We’re the first to admit that we’re a long way off being health experts but what we do know by now is that the healthiest options are often the simplest. That doesn’t mean we always follow that mantra mind you. There is many a busy workday that dinner consists of Pinot Noir and Pop Chips and we’re not going to pretend there aren’t occasions where we devour a Wasabi box on the way home from a canapé-less event, but that’s not the point.
Despite all the trendy superfoods we hear about, making healthier choices is a simple case of going back to basics. Less sexy than quinoa, without the buzz of kale, beans are gluten free, full of protein, super cheap and pretty much all you need to make a decent, hearty meal. Thankfully, as tricky as it sounds to turn a healthy beans dish into something interesting, there are people who make eating them (and making food that is healthy but never boring or bland) look ridiculously easy. Take Ethos for example – the self-service vegetarian buffet behind Oxford Street offers a menu with dishes from all corners of the world from Japan and Korea to Italy, Mexico and Lebanon, many of which come with some form of bean. And since we had a feeling we aren’t the only ones struggling with the whole soaking, rinsing and cooking time dilemma, we quizzed them on the logistical things we need to know.
In the interest of showing you just how imaginative you can get with beans, we hit up our friends at The Detox Kitchen too, to give you two great recipes to get you started. As the masters of all things simultaneously stunning, healthy and often vegan and gluten-free, let’s just say they know what they’re doing in the beans game.
LOGISTICS:
If you are new to beans, introduce them slowly, allowing your digestive system time to adjust and learn how to break them down. Soaking your beans will make them more digestible by reducing complex sugars.
In terms of cooking beans, you can either buy dried or tinned versions. As a rule, dried beans need to be soaked before they can be cooked. Although this requires more time and effort, they are much cheaper than tinned ones and you know that no preservatives or sugar have been added to them. Make sure you keep them in an airtight container, at room temperature for storage.
Our preferred method for cooking most types of dried beans is to soak them first, to shorten their cooking time. (Lentils and split peas do not need to be soaked, as they cook quickly) For the best results, use the overnight soaking method; if you’re in a hurry use the quick-soak method but you might risk a few burst beans skins!
Dried Bean Guide
1/3 cup of dried beans = 1 cup cooked beans
½ cup dry beans = 1 ½ cups cooked beans
2/3 cup dry beans = 2 cup cooked beans
1 cup dry beans = 3 cups cooked beans
2 cups (1lb) dry beans = 6 cups cooked beans
Quick soak: Rinse and pick over the beans, then place them in a large pot with enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered for 1 hour and drain.
Overnight soak: Rinse and pick over the beans, then place them in a large bowl with enough cold water to cover thm by 2 inches. Let the beans soak for at least 8 hours overnight. For longer soaking, or in warm weather, place the bowl of beans in the refrigerator.
TIPS:
Do not add sea salt at the beginning of cooking because it will prevent the beans from cooking properly. Wait until the beans are tender before adding salt, tomatoes etc. Added at the beginning of the cooking process will hinder the softening.
Tinned beans should definitely be rinsed as the brine can often affect taste and water down a dish.
Roasting tinned beans is a great way to ensure a crisper texture and often brings out the nutty flavour.
Blitzing beans with some olive oil and lemon juice makes a quick and delicious mash or dip.
COOKING TIMES:
Adzuki Beans – 4 hours soaking time – 45 minutes to an hour cooking time – 15 to 20 minutes of pressure cooking
Black soybeans – 6 to 8 hours soaking time – 3 to 3 ½ hours cooking time
Black Beans – 4 hours soaking time – 45 minutes to an hour cooking time – 15 to 20 minutes of pressure cooking time
Chickpeas – 6 to 8 hours soaking time – 1 ½ to 2 hours of cooking time – 20 minutes pressure cooking
Green Split Peas – no soaking time – 35 to 45 minutes cooking time
Red Kidney Beans – 6 to 8 hours soaking time – 1 ½ to 2 hours cooking time – 20 to 25 minutes pressure cooking
Avocado & Broad Bean Smash on Brown Rice Cakes By The Detox Kitchen
Serves 2 • 335 calories per serving
Here, brown rice cakes make a light, crisp backdrop for a vibrantly green and fresh-tasting avocado and broad bean smash. This is a great snack, but just double the portion and you can have a delicious breakfast or lunch. Beans and pulses provide a valuable source of protein for vegetarians and vegans.
Ingredients
2 avocados
1 tsp lemon juice
A handful of spinach
50g cooked broad beans (podded but unskinned)
½ cucumber, diced
1 tsp lime juice
A pinch of crushed dried chilli
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander, plus extra leaves
4 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped, plus extra leaves
Salt and pepper
To serve
4 brown rice cakes
Lime wedges
Peel the avocados and remove the stone. Place the flesh from one avocado in a blender with the lemon juice, spinach and broad beans, and blitz to a rough paste.
Dice the remaining avocado and place in a bowl with the cucumber, lime juice, chilli, and chopped coriander and mint. Mix through the avocado paste with salt and pepper to taste.
Pile on top of the brown rice cakes, add the whole herb leaves and serve, with lime wedges for squeezing over.
Rich in Vitamins B6, C and E • Folate • Potassium • Beta-sitosterol • Fibre
Salmon, Green Beans, Orange Hazelnut Salad
Serves 4 • 410 calories per serving
This salad offers one of our favourite flavour combinations: hazelnuts and orange. It is a wonderfully colourful dish, and the salmon with the hazelnut dressing becomes crispy and extra rich under the grill. Salmon provides one of the few dietary sources of vitamin D, which is essential for strong bones.
Ingredients
60g hazelnuts
2 tsp rapeseed oil
Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
4 pieces of salmon fillet, 110–130g each
300g green beans
200g rocket leaves
150g cherry tomatoes
1 orange, peeled and segmented
Salt and pepper
Method
Preheat your grill to medium. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Crush half the hazelnuts using a pestle and mortar, then tip into a small mixing bowl. Add the rapeseed oil and orange zest and stir to mix.
Remove the skin from your salmon fillets and place them on the baking tray. Grill them for 6 minutes. Turn the fillets over and cover with the crushed hazelnut mixture, then grill for a further 4 minutes. Remove the salmon from the grill and leave to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, bring a medium-sized saucepan of water to the boil. Drop in the green beans and blanch for no more than 1 minute. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and keep them bright green. Place the beans in a bowl and add the rocket leaves, orange juice and some salt and pepper.
Next add the tomatoes to the salad, one at a time: place between your thumb and forefinger and squeeze the tomato so that it rips apart and the juice oozes out. Add the halved orange segments and toss everything gently together.
Set a frying pan on a medium heat and add the rest of the hazelnuts. Toast for 3–4 minutes until lightly browned; keep swirling the nuts in the pan to ensure they brown evenly and don’t burn. Add these to the salad and mix through.
Serve the salmon fillets with the salad on the side.
Rich in B vitamins • Vitamins C, D and E • Potassium • Selenium • Omega 3 • Tryptophan