian I substitute chicken broth for a high quality store bought vegetable stock.
It's super easy to cook and my SO requests it once per week.
This is a traditional recipe that I make a couple of times a year. There's room for tons of changes, but as it is, it makes for a great hearty meal
https://whereismyspoon.co/grandmas-perfect-beans/
Ful medames
Fava beans!
I also love beans! I recently made up this recipe which is so fast and delicious, and even my fussy 6 year old likes it.
Sautee one onion until translucent. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add some kind of dried herb, I like an Italian mix.
Add a tin of tomatoes (must be good quality, they’re doing a lot of the heavy lifting here).
Add half a tsp of stock powder. Simmer until the tomatoes have sweetened a little.
Add a tin of butter beans. You could use any bean but the texture of butter beans goes really well here. Could also cook beans from dry but I’m honestly never organised enough for that. Cook for 5 mins or so until beans are hot through.
Add a splash of cream.
EAT!
I’ll have this with rice, as a side for a protein, with eggs for breakfast, or just a big bowl by itself.
I do something kind of similar.
For mine, it's basically just 'Italian' red sauce, but with beans.
Sounds delicious! Try the splash of cream next time, it’s like eating incredibly fancy Heinz baked beans with the deliciousness turned up to 11
Will certainly give that a try, thanks for the tip.
this mark bittman burger is very high up there for me - https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12221-black-bean-burgers
I like to add a bunch to carne guisada, but I have also cooked it before without the chuck roast. It's a pretty standard latin flavor, and ends up super saucy. Great with tortillas or rice.
Mexican bean salad: very versatile. Mix different types of beans, onion, peppers, corn, some spices and oil and vinegar. It goes well as a side dish, but I like it so much I even eat it as a light meal sometimes.
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/14169/mexican-bean-salad/
I've recently been on a veggie chili kick, but that's arguably soup, so I'll share my go-to cheap meal prep option:
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 can Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chiles)
1 cup rice
1 can of water or broth (just refill the can of beans or corn to measure)
Dump everything in a rice cooker until done.
Lunch for a week for $3 US.
I have no doubt that this is tasty, but that quantity does not look like enough food to feed an adult for an entire week. Do you intentionally eat small lunches? (I mean no disrespect or anything, I am genuinely curious).
The Tupperware that I pack this in is 2 cups or 500 ml, and I can usually get four or five portions out of this recipe, depending on how full I fill it. That keeps me full enough to tide me over until dinner, but I'm at a sedentary workplace, so I don't typically eat a huge lunch. Back when I was a bachelor, I would eat this whole thing over 2 or 3 dinners instead.
I haven't seen it listed yet, but chickwheat shreds are an absolute meat-free delight: https://avocadosandales.com/2017/12/17/chickwheat-shreds/
I've made this several times now and it goes so well with so many recipes. I've used them in pastas, stir-fries, vegan cubanos, and just snacks on their own, to give a few exampes.
Another favourite of mine is Kenji's vegan refried beans: https://www.seriouseats.com/spicy-vegan-refried-beans
I've made this one several times as well and it's always just so dang good that I can eat it with a spoon. Now that I'm growing my own jalapenos/habaneros too, I should make a very fresh batch...
My wife and I also enjoy black bean taco salad.
In fact, we love beans so much that we grow about 60 pole beans along the front of our house every year. It provides (delicious) shade and we typically harvest close to a kilogram every day from about late July to first frost in October. I did try to dry some to make into cooked beans, but something went awry and I wound up with moldy beans :(
Ok, this is different than all your amazing suggestions but one of my comfort foods is simply tin beans in molasses or in tomato sauce with fried baloney and fried eggs. Shen the beans mixes with egg yolk with some crispy baloney, it is sooo good.
A bit meta but Tildes cooking posts are such a delight :)