Since I became a vegetarian I've been learning how to cook with dry beans and lentils. Growing up I wasn’t a big fan of beans, but since I am Cuban my grandmother added beans to her dishes and my mom’s favorite
meal is black beans and rice (Moros
y Cristianos or Congri). As I begin my vegan journey I’ve grown to
appreciate beans and constantly learning new ways cook them. They are full of
protein so they keep you full, are versatile so they go with any meal, and dry beans are 100% natural. They are also super cheap! Chickpeas (garbanzo
beans) are my favorite, so I added some veggies to make a wonderful chickpea
salad.
In this recipe I use dry beans but you can substitute
for can beans. Most people are afraid to cook dry beans, but it super easy and healthier
for you than can beans - just need a little planning. The benefits of eating
dry beans (fresh, no BPA, preservatives or chemicals) are well worth the time.
A little bit of beans goes a long way because they grow in water. 1/3 cup of
dry beans equals 1 cup of cooked beans.
Grab your beans and veggies and lets make this chickpea
dish!
You will need:
1 bag of dry Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans)
1 cucumber
1 tomato
1 red onion
1 green pepper
EVO oil
Optional: Feta cheese or mozzarella cheese
You can add other veggies (corn)
Kitchen items:
Cutting knife and board
Boiling pot
Drainer
Cooking dry beans is easy: rinse, soak, rinse and
cook.
If you are using can beans skip down to step 6.
If you are using can beans skip down to step 6.
1. Rinse dry beans
2. Soak dry beans for 8-12 hours (overnight is
best) in a big bowl. Fill the bowl with water and leave plenty of room because
they will double in size OR for
every 1 cup of dry beans add 2 cups of water
3. Once they are done soaking, rinse the beans
again in cold water
4. Now they are ready to be cooked!
Add the beans to a big pot. For 1 cup of dry
beans add 2 cups of water OR Once in the beans are in water add 2 inches of
water above the bean level
5. With a lid, start to cook the chic peas on high
heat until it starts to boil, then let it simmer on low heat for 1.5 - 2 hours. Beans are done once they are tender
6. In the meantime dice vegetables and add to mixing bowl
7. Add seasoning and olive oil - (optional:
add lemon or lime juice)
8. Once beans are tender, drain and rinse in cold
water.
9. Add to diced vegetables and mix
10. The finished dish!
To make the wooden serving piece/coaster checkout my DIY
blog post.
This dish makes an awesome meal, side dish, or
salad topper. Beans are loaded with protein so this is a great source of
protein for vegetarians/vegans.
Enjoy!!
