Recipes

Beans are not only delicious, they’re nutrient powerhouses. On average, just 1/2 cup of beans contains a whopping 6 grams of fiber—that’s about a quarter of the recommended daily intake. So do your body good and enjoy these high-fiber bean recipes.

Green Chile Pozole with Beans and Chicke

* For more recipes with beans consider purchasing our cook book, Simply Beans, Lets Get Cooking. Containes over 150 recipies*

Appetizers/Snacks

Hummus

Ingredients:

1/3 cup – Toasted Sesame Seeds

1/8 cup- Lime or Lemon Juice

1/8 teaspoon- Crushed Red Chilies

½ teaspoon- Minced Garlic

1-15oz can, drained and rinsed OR 2 cups cooked dry Garbanzo Beans

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

Method:

Preheat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, sprinkle sesame seeds on a baking sheet and toast for 8 to 12 minutes until golden brown, Stirring frequently. In a food processor, puree sesame seeds and chilies, then add beans and puree. Add Lime or Lemon Juice, garlic, and salt, puree until smooth. Finally add oil and process until well blended. Spoon into a serving bowl, cover and let stand at room temperature for one hour to blend flavors.

Bean Dip Athenos

Ingredients:

2 cans (15 ounces each)- Garbanzo or navy beans or 3 cups cooked dry-packaged garbanzo or navy beans, rinsed, drained

2/3 cup- fat free sour cream

2 teaspoons- minced garlic

4 teaspoons- Balsamic vinegar

¼ cup- chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil)

¼ cup- finely chopped fresh or dried parsley

2 tablespoons- chopped Kalamata or ripe olives

Kalamata olives, as garnished and assorted vegetables and crackers

Method:

Process beans, sour cream, garlic, and vinegar in food processor until smooth; stir in sun-dried tomatoes, parsley and chopped olives.
Spoon into serving bowl and garnish with olives. Serve with assorted vegetables and crackers for dipping

Tip: Dip can be made ahead of time and refrigerated overnight or for 2 to 3 hours to allow flavors to blend

Soups & Salads

Tuscan Bean soup

Ingredients:

8 ounces- dry cranberry beans (cannellini, fagioli Stoetino, Mascherino,Nano or Zalfino) (about 1 ¼ cups)

10 cups- water

1 ounce- pancetta, ¼ in slices, (or thinly sliced bacon-about 1 rasher)

1 tablespoon- olive oil

1 ½ cups- chopped celery

½ cup- chopped carrot

½ cup- chopped onion

½ cup- dry white wine

1 tablespoon- instant beef bouillon

½ teaspoon- crushed red pepper

½ teaspoon- dried tarragon

½ teaspoon- dried basil

1/4 teaspoon- pepper

1 head escarole, rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces (about 6 cups)

3 plum tomatoes, finely chopped (about 1 ¼-1 ½ cups)

1/3 cup- tomato juice

Grated Romano cheese for service

To prepare the beans:

Pick through the beans and check for small pebbles. Place the beans in a heavy-bottomed pan and cover with water. Strain the water, then measure 4 cups of water to the pan with the beans. Bring the liquid to a rolling boil then lower to a simmer. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then turn off the heat. Cover and let the beans soak for about 1 hour.
Drain the water and rinse the beans

To prepare the soup:

Wipe the pan dry and place it over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook for 2 minutes, stirring from time to time to render the meat, then add the olive oil, celery, carrot, and onion. Cook, stirring so as not to brown but to evenly cook the vegetables, for about 2-3 minutes.
Add the white wine and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook stirring with a wooden spoon for 3-4 minutes to cook the alcohol from the wine, then add 6 cups water, beans, bouillon granules, crushed red pepper, tarragon, basil, and pepper. Increase the heat to high and while stirring, bring mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer then cover and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally and rotating the pan one-quarter turn every 15 minutes to ensure even cooking. Cook until the beans yield easily when pressed between thumb and finger.

To finish the soup

Add the escarole, tomatoes, and tomato juice to the cooked beans then cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn the heat to low and let your soup temper and equalize the flavors while heating soup plates or bowls for service.
Pass freshly grated Romano cheese to top the soup.

