QUIZ: Which beans are best for your next meal?

QUIZ: Which beans are best for your next meal?
Pam Bump
Different types of beans

So many beans, so lentil time.

Snippets

You might also like...

Contributor
Pamela Bump
Tags
beans
adzuki beans
fava beans
kidney beans
lentils
black beans
black eyed peas
slow cooker
salad
sandwiches
soup / stew
southern
mediterranean

Future Sidebar Content

Watch this space!

Baked Stuffed Portabellini Mushrooms

Baked Stuffed Portabellini Mushrooms
Number of Servings
Serves 4
Ingredients
  • 1 medium zucchini
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • [q:1/3] cup French lentils
  • 4 very fresh Portabellini mushrooms, about 3” with rounded, not flat, caps
  • 1 small red onion
  • 2 large garlic cloves
  • 2 medium tomatoes
  • 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp. each, mild and picante smoked Pimenton
  • kosher or sea salt & pepper to taste
  • Juice of [q:1/2] small lemon (about 1 tablespoon; if you have extra, save to add if needed)
  • [q:1/4] cup chopped parsley
  • [q:1/2] cup grated Manchego cheese or any other interesting, not bland, cheese
Directions
  1. Grate the zucchini on the large holes of the grater, then place in a bowl with the teaspoon of kosher salt. Let stand while you do the rest of the vegetable prep, then drain and squeeze dry in a clean towel. Set aside. 
  2. Combine the picked over and rinsed lentils with [q:1 1/2] cups water in a small pot, bring to a boil, turn the flame down, and cook 15 minutes or until almost tender. Drain and set aside.
  3. Prepare the vegetables. Have these ingredients near the stove before you start to cook.
    1. Remove the stem from each mushroom by snapping it carefully out of the cap, and chop the stems fine.
    2. Fine-chop the onion, and add to the mushroom stems. Peel and mince the garlic.
    3. Cut the stem from each tomato, make an X in the bottom with a knife, and either blanch for 10 seconds in boiling water, or quickly grill over an open flame — the gas flame on your stove works well. You want the skin to loosen, so you can pull it off, without cooking the tomatoes. Chop the skinned tomatoes, removing seeds if there are a lot.
  4. Prepare the filling mixture. You can do all the prep the day before or in the morning, then refrigerate until ready to bake and eat.
    1. Sauté onions and mushrooms in olive oil, seasoning well with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and drained zucchini, then cook and stir briefly to combine the ingredients.
    2. Add chopped tomatoes and season well with both types of pimenton; taste the mixture, it should be smoky, and a bit spicy, and also a little salty.
    3. Fold in the cooked lentils. Taste and re-season with more salt and pepper as needed.
    4. Add the lemon juice. Cook for 2 minutes, or until the mixture is juicy but not runny, taste once more and adjust seasonings if needed, including adding more lemon.
    5. Remove from the heat and fold in half the cheese.
  5. Stuff mushrooms with the mixture, and top with remaining cheese.
  6. Preheat oven to between 350° and 375° F. You can put these in with any other thing you’re roasting, the temperature is a bit flexible. Place mushrooms on a parchment-covered, lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, until the mushrooms are soft and juicing out a bit, and the filling is toasty with nicely browned cheese. Serve hot and enjoy!
Nutrition Info
243 Calories, 12 g Protein, 16 mg Cholesterol, 23 g Carbohydrates, 7 g Total sugars (0 g Added sugars), 6 g Fiber, 13 g Total fat (4 g sat), 656 mg Sodium, [nut:5] Vitamin K, [nut:3] Vitamin B3 (niacin), Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Folate, Phosphorus, [nut:2] Vitamin B1 (thiamine), Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), [nut:1] Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Calcium, Iron, Potassium, Zinc

Arugula, Lentil, Goat Cheese, and Crispy Apple Salad

Arugula, Lentil, Goat Cheese, and Crispy Apple Salad
Prep Time
30 minutes
Number of Servings
4
Ingredients
  • 1 cup lentils
  • 3 cups water
  • [q:1/2] green apple, chopped
  • [q:1/2] cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 cup Zante currants
  • [q:1/2] cup chopped parsley
  • 4 to 6 cups arugula
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • [q:1/4] cup crumbled goat cheese

Dressing:

  • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp raw honey
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil 
Directions
  1. Add lentils and water to a pot and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Lentils should be tender but still chewy. Set aside to cool.
  2. In the meantime, prepare dressing for lentils. Combine all ingredients for dressing except oil. Add oil last, slowly drizzling it into the other ingredients, stirring continuously to create a creamy, smooth dressing that doesn’t separate. 
  3. Once lentils have cooled to room temperature, add in apple, walnuts, currants, and parsley. Drizzle dressing over. Mix well. 
  4. Add arugula to a salad bowl and toss it with a tablespoon each of oil and vinegar. Place lentil mixture on top and sprinkle with goat cheese.

