Beans: How to Cook this Nutritional Powerhouse

During my time on a 100% plant-based diet, I’ve learned how to cook beans and enjoy them immensely.

Beans are a cornerstone of many global cuisines, revered not only for their versatility but also for their impressive nutritional profile. Whether you’re a health enthusiast, a chef, or someone looking to diversify their meals, beans deserve a spot on your table. Here’s everything you need to know about cooking and enjoying this nutritional powerhouse.

Beans: Nutritional Benefits

Beans are an excellent source of plant-based protein, dietary fibre, and a host of essential vitamins and minerals. They are naturally low in fat and packed with antioxidants, making them ideal for promoting heart health, stabilising blood sugar levels, and supporting weight management. These benefits are very important for me and I believe you’d enjoy them too.

Key features include:

• Protein-rich: An excellent alternative to meat for vegetarians and vegans.
• High in Fiber: Aids digestion and keeps you feeling full for longer.
• Rich in Iron and Folate: Essential for energy production and cell growth.
• Cholesterol-free: Supports cardiovascular health.

Beans: Macronutrients per 100g of Cooked Red Kidney Beans

Here’s the nutritional breakdown of cooked red kidney beans per 100g:

• Calories: 127
• Protein: 9g
• Carbohydrates: 22.8g
  • Sugars: 0.3g
• Dietary Fiber: 6.4g
• Fat: 0.5g
  • Saturated Fat: 0.1g
• Iron: 2.9mg (16% of the daily recommended intake)
• Potassium: 405mg (12% of the daily recommended intake)

It’s easy to see that consuming beans provides a lot of nutrients and on many occasions during your week you can replace red meat with beans with ease. 

Tips on How to Cook Beans to Avoid Excessive Farting

While beans are undeniably nutritious, they’re also infamous for their ability to cause bloating and gas. Many people therefore avoid beans for these reasons. Yet there are ways how to counteract that and cook your beans so they won’t make you feel embarrassed. 

The topic isn’t new, so the Internet is full of some tips to minimize these effects, here are the main ones I’ve found:

1. Soak Overnight: Soaking beans for 8-12 hours before cooking helps reduce oligosaccharides, the compounds responsible for gas.
2. Rinse Thoroughly: After soaking, rinse beans under running water to remove residual sugars.
3. Cook with Digestive Aids: Add bay leaves, cumin, or a small piece of kombu (seaweed) to the cooking water to aid digestion.
4. Start Small: If you’re new to beans, begin with small portions and gradually increase your intake to allow your digestive system to adjust.

Now, as you can imagine, not everything easily found online might be true or effective. I’ve been trying and testing these methods and here is my verdict.

I haven’t found any difference when I’ve pre-soaked the beans versus cooking them as they are. I simply went through them to spot any stones that need to be discarded (do not skip this step please, beans could be packaged with some stone debris and you definitely want to avoid cracking your tooth because of that), rinsed them and start boiling. Many traditional cooks also claim that soaking will result in a mushier and watery texture, so I skip this stage.

Now, the so-called digestive aids. Bay leaves and cumin may add to the flavour of your broth and beans, but I haven’t noticed any effects really. Seaweed, on the other hand, really produced significant results – you should try adding a small strip of kombu to your pot of beans. It will help to make beans more palatable and considerably reduce these bloating and gas effects, but it also adds this bit of saltiness and umami to your broth, so don’t discard it when your beans are cooked. 

Mexican cookery books also suggest epazote, a native herb, to be added to the pot of beans for the same reasons. Yet when I tried dried epazote it did not yield any effects, unfortunately. It might be true if you’d use fresh epazote, yet it would be quite a mission if you are, like me, based outside of Mexico.

Together with seaweed, I found it beneficial when you cook beans in a pressure cooker. For starters, it really reduces the cooking time and I found their texture better and gassy effects really minimised.

And of course, if you are completely new to beans and they really make you feel on fire, you should start small and train your digestive system. It will say huge thanks afterward!

One of my go-to recipes when I need to add beans to my diet is refried beans.

