Beans
235 recipes found
Chilled Tofu With Gochujang Sauce
This silken tofu, draped in a tangy, savory, chile-sweet gochujang sauce, is a warm weather epiphany: No cooking whatsoever. The sauce is essentially a chojang, a portmanteau of the Korean words for vinegar, cho, and for gochujang, the fiery fermented red chile paste, one of South Korea’s most delicious exports. Often served alongside salted boiled broccoli with sesame, this sauce is also excellent with tofu or on cold, crisp lettuce or hydrating cucumber and pepper. Make a double batch of the sauce, if you like, to keep in the fridge for last-minute crisper-drawer raids. Enjoy this on its own or with a bowl of cooked rice.
Pesto Beans
Part quick and rustic bean stew and part deconstructed pesto, this pesto-inspired one-pan meal requires no blender and minimal slicing. It all starts out by sizzling nuts with a little turmeric in olive oil until golden. The Parmesan cheese makes a creamy base for softened shallots and tender beans; then freshly torn basil leaves and lemon juice are stirred in at the end so they stay vibrant and fresh. Top with the beautifully toasted nuts, golden olive oil and a bit more Parmesan. Serve with crusty bread or garlic bread on the side.
Charred Corn and Chickpea Salad With Lime Crema
Charred corn is a bankable foundation for a simple and satiating summer meal. Just a few minutes in a hot pan will turn the kernels from starchy to sweet, while delivering smoky notes. A light dusting of ground cumin and smoked paprika reinforces these scorched flavors. In a loose nod to esquites, this salad is dressed with a simplified version of Mexican crema, tangy from the lime and spiked with garlic. If you like, add some heat with some sliced jalapeños or a sprinkle of crushed red pepper. Spoonable and transportable, this is the perfect salad to take on picnics.
White Bean Salad With Crispy Cheese
This hearty, no-cook salad has a range of textures and flavors that make it particularly satisfying, all without much effort from the cook. The canned white beans are dressed in a bracing red wine vinaigrette that enlivens their soft earthiness with a welcome tang. Slivers of fennel lend sweetness, while arugula and basil add pleasingly green and bitter notes. Then, just before serving, crumbled store-bought Parmesan crisps make the whole thing crunchy, salty and very fun to eat. Just be sure not to add the Parmesan crisps until right before serving; they soften quickly and may lose their snap.
Curry Tomatoes and Chickpeas With Cucumber Yogurt
Much like the combination of chana masala and raita, this dish’s appeal lies in the contrasts: soft and warm chickpeas and tomatoes rest atop a layer of cool and crunchy cucumber yogurt. The cooking happens quickly; sauté small tomatoes and chickpeas just until softened and fragrant with spices, then pile the mixture onto a swirl of yogurt that’s zesty with chopped cucumbers, garlic, lemon and herbs. The yogurt will loosen under the topping’s warmth and weight, so serve with rice, focaccia or flatbread such as roti or doubles to sop up the lushness.
Chile-Crisp Tofu, Tomatoes and Cucumbers
With cucumbers, tomatoes, browned tofu and a punchy dressing, this recipe’s combination of hot, cold, juicy and snappy makes for a refreshing lunch or light dinner. Inspired by Chinese smashed cucumber salads, many of which include dried chiles or chile oil, this recipe’s piquant and spicy dressing uses chile crisp as well as lemon juice, raw garlic and soy sauce. The only cooking that’s required is searing the tofu, which helps it drink up more of the dressing. Eat it over rice or salad greens, and feel free to embellish with thinly sliced snap peas or celery, cilantro and sesame oil, seeds or paste.
One-Pot White Beans With Prosciutto and Dates
Humble in process but fancy in feel, this single-skillet recipe dresses up white beans with crisp, salty prosciutto and caramelized, squidgy dates. The combination is reminiscent of bacon-wrapped dates, but prosciutto is more delicate in flavor and more easily shatters into chips for topping bowls. Topping with raw celery gives the rich beans some freshness, but if straight comfort is what you seek, skip the celery and just add the vinegar to the beans. Or for more plushness, add Parmesan, goat cheese, ricotta or blue cheese to servings. Eat alongside a green vegetable, like roasted broccoli or an arugula salad.
