Beans
235 recipes found
Sweet Potato Hash With Tofu
Hash, which comes from the French word for “chop,” can be made of any number of meats and proteins that cook and crisp on the stovetop. One of the most common might be corned beef and potato hash, but this recipe is more hands-off: It cooks on a sheet pan. This vegan hash is sweet, smoky and spicy, with cubes of sweet potato, tofu, peppers and onions. The potatoes and tofu are spunky with chili powder and crisp from cornstarch. Serve the dish for breakfast or dinner, with vinegary red onions for crunch, plus your favorite hash toppings.
Coconut Saag
Saag paneer is a classic North Indian dish — but it’s also endlessly riffable. Swap out the paneer for feta or halloumi, the mustard greens for kale or spinach, and so on. This is a particularly stellar riff, in which coconut milk enriches an already aromatic and verdant sauce that can be paired with either the traditional paneer, or extra-firm tofu. The final hit of coconut oil infused with smoky cumin seeds and red chile powder adds loads of depth, making this dish quite possibly the most luxurious way to eat a pound of greens.
Refried Beans
Refried beans, a staple of Mexican cuisine, is a flavorful side dish that’s surprisingly easy to make at home. (They’re not really fried twice — “refried beans” is derived from their Spanish name, frjoles refritos, which means “well-fried beans.”) Throughout Mexico, the beans are cooked in freshly rendered lard, which adds a deep, caramelized pork flavor. In this quick recipe, smoked bacon stands in for the lard while chipotle pepper in adobo adds heat, sweetness and a long-simmered flavor that makes canned beans taste homemade. For a meatless version, replace the bacon with half a bell or poblano pepper, and swap the vegetable oil with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. You can easily make a double batch and freeze the leftovers. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Chana Masala
Variations of chana masala, which means spiced chickpeas, are found across South Asia. This version, particularly common in Punjab, calls for a simple spiced onion and tomato mixture, which serves as the foundation for the humble chickpea. The nutty and buttery legume benefits from both dried chile powder and fresh chiles, coriander and the spice blend garam masala. Thinly sliced ginger and cilantro, added upon serving, add freshness. Both canned and dried chickpeas work for this dish, and in the case of the former, the resulting bowl of comfort feels nothing short of a miracle in under 30 minutes.
Frijoles de Olla (Homestyle Black Beans)
This beloved dish often starts with unsoaked dried beans, which are traditionally cooked in an olla, earthenware pot, or other types of clay pots, such as a cazuela de barro. Any pot works and the seasonings are generally simple — usually onion, garlic, herbs and sometimes lard or pork — but the resulting flavor is rich and complex. A staple throughout Mexico, this dish varies from region to region in the types of beans used and include pinto beans, black beans and Mayocoba beans. Eaten as is as a side or a main dish, frijoles de olla also can be puréed, smashed or refried and used as a sauce or a filling for dishes like tetelas.
Caramelized Zucchini and White Bean Salad
This flavorful and hearty salad makes use of one of summer’s most abundant vegetables, zucchini. You start with a big pile of shredded zucchini and onions, then might marvel at how much it cooks down as it browns and caramelizes. Next, you’ll toss that potent blend with creamy white beans and herbs to make an easy, flavorful side or main. The mint adds brightness, and it pairs well with other soft herbs, like parsley, dill and basil. The caramelized zucchini mixture makes a great base for bean salad, but it is so versatile it can be used in many other ways: Make a big batch and toss it with pasta, serve it on top of ricotta-slathered toast, or top a flatbread with it; you really can’t go wrong.
Tofu and Asparagus With Frizzled Leeks
This almost-no-cook vegan meal is a spunky mix of flavors and textures: Fried leeks add crunch and sweetness; asparagus provides snap and pleasant bitterness; miso lends savoriness; and tender, mild tofu balances it all out. The leeks get frizzled in oil, then the mixture is poured over the miso-dressed tofu and asparagus for an aromatic finish, similar to techniques common in Chinese and Indian cooking. (You could also swap in juicy, crunchy snap or snow peas, cucumbers or celery.) Serve over rice, soba or rice noodles, or spring lettuces drizzled with lemon or lime juice.
Roasted Red Peppers With Beans and Greens
In this one-dish recipe, charred peppers pair with garlicky beans and greens for soft but satisfying bites. The benefit of roasting bell peppers whole is that their sweet juices concentrate, but those flavorful juices don’t evaporate in the oven as they would if cut into slices. Better yet: This recipe’s format is endlessly adaptable. For instance, roast white beans with feta and eat with pita, or cook chickpeas with ground turmeric and cumin then dollop with yogurt.
White Beans and Asparagus With Charred Lemon
These velvety, vegan beans get a lift from lemon, but they also hold a smoky secret. Aromatics are often sweated in fat to bring out their sweetness, but crank the heat and char them instead for, as Tejal Rao wrote, “serious, almost meatlike depth of flavor.” This is a common technique in pho, black-eyed peas and other long simmers, but it also develops flavor in quicker dishes. After searing lemon wedges, their blackened bits scatter throughout beans, asparagus and coconut milk, creating a creamy bowl that’s subtly smoky and comforting. When asparagus isn’t in season, replace it with a dark, leafy green like kale or chard. Serve solo, or with rice.
