Many people buy canned beans & lentils because they are convenient and honestly these days the only time I buy canned is chickpeas for the aquafaba - fresh doesn't doesn't seem to work! Dry beans are only a bit of work and honestly it works out SO much cheaper plus their shelf life is practically infinite! Here are the dried beans I use, the uses and how much I really get out of each batch.
Dry beans are easy to prep and full of protein. Basically just soak in water for a day or so then cook in fresh water till tender, over night soaking is the easiest prep. Sometimes I use a slow cooker, especially for pinto beans since I want them very soft anyway and don't have to keep testing them. I can just let them go all day and the worst case is that they still need longer so I start it up again. Then I drain them, rinse well and put them to good use or freeze!
"Beans, beans, the musical fruit. The more you eat the more you toot!" We've all heard the kid's rhyme and maybe have stayed away but most of this comes down to two things, prep and tolerance. If beans are not cooked all the way they will play some havoc on your system, similarly if you're new to eating beans some people might need an adjustment period
"Beans, beans, the musical fruit. The more you eat the more you toot!" We've all heard the kid's rhyme and maybe have stayed away but most of this comes down to two things, prep and tolerance. If beans are not cooked all the way they will play some havoc on your system, similarly if you're new to eating beans some people might need an adjustment period
Black Beans
A 1lb bag of black beans will set you back about $2 and from just that one pound I can make the following;
Black Bean Hummus
Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans)
Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans) are a stable for me because I love hummus and I love falafel. Now for good falafel you need soaked, but not cooked chickpeas which you won't find in a can.
Pinto Beans
Pinto beans are a staple in our house mainly for refried beans. We eat tacos or nachos and then quesadillas with the left overs at least once a week. 1lb of dry pinto beans will make 2 batches of my refried beans and each batch will feed my family of 5 twice (usually for taco night and then leftovers for nachos or quesadillas). I usually take a full bag of pinto beans to make the refried beans but easily freeze half of it.
Kidney Beans
Great for Latin dishes and adding into mixed bean dishes!
White Beans
White beans come in a four different forms;
- Great Northern Beans which are nutty and hold their shape so used in stews and casseroles
- Cannellini beans (also called white kidney beans) which have a nutty/meaty texture and are used in a lot of Mediterranean dishes such as Minestrone.
- Navy (Yankee or Pea) beans which are round and small and very popular in Boston & Louisiana dishes.
- Baby Lima Beans (Butter beans) which also come in green color are smooth and creamy and used in a variety of dishes, great to mash with potato or avocado!
Mixed Beans
LENTILS
Red lentils are your friend, they are a great go to as they are the only lentil that you don't need to soak! They cook so quickly they can go straight into your soups and stews!
Red Lentil Dal
Lentil Meat Loaf
Brown Lentils you do need to soak and are much meatier than red lentils which tend to get mushy quickly and lose their form.
Lentil & Rice Meatballs
Warm Pumpkin & Brown Lentil Salad
This is a great one if you're on a budget, it's hearty, filling and healthy but cheap as chips!
Split Peas are in the lentil family but different to green lentils. They are a variety of field pea which is grown specifically for drying. They tend to cook very fast too which eliminates the needs for soaking.
Split Pea Soup
Green Lentils are fairly similar to brown lentils in terms of cooking times and keeping their form. Flavor will vary slightly but they are fairly interchangeable in recipes.
Lentil Patties
Lentil Stuffed Peppers
French lentils are a variety of green lentils (Puy lentils are French lentils but have a slightly different flavor due to the region they are grown). They are smaller than standard green lentils and they hold their shape extremely well so ideal for salads as well as light soups and taste a bit nutty and peppery. I have personally never made anything with these lentils but as I love French cuisine I will have to find some recipes to make!!
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