Lemongrass Tofu and Broccoli
Intensely flavorful, this stir-fry harnesses the fresh, citrusy notes of lemongrass in a punchy marinade that doubles as the stir-fry sauce. While the tofu only needs a short soak in the lemongrass marinade before cooking, it also benefits from a longer one, so feel free to prep ahead and refrigerate overnight. This recipe’s cooking method is a combination of stir-frying and steaming: Searing the onions and tofu on high heat creates smoky notes, and covering the pan during cooking ensures that the broccoli stays bright green as it cooks through. If your skillet or wok doesn’t come with a lid, slide a large sheet pan over the cooking vessel. This hearty stir-fry can be eaten alone, with rice or tossed through glass or rice noodles.
Butter Bean Dip With Frizzled Onions and Preserved Lemon
Though creamy, mashed beans provide the foundation, the frizzled onion mixture is the true star of this dish. Cooked quickly over high heat, with layers of garlic, cumin and preserved lemon, these onions are sweet and salty, rich and acidic, making this a surefire hit with minimal effort. Canned butter beans are then briefly cooked in the fragrant frizzled onion oil before being mashed (or blended, if you prefer a smoother texture) to create the perfect base. If you can’t get your hands on preserved lemons, fresh lemon pulp and finely sliced zest can be used; just be sure to add an extra pinch of salt, too. This makes for a great side or dip, or spread it on pita and use as a filling for the ultimate chicken or cauliflower shawarma.
Garlic Shrimp With Crisped Chickpeas
A snappy skillet dish well-suited to warm weather eating and snacking, this garlic shrimp recipe is a sunny mashup of shrimp scampi and gambas al ajillo, leaning on the lighter side. A hefty dose of smoked paprika adds a spirited color and dynamic smoky flavor to both the garlicky shrimp and chickpeas. The canned chickpeas gain extra depth and texture from sizzling in the pan until crunchy, then simmering in white wine until tender. Use a wine that you’d like to sip alongside this dish, and serve with some crusty bread to wipe your bowl (and even the pan). If you’d like some greens to round out your spread, simple sautéed spinach with garlic would be a delightful addition.
Charred Bok Choy and Cannellini Bean Salad
This recipe breaks bok choy out of its steamed and stir-fried box, demonstrating how well it responds to charring. Don’t be afraid to cook bok choy aggressively; the stalks are robust and remain crisp, while becoming smoky and sweet. Baby bok choy can be used too, but the leaves are much smaller and more tender, so simply slice them through the middle lengthwise. Other sturdy greens like gai lan (sometimes called Chinese broccoli) or cabbages will also work. The punchy dressing is sweet and acidic, given heat and spice from the grated ginger, while tart rice vinegar cuts through the richness of the maple syrup. Keep this dressing in mind for similar salads; it is equally lovely with cold soba noodles.
Garlicky Alfredo Beans
This five-ingredient recipe transforms canned beans into a no-fuss, comforting meal that’s easy to whip together at the end of a long day. The beans are doused in a creamy, garlic-infused sauce that’s inspired by Alfredo, and topped with crunchy garlic chips. Choosing the right beans for this recipe might feel intimidating, but the most important thing to remember is texture. Beans that hold their shape and won’t immediately disappear in the sauce are ideal: butter (or lima), Great Northern or garbanzo beans will make great contenders for this recipe. When pan-frying the sliced garlic into chips, you’ll want to mix attentively for the best results, since the delicate garlic chips can burn very easily. Crunchy and flavorful, they’re worth the effort.
Creamy, Spicy Tomato Beans and Greens
This weeknight wonder is for those who delight in turning a modest can of beans into a spectacular dinner. Inspired by the flavors of red pesto, this recipe calls for simmering cannellini beans with staple ingredients like onion, garlic, crushed red pepper, tomato paste and heavy cream, as well as sun-dried tomatoes and salty Pecorino, until the results taste complex and rich. Top the beans with a lemony arugula salad that is peppered with fried bread crumbs for a dish that is crunchy, chewy, crispy and creamy in every bite.
