Legume Recipes

WIC Café

For instructions on cooking dried beans and lentils see Bean Bonanza.

• Italian-Style Kidney Beans
• Tortilla Soup
• Stick-to-Your-Ribs Kidney Beans and Rice
• Smoked Ham and Lima Beans
• Links about Legume Cooking
• Community Resources about Cooking

 

Italian-Style Kidney Beans

Preparation: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Amount	Ingredient
1 1/2 ounces (2 slices)	bacon, in 1/2 inch diced
1/2 tablespoon	olive oil
3/4 cup	onions, minced (1 medium onion)
1/3 cup	carrots, minced (1 medium)
1/3 cup	celery, minced (1 medium stalk)
1 can (14 ounces)	diced tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon	fresh rosemary, minced (substitute with 1/4 tespoon dried)
1 tablespoon	fresh parsley, chopped
1	bay leaf
2 cups	cooked kidney beans
1/4 teaspoon	salt
1 pinch	pepper
1/4 teaspoon	red pepper flakes (optional)
2	3 to 4 hours

Instructions:

1. Cover beans in 2 inches of water and soak for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
2. Drain and rinse the beans and place in a kettle or Dutch oven with 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until tender (about 1.25 hours).
3. Heat olive oil in a medium sized skillet. Add chopped onion, 5 crushed cloves garlic, cumin, salt, and carrot.
4. Sauté over medium heat until the carrot is just tender. Add the rest of the crushed garlic and diced bell pepper. Sauté until everything is very tender (10-15 minutes). Add the sautéed mixture to the beans, scraping out every last morsel.
5. Stir in orange juice, black pepper and cayenne to taste, and diced tomatoes (optional).
6. Puree all or some of the soup in a blender and return to kettle. (You may skip this step if you do not own a blender.)
7. Simmer over very low heat 10-15 minutes more. Serve topped with sour cream, cilantro and salsa.

 

Tortilla Soup

Preparation: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Amount	Ingredient
1 cup	cooked chicken, cut up
2 cups	cooked beans (black or kidney), rinsed and drained
1 can (16 ounce)	corn or hominy, rinsed and drained
2 cups	chicken stock (or 2 chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in 2 cups boiling water)
8 ounces	chipotle salsa (other salsas may also be used)

Instructions:

1. Pour all ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Serve with tortilla chips. If you are not a fan of spicy foods, use less salsa to start.

 

Stick-to-Your-Ribs Kidney Beans and Rice

Amount	Ingredient
1 1/2 pounds	ground beef
1/2 cup	onions, chopped
1	clove garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups	cooked kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 ounce)	stewed tomatoes
1 teaspoon	salt
2 teaspooons	chili powder
1	bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon	garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon	seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon	oregano
1/4 teaspoon	pepper
2 cups	long grain rice

Instructions:

1. In a skillet, cook beef, onion, and garlic until meat is browned; drain.
2. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, and seasonings.
3. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add rice; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
5. Discard bay leaf.
6. Serve.

 

Smoked Ham and Lima Beans

Preparation: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Servings: 6-8
Serving suggestion: Cornbread and a salad go very nicely with this dish.

Amount	Ingredient
1 pound bag	dried lima beans
1	smoked ham hock
1	onions, chopped

Instructions:

1. Soak lima beans according to package directions.
2. Place beans, ham hock and onion in pot.
3. Cook beans according to package directions.
4. Cook until tender. Taste a bean to make sure it is cooked through.
5. You can also add a small chopped potato to the pot when you cook beans. This will help thicken the liquid.

 

 

Links about Legume Cooking

Dried Bean Information and Cooking
About.com—http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blss127.htm
Americanbean.org—http://www.americanbean.org/
Utah WIC Program—http://health.utah.gov/wic/recipes.php

Lentil Information and Cooking
About.com—http://homecooking.about.com/cs/vegetables/a/lentils_3.htm
USA Dried Pea and Lentil Council—http://www.pea-lentil.com/recipes/index.html

Soy Bean Recipes
Soy Foods Association of North America—http://www.soyfoods.org/news/recipes/

The Bold and Beautiful Book of Bean Recipes
Washington State WIC Program— http://www.nal.usda.gov/wicworks/Sharing_Center/WA_beanbook.pdf

 

Community Resources about Cooking

Cooking and Nutrition Classes
Family Nutrition Program
Utah State University Extension
http://www.unitedwayucv.org/org/1416981.html