
I am answering all your questions about how to cook beans and enjoy them! From soaking to storage, kitchen and nutrition, here is everything you need to know about beans.
How to cook beans + our favorite beans recipes
Bean, beans, magic fruit. The more you eat, the more … you know the rest!
What do you not love of beans? They are so versatile and incredibly healthy! Bean must be included in their meal planning every week. That is my goal! Whether they are mixed in a abundant chili or soup, they are served as sauce (such as this easy black bean sauce and corn) with my favorite chips, or enjoy themselves as a hot vegetarian hamburger from the grill, there are many ways to enjoy them that do not imply eating them simple.
A basic vegetarian element
Beans are typically a basic element in verdé recipes and diets with vegetarians due to their versatility and high protein content.
Beans are a large nutritional food for fingers for young children, especially one who does not like meat. Birch has never been a great meat dining room, and we have tried to incorporate beans in some sauces for him.
The combination of beans and rice creates a complete protein. Alone, beans and rice lack certain essential amino acids. However, when they eat together, each one contributes to what is missing the other to form a complete protein.
Now that we have a basic understanding that beans are a nutritious and versatile food for diets in all areas, we immerse some frequent questions about these legumes. If you have ever been hinted at cooking dry beans, or want to add some new legume recipes to your weekly meals, here are some tips!
Frequent bean questions
Beans are seeds of the Fabaceae family, commonly known as the legume, pea or beans. You can also listen to them referred to as «pulses.» They are an affordable source of protein, fiber, iron and vitamins that offer many health benefits.
There are many types of beans, but some with which it can be more familiar include: black beans, excellent beans from the north, beans pintos, chickpeas or chickpeas, beans Lima and Edamame.


Bean health benefits
Beans are rich in complex carbohydrates, low fat, fiber, B vitamins and minerals.
Beans are partially rich in soluble fibers that are known to reduce the risk of heart disease by reducing «bad» cholesterol. Insoluble bean fiber helps accelerate the passage of food through our digestive tract, helping regularly. The wide fiber content in beans is the reason you can feel full after eating a small portion.
Beans are also an exceptional source of low -fat vegetable protein without containing saturated fats and cholesterol found in animal protein. While all beans are a great source of protein, soybeans is the only beans that are a complete protein on their own. The combination of beans on a plate with grains (such as rice) provides a complete set of amino acids.
While it is a good source of many minerals, beans are particularly high in iron. Lima Lima grains are among the highest in iron, what do you know! (I personally love Lima beans! Probably because in the south they are also known as butter beans.)
Source: Wellness Foods Az
What makes beans induce gas?
Oligosaccharides. What? Oligosaccharides are complex carbohydrates (or sugar), which are found in beans, that our bodies cannot digest well. These complex sugars pass without digesting in the large intestine, where they are fermented in gas. When they travel to the lower part of our digestive tract, ferment … and fermentation produces gas. Beautiful.
Dry beans versus canned
- Good: Canned beans are convenient and excellent for when you are in a hurry.
- Better: Remove dry beans in water for less additives and sodium than canned beans.
- Better: Dry beans soak with a neutralizing* for optimal nutrition and digestion.
*What is a neutralizer?
A neutralizer, in a nutshell, helps eliminate these sugars that are difficult to digest in cooked beans.
- No dairy: Raw apple cider vinegar, sodium bicarbonate, lemon juice, kombu
- dairy: whole milk yogurt, cultivated milk serum, kefir, liquid serum
How to soak beans
- Rinse of 1 to 2 pounds of beans in a mesh strainer and remove any rubble.
- Place dry beans in a glass or ceramic bowl. Cover with warm water to cover them, approximately 3-4 inches of water. Add 2 tablespoons. Neutralizer for every 1 cup of beans. Also add salt to the soaking water. The recommended soaking time is 8 to 10 hours, but can make a quick soaking if the beans boil first.
Why soak beans?
Soak the beans with a neutralizer before cooking are facilitated by the digestive system (also known as less toot!), The easiest nutrients to absorb and, most importantly, shorten cooking time.
Professional Council: Soak overnight and beans will be ready to cook in the morning.
Should you salts water that soak beans?
Yeah! Adding salt to soaking water (a technique called «brining») can help beans to cook more creamy and seasoned more uniformly. This can improve the texture by helping beans to maintain their shape, improve the taste, since beans absorb a bit of salt and reduce bean burst by strengthening their skin.
How to cook beans
Cooking 1 to 2 pounds of dry beans at the same time is manageable and ensures that they are cooking evenly. A large pot can handle this amount without overcrowding.
1. Rinse – Rinse the soaked beans.
2. Cover – Place the beans in a large pot or Dutch oven. Cover with water at 2 inches on beans.
3. Boil – Bring the beans to a boil, reduce the fire over low heat, cover the pot and cook until it is made (the cooking time varies by type of beans).
4. Season – For greater nutrition and digestibility, add a strip of kombu (dry algae); You can also add spices of your choice here, such as cumin, turmeric and coriander.
Ways to add flavor while cooking beans:
1. Use aromatic
Add the onions, celery and carrots of the Holy Trinity and/or garlic to cooking water for flavored beans. You can keep them whole, divide into some large pieces or cut into small pieces for more than one stew.
2. Add herbs and spices
- Great beans herbs are bay leaves, thyme, rosemary or oregano.
- For a little warmth, try smoked paprika, cumin or red pepper for a touch of spices.
3. Use the broth
Instead of running water, use the broth as a bean cooking liquid (vegetables, chicken or beef) to obtain a richer flavor. Take into account the salt content!
How to store grains
- Store dried beans in a glass jar in a fresh and dark place for up to one year.
- Store cooked beans in a well -sealed container in the refrigerator for 3 days, or several months in the freezer.
5 healthy and delicious bean recipes
1. Orange Enelgo Bean Salad
Beans provide proteins, fiber and starch; The cucumber and the red pepper satisfy vegetable cravings; The dill and orange bring bright flavor; And Ricotta adds a salty blow.


2. Easy chicken and bean baking
A Kerf classic: the chicken oven and beans! It is easy to assemble in 15 minutes and bake for an hour. This saucepan has three types of beans (two canned, one fresh) more fresh herbs and tasty chicken baked in a single plate. The chicken saboras all the cups of cooked beans under!


3. Tropical bean salad
This tropical bean salad will bring some sun to your day. With kiwi and pineapple for a flavor explosion, broccoli salad and black beans are the basis of a healthy lunch or garnish. Add coconut flakes to the top for an extra special crunch!


4. Homemade bean hamburgers
I used to do them all the time when I had nothing else to eat for lunch. I always had a can of beans! The easiest hamburgers that have ever full of vegetable proteins. Serve them in a traditional hamburger bun, or serve on a salad. And if you are in the middle Atlantic, seek There are no bull hamburgers In the frozen section that are made of lentils and very similar!


5. Black beans of easy cooking pot
An easy recipe for a large pot of black beans that you can enjoy at meals throughout the week!


Do you have any favorite beans recipe/ways to enjoy beans?