Green Chile Pozole with Beans and Chicken

Ingredients:

2 ¼ teaspoons- light oil, divided

5- mild green chiles (Anaheim, hatch or poblano) stemmed, seeded and cut into ½ inch dice

1 cup- ¼ inch diced white onion

1-Jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped and pressed

2 cups- coarsely chopped cilantro, loosely packed and divided

½ cup- chopped parsley leaves

½ cup- coarsely chopped epazote leaves- optional

4 cups- chicken stock or low sodium chicken broth

½ teaspoon- ground black pepper

3 pounds- cooked beans, drained

30 ounces- cooked hominy

1 pound- boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat or breast or combination, cut into ¼ inch crosscut slices.

½ teaspoon- dried thyme

½ teaspoon- dried Mexican or Greek oregano

2- corn tortillas, halved and sliced thinly into strips

2- limes

1 cup or more- shredded green cabbage

1-avocado, peeled, pitted and cut into small dice

4- radishes thinly sliced

To prepare the stew:

Over medium-high heat, measure 2 teaspoons of the oil into a heavy- bottomed pot large enough to cook the stew. Add the chiles, onion, jalapeno, and garlic and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until soft but not brown, about 5-7 minutes. The goal is to cook just through to retain the fresh, lively color and flavors.
Scrape the vegetables into the cup of a blender, then add 1 cup of the cilantro, parsley, and epazote, if using. Pulse the mixture, adding enough stock or broth, up to about 1 cup, to liquefy the mixture. Season with pepper. Cover the blender cup and set it on the stovetop, not the burner, to keep it warm while finishing the stew.
Using the heavy pot, add the beans, hominy, chicken, thyme, oregano, and the remaining stock. Over medium-high heat and stirring from time to time bring the stock to a rolling boil then lower the heat to a simmer. About 10-12 minuets
Add the Chile puree mixture and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minuets or until the chicken is cooked

To prepare the tortillas:

In a bowl, combine the tortilla strips, the remaining ½ teaspoon of oil, and juice from ½ of one lime, toss to coat. Now would be the time to sprinkle with about ½ teaspoon coarse salt if you like.
Spread the tortilla strips over a baking sheet in one layer and toast in the oven for about 7-8 minutes or until lightly brown on the edges. The strips will continue to dry and crisp as they cool.

To serve:

Ladle the stew into warm soup plates or bowl. In festive containers or bowls, put the tortilla strips, wedged remaining limes cut to correspond with the number of folks expected at the table, cabbage, avocado, and radishes on the table to pass each accompaniment. Encourage tablemates to tailor the topping to taste then squeeze the fresh lime over all and enjoy.

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

3-4 Cooked chicken Breast, chopped

3-4 Cans chicken broth

3 med potatoes,microwaved, pealed & chopped

To taste- Garlic Powder

1-2 tablespoons cajun seasoning

2 cans great northern beans, drained & rinsed

2 bay leaves

To taste- salt and pepper

1 can diced green chilies

As desired- instant mashed potatoes to thicken

1 small onion, chopped

Method:

Place chicken breast, potatoes, beans, green chilies in crockpot or slow cooker. Add chicken broth just to cover and seasoning. Cook on low for 5-8 hours. Remove bay leaves. Thicken to desired consistency with instant mashed potatoes. Serve with dinner rolls or bread of your choice.

Bean and Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups- cooked or canned pink or small red beans

½ cups- sliced celery

2 cups- small shell macaroni, cooked and drained

¼ cup- low fat Italian dressing

¼ cup- low-fat mayonnaise

2 cups- frozen peas and carrots, thawed and drained

2 tablespoons- chopped parsley

To taste- salt and pepper

Method:

Combine macaroni, beans, peas, carrots, and celary. Mix Italian dressing, mayonnaise, parsley, salt and pepper and toss with other ingredients. Mix well.

