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What are beans?
Beans are very nutritious foods, high in fat and rich in protein and fibre. Some are round like beads of different sizes while others are flat or long, like jelly beans. They are used in popular recipes like hummus, falafels and curries. Beans can easily be added to most meals and offer an interesting alternative to meat!
There are many kinds of beans. Here are some of the most popular:
- Fava or broad beans
- Lentils
- Chickpeas
- Red, white or black beans
How to choose beans
In grocery stores, legumes are mainly found in two formats: dried or canned.
Dried beans
Dried beans give you more for your money. However, most need to be soaked and then boiled until soft.
Lentils are the quickest to make because they don’t need to be soaked. Boil them for 10 to 30 minutes and strain. They are now ready to eat or to add to a recipe.
Did you know that you can add dried lentils directly to soups and simmered dishes?
Soaking beans
Unlike lentils, dried beans and chickpeas need to be soaked before cooking.
Directions :
- Soak 1 cup of beans in 3 cups of water overnight.
- Drain and rinse.
- Cover with 3 cups of fresh water.
- Cook in a pot for 1 to 3 hours, depending on the bean.
- Drain and rinse. Your beans are ready!
Canned beans
Canned beans take less time to make. Simply rinse to reduce the amount of salt. This will also reduce the bloating that beans can sometimes cause.
How long they keep: Once cooked, beans can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Beans: An alternative to meat
A good way to lower your grocery bill is to replace some or all of the meat in recipes with beans.
For example, instead of using hamburger meat in shepherd’s pie, you can use lentils, like in our Lentil Shepherd’s Pie recipe. You can also use red beans in tacos, or chickpeas in soups and salads for a more nourishing meal.
Recipes that contain beans
Lentils
- Chili-Style Lentil Squares
- Creamy Barley with Lentils & Shrimp
- Eggs in a Tomato Sauce (or Shakshura with Lentils)
- Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
- Hearty Spinach and Lentil Soup
- Carrot and Orange Lentil Salad
- Rice and Lentil Salad
- Lentil, Apple and Sweet Potato Curry
Chickpeas
Red beans
- Huevos Rancheros or Ranchers’ Eggs
- Chili Dog Sin Carne
- Jambalaya-Style Barley Casserole
- Chili-Style Lentil Squares
White beans
Black beans
