While I’ve always been on #TeamBean, I’ve been cooking them more frequently at home for the past year or so. One reason is that my husband keeps wanting togo vegan(for both health and sustainability reasons) but can’t quite bring himself to fully make the switch, so I’ve been making largely plant-based meals for dinner as a sort-of compromise.
Beans, peas and lentils (aka pulses) have become the focus of three or four meals a week.Falafel(one of our 10-year-old’s favorites),spicy cauliflower and refried bean tacos, and soups likeLemony Lentil Soup with Chardare some of the meals my family loves.
If you need some convincing on why you should make eating more beans a priority, did you know that it’s one of the best things we can do for better overall health? You’ll up your fiber intake (most of us don’t eat enough), which can help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, promote healthy digestion and slash your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, certain cancers and other chronic diseases. Beans also provide antioxidants and micronutrients, such as zinc, B vitamins, iron, manganese and phosphorus.
And it’s almost impossible to oversell the sustainability of pulses. Growing these edible seeds of thelegume family—including beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas—can actually help reduce greenhouse gasesbecause the deep-rooted plants are extremely efficient at pulling carbon out of the atmosphere and storing it underground. Pulse plants also draw nitrogen out of the air (called nitrogen “fixing”) and use it as a natural fertilizer, which means that they need little to none of the chemical kind to thrive.
And growing beans requires less water than animal-protein production does. Their average global “water footprint”—a full-supply-chain assessment of a product’s water use and pollution—is 32% smaller than that of the same weight of pork and 74% smaller than that of beef. As our world gets drier and hotter, that’s good news for farmers.
Plus, pulses are inexpensive, have long shelf lives, are packed with fiber and come in various colors, shapes, sizes and textures—there are literallyhundredsof varieties of beans grown throughout the world, yet often only a handful are sold in grocery stores.
Smothered Black Soybean BurgersBlack Bean–Stuffed Chiles RellenosHerb Marinated BeansCheesy Marinara Beans
Smothered Black Soybean Burgers
Black Bean–Stuffed Chiles Rellenos
Herb Marinated Beans
Cheesy Marinara Beans
Companies to Buy Beans From
If you’re a pulse pro but want to explore a wider variety of beans, lentils and more, here are our go-to companies that sell unique ones.
Zürsun Idaho Heirloom Beans
Grown mostly on small family farms throughout Idaho’s Snake River Canyon,Zürsun’sheritage beans and lentils come in a wide range of options, including burgundy-mottled Christmas lima beans and snowcap beans, an earthy type that holds up to bold flavors.
Camellia Brand
Rancho Gordo
Based in Napa, California,Rancho Gordosells beans grown in the U.S. and on small farms in Mexico through the Rancho Gordo-Xoxoc Project (a collaborative effort with Mexican growers). They carry offerings like Santa Maria pinquito, corona and domingo rojo beans.
Unique Bean Varieties to Try
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