Creative Ideas to Help You Use Beans Better

Beans fall into a food category called legumes, which includes lentils and peas. Often a forgotten and sometimes unwanted food item, beans have some really unique and beneficial qualities. In addition to being a source of protein, vitamins, and minerals, beans are full of fiber, and can be a versatile substitute for your next meatless Monday meal. Legumes in general are sources of folate, potassium, iron, and magnesium. They don’t sound so bad after all, do they?

If you’re still not convinced about adding beans to the menu, take a look at these creative ideas to help you use beans better.

Black Bean Burger

Black beans are the most commonly used bean for burgers due to their texture—their firmness allows them to be cooked soft enough to enjoy but still hold their shape when molded. Canned beans are perfectly OK to use, and they’re often more convenient, too.

To get started, drain and rinse beans first. Then pour into a bowl and mash thoroughly. Next, add diced onions and green peppers, along with spices you like. Once your beans, vegetables, and seasonings are mixed, add an egg and breadcrumbs to bind the mixture together. You can now form the combination into patties to be cooked immediately or refrigerated for later. You can also try our Curried Chickpea Salad Sandwich as a savory addition to your bean bash. Enjoy!

Hummus Dip

We’ve all heard of hummus, which is traditionally made with chickpeas. However, we’d like to give you a different spin on the aromatic snack by using soy beans, instead. If you’re not sure if you’ve ever seen or tasted soybeans, think of edamame. Edamame refers to the young soybeans that are still soft and edible in their pods. That is what you’ll use to make your non-traditional

hummus. White beans such as cannellini also make a smooth, light-tasting dip that you’ll definitely want to share with friends. You can browse Pinterest for delicious recipes and more inspiration for tasty bean dips.

Dessert

Yes, you read that right. Beans can be used in desserts and we’ll tell you how. Sweet bean paste or red bean paste is often used in Asian cuisines, typically as a filling in desserts. If you’re up for a taste adventure, try using this sugary and flavorful addition in treats such as rugalach, or even incorporating the sweet bean paste into your favorite brownie recipe. Canned black beans can also be easily incorporated into brownies like we’ve done with our Aprons Chocolate Chunk Brownie recipe. Your guests will never guess what the secret ingredient is.

Now that we’ve given you a few ideas to get started, we hope you’ll no longer be mean to beans.

Let us know if you’ve used any of the ideas in this post or if you have a few of your own!