Recipe Card

Print Recipe

Refried Beans

Author: Dito Cuisine: Mexican

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 5 mins Cook Time 20 mins Total Time 25 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

Servings

• 2 cups cooked beans (choose any of the red or black varieties)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or lard
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¹⁄₂ tsp red chilli flakes (you can use chipotle powder or experiment with other Mexican chillies)
• Salt to taste
• ¹⁄₂ tsp cumin
• 2 tsp chopped jalapeno (I love this fresh kick of jalapeño)

Instructions

1. This recipe presumes you’ve already cooked your beans. See my above instructions how to cook dried beans by adding seaweed and using a pressure cooker. This would be even tastier!
2. Start by heating the oil or lard in a skillet over medium heat.
3. Sauté the onions with chilli flakes until translucent and infused with the fragrant chilli oil, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, cumin and jalapeno and cook for another minute.
5. Stir in the beans and cook for 2-3 minutes, mashing them with the back of a spoon or a potato masher.
6. Add a splash of cooked bean broth (or reserved liquid from a can of cooked beans) if the mixture becomes too thick.
7. Season with salt.
8. Serve warm as a side dish, as a taco filling or add to your burritos, quesadillas, empanadas.

Note

This recipe yields 4 portions for taco fillings or several portions for burritos or quesadillas

Keywords: beans, refriend beans, Mexican,

Using refried beans in a taco, burrito or quesadilla is simple and delicious. They will be your go-to filling, to which you can then add your favourite salsa, chopped salad, hot sauce and cheese if you like. For a 100% plant-based version I omit the lard and also prepare a small serving of cashew crema – it becomes truly divine and nutritious too. 

Yet it is not just about tacos! Many cuisines use beans as a staple.

Adding Beans to Ukrainian Borscht or Mexican Chili Con Carne

Beans are a versatile ingredient that can enhance classic dishes from around the world:

1. Ukrainian Borscht: Add cooked kidney beans to your borscht for extra protein and a heartier texture. Stir them in during the last 10 minutes of cooking to prevent overcooking. I sometimes even use refried beans too – it makes your soup thicker and heartier with a touch of spice.
2. Mexican Chili Con Carne: Even though some chilli traditionalists claim it’s all should be about the meat, I believe that no chili is complete without beans! Combine kidney beans or black beans with ground meat, tomatoes, and spices for a robust, flavorful dish. You can also cook the beans with the chili to allow them to absorb the spices and deepen the overall flavor. This one-pot dish is vibrant in flavour and, when cooked in advance, makes a quick and easy busy day dinner.  

Here is a more traditional chilli con carne recipe adapted by me

Ingredients:

• 400g ground beef
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can diced tomatoes (400g)
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (400g)
• 2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced (adjust for desired spice level)
• 300 g diced pumpkin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup beef broth & 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Garnish: A few slices of avocado, dollop of sour cream and some chopped fresh coriander per plate
• For a heartier serving add a side of cooked rice 

Instructions:

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and garlic, and sauté until they become translucent.

2. Add the ground beef to the pot and cook until it’s browned and cooked through. Break it apart with a spoon as it cooks to crumble the meat.

3. Stir in the minced chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook for another couple of minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

4. Pour in the diced tomatoes, pumpkin and kidney beans. Stir well.

5. Add the beef broth to the pot and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for about 20-30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop and the chili to thicken.

6. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, or spices if needed. You’re looking for a stew consistency, so watch the process and add more broth if needed.

7. Serve the chipotle chili con carne hot, garnished with chopped cilantro, sour cream and avocado slices.

Notes: If you want to cook your chilli from uncooked beans, simply add approximately 150-200 g right after you’ve cooked the meat, add beef broth and wait for them to be cooked before adding other ingredients. Want to make your chilli non carne? For 100% plant-based version, you can use chopped mushrooms or black lentils instead of ground beef. Another solution to that is to use plant-based mince like Beyond Meat. I honestly love particularly that brand, but be careful, do not add too much – it is quite flavourful!

Final Thoughts on How to Cook Beans

Beans are a humble yet mighty ingredient that deserves a place in every kitchen. With their exceptional nutritional profile, ability to adapt to various cuisines, and straightforward cooking methods, beans are truly a food of the future. Embrace their versatility and start experimenting with these tips and recipes today!

Let me know about your own favourite bean recipes too. Buen Provecho!