Community Cookbook: Dried beans are nature’s nutritional nuggets

Today’s recipes are all about dried beans and how to bring them to life. So, grab your pots and pans, and some Beano, if you like, and let’s get cooking. There’s some seriously good eating on the horizon.

Beans are a wonder food. They nourished the early settlers and helped to fuel the country’s westward expansion – beans and a lot of coffee. They helped to feed countless numbers of our military personnel in the best and worst of times. Beans have always been one of our most steadfast staples during economic hard times.

When dried and properly stored, beans will last nearly forever. Soak and cook dried beans long enough, and they’ll spring to life as if shepherded by an ancient Egyptian scarab, the sacred symbol of rebirth.

Dried beans are a heart-healthy nutritional powerhouse and one of the perennially best food buys in grocery stores. They’re a great source of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Dried beans are low in fat and calories, with zero cholesterol and saturated fat. In general, the more dried beans people consume, the healthier they’re likely to be.

Beans (or lentils), when combined with rice, another budget-friendly food, in the same meal, provide a complete protein sporting all nine essential amino acids. It’s not coincidental that beans and rice appear together in so many Mexican meals. It’s wise and economically sound nutrition.

My family loved big pots of cooked dried beans; we grew up on them. We valued a good pot of beans right up there with the fanciest foods we knew. Well, almost. Here are four recipes: three stovetop and one slow cooker, all starting with dried beans. They’ll produce a lot of hearty eating.

Three-Bean Soup

Mom’s pinto beans were a family favorite. We ate them by generously ladling the beans over slices of bread, then sprinkling them with cider vinegar or hot sauce. Inspired by her dish, I developed an embellished version, intending it to be an excellent stand-alone soup, as well as to be eaten in our traditional way. The soup’s flavor was one-dimensional. It needed something to provide some depth. I tried several ingredients without success. In a desperate last-ditch attempt, I added a can of beer. Voila! It worked wonders. The beer’s presence is very subtle, but it adds just enough complexity to the soup’s flavor. It contributes much, yet I don’t think most people would ever guess that beer was the soup’s secret ingredient.

1 pound dried pinto beans

4½ cups water

1 (12-ounce) can lager beer

1½ teaspoon bacon grease or shortening

1 (15½-ounce) can black beans

2 cups chopped onion

1 (15½-ounce) can refried beans

1 (14½-ounce) can petite-diced tomatoes

1 cup chopped bell pepper

2 tablespoons ham or chicken bouillon powder

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Carefully sort and wash the beans and place them in a small stockpot. Add 8 cups of cold water and 1½ tablespoon of salt, and stir well. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 12-15 hours. Drain and rinse thoroughly. In a covered stockpot, bring the beans, 4½ cups of water, beer, and bacon grease or shortening to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring several times. When boiling, stir, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Lightly boil until just tender, about 50-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the black beans and return just to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir and reduce the heat to medium-low. After 10 minutes, stir in the onion. Return just to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir and reduce the heat to medium-low. After 10 minutes, add the remaining ingredients. Stir well to break up the globs of refried beans. Return just to a boil over medium-high heat and stir. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Taste and add bouillon powder to increase saltiness, if needed (to minimize the ham flavor, use salt instead).

Notes: Cooking times for dried beans can vary.

Yield: About 6 quarts

Dick’s Pot O’ Pintos

I learned how to cook pinto beans from my mom. She learned how to cook them from her mom. We grew up on Mom’s pinto beans. Through my own experiences and from other sources of influence and information, including the good folks at America’s Test Kitchen, my methods have evolved. I now brine the beans overnight to bring out their full flavor and creamy texture. I still prefer the family’s traditional way of eating them, which is to smother a slice of sandwich bread on a plate with plenty of beans and broth, then sprinkle cider vinegar or La Victoria’s Salsa Brava over the top. Delicious!