Roasted Chickpeas
Roasted chickpeas are a pleasantly crisp-on-the-outside, slightly chewy-on-the-inside addition to salads, noodles, creamy soups and grain bowls. Rub the chickpeas vigorously in a dish towel not once but twice to ensure that they’re completely dry before sliding them into the oven, and do your best to remove all the skins that fall off in the process. While this may seem fussy, it’s the secret to achieving the crispiest results. To make these chickpeas your own, rummage your spice cabinet and swap the smoked paprika for za'atar, chili powder, garam masala, herbes de Provence or anything else that sounds good.
Miso Broiled Tofu
For tofu with crisp edges and custardy middles, give it just 15 minutes under the broiler. The technique is inspired by Nobu Matsuhisa’s miso-broiled black cod, which combines miso and sugar to create a charred crust that also insulates the protein, preventing it from toughening. Tearing the tofu into jagged pieces — as opposed to sliced cubes or rectangles — creates more nooks and crannies for the broiler to singe, creating yet more texture. Eat any way you would enjoy baked tofu, perhaps with steamed rice and a green vegetable (broil green beans or asparagus for 5 to 8 minutes), or over salad greens (in which case you’ll want to make a double batch of the miso marinade to dress your lettuces).
Everyday Dal
The warming, soothing and downright healing effects of dal are well known throughout South Asia and its diaspora. This is an everyday dish for a good reason: It’s simple to make but tastes complex, and the flavor only deepens over time. There are countless ways to make dal; this version requires just 10 minutes and five ingredients (not including salt), all serving important purposes: The lentils cook quickly, the turmeric lends an earthy wholesomeness and the rich chhonk, or tempering, made by sizzling spices with ghee, brings instant depth. To gussy it up, try adding a packet of frozen spinach, or stirring minced garlic into the chhonk. If you’re tempted to use ground cumin instead of cumin seeds, resist! The seeds have a distinctly smokier flavor and add a pleasant texture to the dal.
Doubles
Easily the most recognizable and beloved dish from Trinidad and Tobago, doubles are an expression of migration and fortitude. Badru Deen is the son of Emamool and Raheman Rasulan Deen, who conceived of the dish in 1936 in Princes Town as a way to support their large family, bridging Indian flavors with the ingredients of their Caribbean home. Doubles are addictive: The turmeric-and-cumin-laced bara (fried bread) are crisp but soft, cradling spiced chickpeas that are punctuated with sour, spicy, sweet and crunchy condiments. As with all deep-frying, have a splatter guard handy, and open a window. Traditionally, doubles are served with mango chutney and pepper sauce, chadon beni or culantro chutneys, but, inspired by the cross-island connections found in “Islas: A Celebration of Tropical Cooking” by Von Diaz (Chronicle Books, 2024), these can be topped with mint-cilantro chutney from Mauritius and tamarind sauce. Sauces are optional, but strongly encouraged. Doubles are messy by design, and turmeric will stain your clothes.
One-Pot Tofu and Broccoli Rice
One pot is all you need to make custardy tofu, fluffy rice, crisp vegetables and a spicy sauce for dinner tonight. Toast rice with ginger and garlic for a fragrant base, then partway through steaming the rice, add broccoli florets. Once the rice is tender and the broccoli bright green, use the rice’s resting time to warm the tofu on top. The tofu’s marinade of peanut butter, soy sauce and chile crisp adds a punchy, creamy complement that completes the meal. If you want to use another vegetable instead of broccoli, you may need to adjust when it’s added to the pot: add sturdier vegetables like sliced carrots and winter squash with the rice, as they take longer to cook, and more delicate asparagus or spinach with the tofu.