Red Lentil Curry with Coconut and Cilantro

Red Lentil Curry with Coconut and Cilantro
Prep Time
35 minutes prep time
Number of Servings
Serves 4
Ingredients
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp gingerroot, minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • [q:1/4] tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 cup red lentils (masoor dal), rinsed
  • 1 can (14 oz) coconut milk
  • [q:1/4] cup torn cilantro leaves
  • Garam masala
Directions
  1. In a saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, salt, coriander, cumin, and turmeric. Cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
  2. Stir in lentils until coated with spices. Stir in coconut milk and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, scraping up bits stuck to pan and stirring to prevent lumps. Reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer, stirring often, until lentils are very soft and mixture is thick, about 15 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Stir in all but a few leaves of cilantro. Serve sprinkled with remaining cilantro and garam masala.
Nutrition Info
Per serving: 314 Calories, 6 g Protein, 12 g Carbohydrates, 4 g Fiber, 28 g Total fat (20 g sat, 6 g mono, 1 g poly), 412 mg Sodium

Zucchini Spaghetti with Easy Lentil Marinara

Zucchini Spaghetti with Easy Lentil Marinara
Prep Time
10 minutes, plus 40 minutes cook time
Number of Servings
4
Ingredients
  • 1 cup dried French lentils
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 15-ounce cans organic tomato sauce
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • [q:1/2] tsp dried thyme
  • 6 medium zucchini, spiralized into pasta*
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions
  1. Add lentils and water to a medium pot. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer and cook until lentils are tender and liquid is evaporated, about 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, add 1 Tbsp olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic cloves and sauté for an additional minute, until fragrant.
  3. Add the tomato sauce, basil, oregano, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low for 20 minutes.
  4. When lentils are done cooking, add them to the sauce and simmer for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
  5. In a separate pan, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the zucchini pasta for 5 to 10 minutes, until desired tenderness is achieved.
  6. Divide the pasta among four plates and top with lentil marinara. Serve hot.
Nutrition Info
344 Calories, 18 g Protein, 0 mg Cholesterol, 54 g Carbohydrates, 17 g Total sugars (0 g Added sugars), 12 g Fiber, 9 g Total fat (1 g sat), 1,327 mg Sodium, [nut:5] Vitamin B1 (thiamine), Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Folate, [nut:4] Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), Phosphorus, [nut:3] Vitamin B3 (niacin), Vitamin E, Iron, Potassium, [nut:2] Vitamin K, Magnesium, Zinc, [nut:1] Calcium

Mediterranean Lentil Salad

Mediterranean Lentil Salad
Prep Time
25
Number of Servings
6
Ingredients
  • 2 cups dried green or brown lentils, sorted and rinsed
  • 2 Tbsp olive or grape seed oil
  • [q:1/4] cup lemon juice, more to taste
  • [q:1/2] cup chopped parsley
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 cup diced cucumber
  • 1 cup diced tomato
  • 1 cup diced red onion
  • 1 cup diced green bell pepper
Directions
  1. Combine lentils and enough water to cover by 3 inches in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until just tender, about 15 to 17 minutes. Strain.
  2. Whisk together oil, lemon juice, parsley, [q:3/4] teaspoon salt, and [q:1/2] teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Add cucumbers, tomato, onion, and bell pepper. Gently stir in cooled lentils, being careful not to break them apart. Season with additional salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste. Serve room temperature or chilled.
Nutrition Info
290 calories, 17 g protein, 44 g carbohydrates, 21 g fiber (net carbs: 23g), 4 g sugar, 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 203 mg sodium.

Lentil Dal

Lentil Dal
Ingredients
  • 1 cup dried lentils
  • 2 to 4 cups water, as needed
  • 3 Tbsp tomato paste
  • [q:1/4] cup chopped onion
  • 1 tsp chopped garlic
  • 1 tsp chopped ginger
  • [q:1/4] tsp coriander seeds
  • [q:1/4] tsp ground cumin
  • [q:1/4] tsp salt
  • [q:1/4] tsp black pepper
  • [q:1/2] cup plain yogurt
  • [q:1/4] cup chopped cilantro
Directions
  1. Rinse and drain the dried lentils, removing any stones and damaged lentils. Put the rinsed lentils in a pot and cover them with cold water. Bring them to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pot, and let them simmer for about 20 minutes or until the lentils start to turn tender. Add more water as needed throughout the cooking process.
  2. Stir in the tomato paste and seasonings, and continue to simmer the lentils until they are fully cooked. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Top with a dollop of plain yogurt and chopped cilantro. Serve with rice and/or naan bread.

Rosanna’s Lentil Soup

Rosanna’s Lentil Soup
Number of Servings
8
Ingredients
  • 1 pound small green lentils
  • [q:1/2] cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 ribs celery, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1 sweet onion, diced
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 quarts (2 liters) organic chicken broth
Directions
  1. Soak the lentils in a bowl of water for 1 hour.
  2. Drain and set aside.Put the oil in a large saucepan and place over medium heat.
  3. When the oil is hot, add the vegetables and sauté until they are just soft, about 5 minutes.
  4. Add the lentils and sauté for 5 minutes.
  5. Add the broth. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, over low heat for about [q:1 1/2] hours, until the lentils are soft.
  6. Serve with crusty bread drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil.
Subscribe to lentils