The Recipe Redux theme for this month is “cook once, eat twice”. As a vegetarian, I eat a lot of beans. They are chock full of nutrients, fiber, and protein. For example, one half cup of black beans is only 113 kcals and provides 8 grams of protein, and at least 10% of the daily recommended intake for iron, folate, thiamine, and magnesium. Plus, they are inexpensive and incredibly versatile when it comes to cooking. To ensure that we always have some on hand, we have gotten into the habit of buying about 1-2 pounds of dried beans from the bulk section of Whole Foods and cooking them in a big pot on Sunday. Once cooked, we portion them into smaller containers to use in recipes and salads throughout the week.
Today, I thought I would share with you my favorite method for cooking dried beans as well as some of my favorite vegetarian bean recipes! It may seem a bit time intensive, but can easily walk away and work on other things while the beans soak and simmer.
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Learn how to cook dried beans from scratch with this easy method. We usually do a large pot on the stove each weekend to incorporate into vegetarian dishes throughout the week.
Ingredients
- 1-2 lbs of dried beans (black beans, chickpeas, and pinto beans are some of our favorites)
- Water
- 1-2 quarts vegetable broth
- Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
- Additional seasonings: onion, fresh garlic, dried chili peppers
Instructions
- Pour beans into a colander and rinse. Pick through them to look for any shriveled beans or stones and toss those out.
- Transfer beans to a large pot and cover with 1-2″ of water. Place on the stove and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and cover. Let beans sit for 1 hour. They should begin to soak up a lot of the water in the pot.
- Drain and rinse the beans in a colander. Place back into the same pot and cover with 1″ of broth. Add salt, pepper, and additional seasonings.
- Bring to a simmer and cook until tender – usually ~1 hour.
- Store cooked beans in a covered container in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.
These are 6 of my favorite recent bean dishes from the blog. Make up a batch of beans this weekend and try them in one of these healthy dishes!
- Southwest Chile Hummus
- Butternut Squash Black Bean Enchiladas
- Black Bean Salad in a Jar
- Vegan Chickpea Chana Masala
- Hearty White Bean and Vegetable Soup
- Chipotle, Cheddar, and Butternut Squash Quesadillas
Now check out all of these other great “cook once, eat twice” recipe ideas to make your life a little easier this week.
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I love the concept of cook 1x, eat 2x. Wish I did it more often 🙂
I am definitely daunted by making dried beans. Think I need to give it a shot. When I have time! How long do they last in the fridge? Great bean recipe roundup!
Hey Jessica,
Good question. They usually last about 3 days in the fridge. We divide our big batch up into smaller tupperware containers and leave 1-2 in the fridge and freeze the rest. Whenever we are ready to use more, we just defrost them a few minutes in the microwave and they are ready to go!
love…love…LOVE this. We eat a lot of bean in my house, so I am always looking for new recipes and inspiration. Thanks for providing plenty of both in this one! 🙂