Crispy Tofu
For the crispiest, crunchiest tofu, freeze it first. Tofu is mostly made up of water. When that water turns to ice, then melts and runs out, it leaves behind a more compact, spongy tofu, which is especially great at becoming cacophonously crisp in the oven without a lick of breading. This method — just oil and salt and a hot sheet pan — also concentrates and accentuates the comforting taste of soybeans: gently sweet with a quiet savoriness, and, at the caramelized edges, a little nutty like popcorn. With just a generous sprinkle of salt, the tofu’s true flavor shines. But you could serve the tofu on a large platter with your favorite dipping sauce, or stuff it into a sandwich with iceberg lettuce and mayonnaise.
Miso Leeks With White Beans
In this reinterpretation of the classic French dish leeks vinaigrette, tender braised leeks are bathed in a punchy miso vinaigrette, tossed with creamy white beans then served with an oozy soft egg for an easy, comforting midweek meal. Steady, gentle heat is the key to achieving the rich, jamlike leeks, coaxing out their sweetness while ensuring that they stay silky. The miso leeks can also be eaten in other ways — on a slice of toast, stirred through warm potatoes or pasta, or tossed with French lentils and peppery arugula for a simple salad. Make sure you use the whole leek. Many recipes recommend the white part only, but the green parts, while slightly tougher with a stronger flavor, can also be cooked and tenderized, especially in recipes where they are braised. The miso leeks improve over time and can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and stored in the fridge.
Sweet and Sour Tofu With Barberries
Silky and comforting, this dish draws inspiration from a Persian barberry khoresh (stew). In this adaptation, traditional chicken gives way to tofu, creating a vegan dish while preserving the inherent sweet-sour balance emblematic of Persian cuisine. Caramelized onions, carrots and oranges add sweetness, while the distinctive tartness is achieved through the addition of barberries, small red berries prized equally for their high acidity and their jewel-like appearance. They deepen to a rich red when cooked. Barberries can be hard to find — you could check your favorite specialty shop, or order them online — or simply substitute cranberries plus the addition of an extra teaspoon of vinegar. Sweet, sour and saucy, this tofu dish is best enjoyed with a side of rice.
Coconut Black Bean Soup
Earthy black bean soup gets a plush makeover with the addition of canned coconut milk, which lends richness and a sweet, mellow flavor. Whole cumin seeds and tomato paste add depth, while jalapeño contributes both brightness and heat to the pot. You can purée the soup until it’s velvety smooth, or leave it a little chunky. Either way, it makes for a satisfying and hearty weeknight meal.
Parmesan Braised Beans With Olives
At the Manhattan restaurant Ci Siamo, the chef Hillary Sterling serves these dynamic beans topped with a tinsel of fried rosemary and sage, a shower of salty cheese, and a flourish of olive oil and black pepper. For a dish so luxe in flavor, it’s surprising how everyday its ingredients are. At the restaurant, Ms. Sterling uses at least four different types of beans (such as flageolet, scarlet runner, small white, tiger’s eye and Tarbais), but at home, any mix of white, brown and black that you prefer will be beyond delicious. With crusty bread and a glass of wine, these beans can be enjoyed as a meal on their own.
Slow-Cooker Masala Dal
This recipe, which is adapted from “Classic Indian Cooking” by Julie Sahni (William Morrow, 1980), a treasury of foolproof recipes for home cooks. Masala dal is a staple of Indian cuisine and one that has infinite variations, but the basic technique is to simmer legumes until tender, then finish with a swirl of a tadka, ghee or other fat that’s infused with aromatics like onions, cumin seeds and chile. In the original recipe, the dal is boiled on the stovetop, but in this adaptation, the split peas are cooked in the slow cooker, which works beautifully, and has the advantage of making the timing a bit easier, as you can throw the peas into the slow cooker in the morning, and they will hold well until dinnertime. The success of this dish hinges on two key steps: First, be sure to beat the legumes to a creamy purée with a whisk before adding the tadka. Second, cook the onions on a higher heat and until darker in color than you might think: Ms. Sahni calls this technique “brown frying,” and it is not the same as making French caramelized onions, which are cooked lower and slower. As in cooking caramel candy, the last five minutes are critical: Stir the onions constantly and be aware they can burn quickly. Serve dal with basmati rice or Indian flatbreads such as naan.