Main Dishes

Bright Bean and Barley Gratin

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons- olive oil

2- medium carrots, ¼ inch dice, about 1 cup

1-medium white onion, ¼ inch dice, about 1 cup

1 ¼ cups-sliced mushrooms

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped and pressed

1 cup- barley

1 pound-cooked beans, about 2 cups

4 cups-vegetable broth

2 tablespoons- chile powder

1 teaspoon-paprika

1 teaspoon- dry mustard

Pinch of cayenne pepper or a couple dashes hot chili pepper sauce

12 rice crackers, unsalted if you want low sodium

1 tablespoon-minced fresh parsley leaves

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, adjust the shelf to accommodate the pan with the lid

To prepare the beans and barley:

Heat ½ tablespoon of the oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the carrot, celery, and onion and cook, stirring for about 5 minutes and without browning. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring for another 5 minutes. Stir in the vegetable broth, chile powder, paprika, dry mustard, cayenne, and 1 cup of water. Cover and place in the oven and cook for about 30 minutes. Remove the pan and check for moisture, adding some water, 1 tablespoon at a time if needed. Return the pan, covered, to bake for another 30 minutes or until the beans and barley are cooked.

To prepare the crumb topping:

Combine the crackers and parsley in a food processor fitted with a blade and pulse several times to achieve a coarse meal. Sprinkle the pepper over the crumbs. Add the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons of oil and pulse a few times to mix, coat, and moisten the crumb mixture.

To finish the dish:

Take the beans out of the oven and remove the lid. Set the oven to broil on medium-high
Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the beans and barley. Place the pan in the oven, uncovered and broil until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Watch closely to prevent burning. You’ll want to attend to the pot in the oven for this process for optimum results.

Calico Bean Bake

Ingredients:

1 can- Lima Beans

1-medium onion (chopped)

1 can- Kidney Beans

½ cup- ketchup

1 can- pork and beans

¾ cup- brown sugar

1 pound- hamburger

1 teaspoon- mustard

½ pound- bacon

2 teaspoons- vinegar

Method:

Brown bacon, then onion and hamburger. Drain half liquid off kidney beans and all liquid off lima beans. Mix all ingredients together. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Tamale Pie

Ingredients:

1 egg

2 cups- pitted, whole ripe black olives

½ cup- cornmeal

2 cups- whole kernel corn

½ cup- milk

1 can- tomato soup

½ pound- pork sausage

2 cups- pinto or pink beans, cooked

½ pound- ground beef

½ pound- grated American cheese

1 cup- onion, chopped

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 cups- tomato sauce

To taste- salt and pepper

Method:

Beat egg, add cornmeal and milk and let stand. Fry sausage and beef. Add onion, tomato sauce, beans, olives, corn, soup, grated cheese and chili powder to meat. Last, add egg mixture. Mix all and bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 45-60 minuets depending upon size of casserole dish.

Sides

Refried Beans

Ingredients:

¼ cup- bacon drippings

1 clove- garlic, minced

5 cups- drained, cooked pinto beans

¼ teaspoon- chili powder

1 cup- water

To taste- salt

Method:

Heat drippings in heavy skillet. Mash 1 cup beans into drippings. Add 1 cup of beans and about 3 tablespoons water, mash beans as added. Repeat until all beans are used. Add garlic, chili powder, and salt to taste. Heat uncovered until beans are thickened. Stir occasionally.

Black Beans with Lime Crema and Roasted Pepper-Tomato Salsa

Ingredients for the beans:

1 cup- black beans, rinsed and inspected for pebbles

¼ teaspoon salt

Ingredients for the Lime Crema:

½ cup- low fat sour cream

Juice of 1 lime

Ingredients for the Salsa:

1-roma tomato

1-small red bell pepper

½ - small serrano pepper

¼- sweet onion, peeled but in one piece

1 tablespoon- olive oil

¼ teaspoon- ground black pepper

Juice of 1 lime

For assemble:

1 cup- loosely packed cilantro leaves

To prepare the beans:

Soak the beans in a large bowl of cold water for 6 hours or overnight. Drain.
Put the beans in a heavy bottomed pot with 4 ½ cups of water. Put the beans to boil over medium high heat. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until tender, from 60 to 90 minutes
3. Turn off the heat, stir in the salt and hold while preparing the balance of the dish.