Fried Cheese and Chickpeas in Spicy Tomato Gravy
Fried cheese becomes a main meal in this pantry-reliant dish. Make it with your choice of ‘fry-able’ cheese, one with a high melting point that retains its shape after cooking. Halloumi and paneer are excellent choices, but queso blanco and queso de freir are often less expensive, but just as delicious. (Note: Halloumi is saltier than most frying cheeses so use less salt.) The trick to frying cheese without it sticking is to use a hot skillet, but if you’re not confident, opt for non-stick. This dish can easily be adapted for vegans by substituting the cheese with extra-firm tofu.
Tofu Marsala With Asparagus
A vegetarian take on the classic Italian American dish, tofu cutlets stand in for the traditional chicken or veal and pair perfectly with the creamy mushroom sauce. Combining different mushrooms brings intense flavor to the dish; even adding a few shiitakes alongside white button mushrooms will add surprising depth. The cornstarch does two important things here: It helps create a crispy coating on the tofu, which keeps the interior soft, and it helps thicken the pan sauce during the final few minutes of simmering. A final addition of fresh asparagus puts a bright spin on the rich dish.
Crispy Baked Tofu With Sugar Snap Peas
Adding grated Parmesan to a coating of cornstarch and oil makes for especially crispy tofu with a fricolike crust. Here, the tofu is roasted on a sheet-pan alongside sugar snap peas and onions, which become tender and caramelized. It’s a colorful spring dish that can be varied endlessly depending on the season. Try broccoli or mushrooms in winter, cherry tomatoes in summer or butternut squash in fall.
Tofu Milanese
The breaded cutlets known as Milanese are often made of veal, pork or chicken, but, here, tofu stands in with excellent results. To accompany, broccoli rabe is a delicious choice, though mustard greens of any variety make a fine substitution.
Sheet-Pan Feta With Chickpeas and Tomatoes
In a spread of Greek appetizers, or meze, there’s often a warm feta dish like bouyiourdi (baked feta with tomato and hot peppers) or a saganaki (fried cheese). This recipe combines elements of these two classic appetizers into a sheet-pan meal. Softened feta provides a salty, creamy counterpoint to sweet, juicy tomatoes and chickpeas that are sticky from honey and spicy from dried chile. Try this version, then riff wildly: Switch out tomatoes for mini peppers, olives, dates or cauliflower. Swap the hot honey for anchovies, harissa, smoked paprika or turmeric. Eat with pita, grains, salad greens, hummus or yogurt.
Huevos Rancheros
Eggs “rancher’s style” is a traditional, hearty Mexican breakfast typically enjoyed after a hard morning’s work. But huevos rancheros also makes for a satisfying and comforting weeknight dinner. The simple yet flavorful homemade salsa comes together quickly and is smartly used in three ways: a quick simmer transforms the salsa into the warm ranchero sauce; it adds a zesty flavor that shines through in the smoky refried beans; and it gives a final fresh finish as a tangy topping. Any leftover ranchero sauce and refried beans make for great dips the next day.
Tofu Larb
Larb, a ground meat dish seasoned with fresh herbs popular in the Northeastern and Northern regions of Thailand, originated in Laos where it's known as laab. This vegan version requires minimal cooking and features crumbled extra-firm tofu, which soaks up the spicy, citrusy sauce like a sponge. Toasted ground rice is a traditional addition that adds a lovely aroma and nuttiness while thickening the sauce. Makrut lime leaves and crispy fried shallots can be found at Asian grocery stores, at some larger supermarket chains, or online, but both can be omitted. Crispy shallots bring a bit of crunch on top, but chopped, roasted peanuts would also work. Eat it with lettuce leaves for a light meal, or if you’re looking for something more substantial, serve it with sticky or regular rice. For those who are looking for even more spice, top with sliced fresh chiles. To get vegetarian recipes like this one delivered to your inbox, sign up for The Veggie newsletter.
Tofu Laab
Laab (also spelled larb), a ground meat dish seasoned with fresh herbs popular in the Northeastern and Northern regions of Thailand, originated in Laos. This vegan version requires minimal cooking and features crumbled extra-firm tofu, which soaks up the spicy, citrusy sauce like a sponge. Toasted ground rice is a traditional addition that adds a lovely aroma and nuttiness while thickening the sauce. Makrut lime leaves and crispy fried shallots can be found at Asian grocery stores, at some larger supermarket chains, or online, but both can be omitted. Crispy shallots bring a bit of crunch on top, but chopped, roasted peanuts would also work. Eat it with lettuce leaves for a light meal, or if you’re looking for something more substantial, serve it with sticky or regular rice. For those who are looking for even more spice, top with sliced fresh chiles. To get vegetarian recipes like this one delivered to your inbox, sign up for The Veggie newsletter.
3-Bean Good Luck Salad With Cumin Vinaigrette
This is a colorful variation of the black-eyed peas salad I always serve at my New Year’s Day open house. You can cook the black beans and red beans together or separately. The black-eyed peas cook more quickly so should be cooked separately.
Stewed Beans
Lentil and Tuna Salad
Lentils and tuna are a wonderful combination. This mixture also makes a great stuffing for tomatoes.
Black-Eyed Peas With Collard Greens
Black-eyed peas with collard greens sounds like a Southern dish, and indeed it would be if you threw in a ham hock and took away the dill. But this recipe actually is inspired by a Greek dish that combines black-eyed peas with wild greens.
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
This pretty chickpea salad comes together quickly. If you can't find juicy, flavorful tomatoes, leave them out, or use halved grape or cherry tomatoes instead.
Hearth's Fava-Bean Salad