1 pound dried pinto beans

6 cups water

1-2 tablespoons bacon grease, shortening, or 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1½ cup chopped onion

1½ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon garlic powder

⅛ teaspoon onion powder

⅛ teaspoon black pepper

Carefully sort and wash the beans. Place the beans in a small stockpot. Add 8 cups of cold water and 1½ tablespoon of salt; stir well. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 12-15 hours. Drain and rinse thoroughly. Return the beans to the pot and add 6 cups of fresh water. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Lightly boil the beans for 1 hour, stirring occasionally (adjust the heat, as needed, to maintain a light boil). Add the bacon grease, shortening, or vegetable oil and cover. Return just to a boil. Lightly boil for an additional 4 hours, or until the beans reach the desired doneness, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining ingredients for the last 25-30 minutes of cooking. When the beans and onion finish cooking, taste the broth and add water or seasonings, if needed.

Notes: Like Mom, I prefer to cook the beans until they’re somewhat mushy and the broth is thick (the beans will re-harden slightly, and the broth will thicken as it sits a while).

Yields: About 3 quarts

Slow-Cooked Navy Beans and Ham

Dad was a big fan of beans and bean soup. He would have loved this hearty dish. The time and effort it takes to make this large pot of beans, ham, and vegetables are well worth the results.

1½ pounds dried navy beans

1½ pounds sliced smoked ham shank

7 cups water

2 large dried bay leaves

1½ cups, sliced into ⅜-by-½-inch pieces, onion

1 cup ⅜-inch diced carrot

¾ cup ⅜-inch diced celery

⅓ cup tomato sauce

1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

¾ teaspoon ground mustard

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Finely chopped chives or green onion tops for garnish

Sort and wash the beans; place them in a small stockpot. Add 12 cups of cold water and 2½ tablespoons of salt; stir well. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 12-15 hours. Drain and rinse thoroughly. Place the first 4 ingredients (through bay leaves) in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker; stir well. Cook on low for a total of 10½ hours. At 9 hours of cooking, stir in the onion, carrot, and celery. At 10 hours of cooking, stir in the remaining ingredients, except the chives or green onion. Cook for an additional half hour. Turn the heat off and remove the crock without lifting the lid (the contents will continue to cook after the heat is off). Let rest for 30 minutes. Remove the shank slices. When cooled enough to handle, separate the meat from the bones and fat. Coarsely shred the meat and return to the pot; add the vinegar. Taste and add bouillon powder to increase saltiness, if needed. Skim the fat off the surface, if preferred. Serve hot, topped with chopped chives or green onion.

Notes: Wrap the shank slices in cheesecloth before cooking for easy retrieval. Add chicken broth for a soupier version. Sliced radishes are a colorful, crunchy garnish.

Yield: About 3 quarts

Stonewalled Senate Bean Soup

The recipe’s title alludes to the United States Senate’s apparent inability to accomplish anything of much use. Not accounting for the chamber’s level of dysfunction, the soup itself is pretty good. It comes close, I think, to the modern bean soup served daily in the Senate’s cafeteria.

1½ pounds dried navy beans

1-1½ pounds sliced smoked ham shank

12 cups water

2-3 dried bay leaves

1½ cups chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

4-5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

2 tablespoons ham or chicken bouillon powder

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 cup instant potato flakes

1 teaspoon dried or 2-4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Carefully sort, wash, and drain the beans; place them in a small stockpot. Add 12 cups of water and 2½ tablespoons of salt. Stir well. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 12-15 hours. Drain and rinse thoroughly. Place the shank slices and 12 cups of fresh water in the pot. Cover and bring just to a boil over high heat. Add the beans and bay leaves. Cover and return just to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and lightly boil for about 45 minutes, until the beans are almost done, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining ingredients, except the potato flakes and parsley. Cover and increase the heat to high. Return just to a boil and reduce the heat to medium. Continue to cook until the vegetables are tender but still slightly firm, about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat off and remove the shank slices. Skim the fat off the surface of the broth, if preferred (recommended). Stir in the potato flakes and parsley. When the shank slices are cooled enough to handle, separate the meat from the bones and fat. Coarsely shred the meat and return to the pot. Taste and add seasonings, if needed. Serve hot.

Notes: Wrap the shank slices in cheesecloth before cooking for easier retrieval. The soup freezes well.

Yield: About 6 quarts

Contact Dick Sellers at dickskitchencorner@outlook.com.