To prepare the crema:

Measure the sour cream and lime juice into a bowl and whisk to combine thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to serve

To prepare the salsa:

Place the tomato, pepper, chile, and onion directly on an open medium flame or under a broiler to brown and blister. Turn with metal tongs to rotate, turn, and char the skin of the vegetables. Place the charred vegetables in a bowl and cover tightly to steam for 3-4 minutes. This steams the skin and facilitates the peeling process.
Using the back of a knife and fingers, scrape and peel to remove most of the skin from the tomato, pepper, and chile. A little charred skin adds nutrients and flavor. Onions are used as is, charred. Discard the stems and seeds from the peppers.
Chop the vegetables into about ½ inch dice and put them into a bowl with oil, pepper, and lime juice. Toss to combine

To assemble the dish:

Place the hot beans in a warm serving dish. Put the lime crema and salsa in serving dishes. When serving, pass the lime cream and salsa with the beans to use as toppings

Karen Jurgensen’s Savory Pot Beans

Ingredients:

½ pound-orca, pinto or cranberry type beans, rinsed and inspected for pebbles

Water to cover for soaking plus water for cooking

2 teaspoons- kosher salt

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

½ cup-diced onion

2-3 dried Arbol chilies (optional)

1 bay leaf

8-10 whole black peppercorns

1 teaspoon- ground cumin

To soak the beans for cooking:

Before soaking, inspect and remove any damaged beans, pebbles or soil. Place the beans in a bowl and rinse with water. Drain and then add enough water to cover, about 3-parts water to 1-part beans, and soak overnight

To prepare the beans:

Before cooking the beans, drain off the soaking water and cover the beans with fresh water for cooking. Over medium-high heat, bring beans to a boil and skim the foam as it rises to the top of the liquid. Lower the heat to a simmer and add the garlic, onion, chili, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Cover and simmer gently, stirring from time to time, until the beans are tender and have a buttery texture, about 45 minutes.
Add salt, cumin, and taste. Adjust salt if necessary, by adding more or diluting with some hot water

Desserts

Pinto Bean Apple Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup- honey

1 cup- flour

¼ cup- canola oil or applesauce

2 tablespoons- white bean flour

1 egg

½ teaspoon cloves

2 cups- mashed pinto beans

½ teaspoon- allspice

1 teaspoon- ginger

2 teaspoons- vanilla

1 teaspoon- cinnamon

2 cups- grated apples

½ teaspoon- salt

1 cup- raisins or dates

1 teaspoon- baking soda

1 cup- chopped nuts or seeds

Method:

Cream honey, oil or applesauce, egg and mashed beans. Add remaining ingredients and pour into 10-inch tube cake pan or 9x13 cake pan sprayed with nonstick coating. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes.

Black Bean Brownies

Ingredients:

1-(15.5oz) can Black Beans

1 teaspoon- vanilla extract

3 eggs

¾ cup- sugar

3 tablespoons- vegetable oil

1 teaspoon- Instant coffee (optional)

¼ cup- cocoa powder

½ cup- milk chocolate chips (optional)

1 pinch- salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit; lightly grease 8x8 square baking dish. Combine black beans, eggs, oil, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract, sugar and instant coffee in blender. Blend until smooth; poor mixture into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle chocolate chips over top of mixture. Bake in preheated oven until top is dry and edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes

Cinnamon Garbanzo Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup- warm milk

3 cups- bread flour

1 package- active dry yeast

¼ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons- brown sugar

1 tablespoon- vital wheat gluten

1 cup- cooked garbanzo beans

1 tablespoon- cinnamon

2 teaspoons canola oil

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place garbanzo beans in food processor or blender and process until finely chopped, not pureed. Pour warm milk in a small bowl; add yeast and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Stir and set aside for 10 minutes until top begins to foam. In large mixing bowl, combine Garbanzo beans, oil, flour, salt, wheat gluten, cinnamon, and remaining 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Pour in yeast and milk mixture and stir well to blend into soft dough. Knead dough until smooth and elastic. Set in greased bowl and let rise for 1 hour or until double in bulk. Punch down and let rise again for 1 hour more. Shape into loaf and place on greased cookie sheet; cover and let rise for 30 minutes. Place in preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Serve warm with butter.