Beans, or legumes, are not only healthy, but can be quite tasty when well prepared. A staple at my house is to take some canned black beans, rinse them and combine with Rotel tomatoes, served on top of brown rice. It takes about five minutes to prepare, is filling and a good source of protein.

Just what are beans or legumes? The answer is quite interesting. According to truestarhealth.com, they are edible seeds that grow in pods and can be eaten fresh, sprouted, dried or even ground into flour. Oftentimes they are cooked in combination with grains to bring complete protein. Beans are referred to as “the poor-man’s meat” because they have been used as a primary source of protein for thousands of years and are a dietary staple in many cultures.

Some of my favorite bean recipes are found here, along with a non-bean carrot soup that I am going to try soon.

Tomato Lentil Soup

New Basics Cookbook

Serves 8

This is a staple at my neighbor’s house and quite filling.

4 tbls unsalted butter (1/2 stick)

2 cups chopped onion

2 cups chopped celery

2 cans (35 oz each) Italian plum tomatoes(with their juices)

6 cups chicken stock

One-half cup dried lentils (I use 1 full cup)

1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

One-half cup dry red wine

4 cloves garlic (freshly minced)

One-half teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

One-half teaspoon salt

One-fourth teaspoon ground cloves (I have never used this)

Melt butter in large soup pot. Add the onions and celery. Cook over low heat, stirring for 10 minutes. Puree the tomatoes with their juices in a blender and add to wilted vegetables. Add the chicken stock and lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the parsley, along with the wine, garlic, pepper, salt, and cloves. Stir well, and simmer another 25 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 cup parsley and simmer another 5 minutes.

Rosemary White Bean Soup

Barefoot Contessa

Serves 4-6

I have made this so many times that I no longer need to look at the recipe – almost.

1 pound dried white cannellini beans

4 cups onions, sliced

One-fourth cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 large fresh rosemary sprig (6-7 inches)

2 quarts chicken stock

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons kosher salt

One-half teaspoon fresh ground pepper

In a medium bowl, cover the beans with water by at least one inch and leave them in the refrigerator for six hours or overnight. Drain. In a large stockpot over low to medium heat, sauté the onions with the olive oil until they are translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook over low heat for 3 more minutes.

Add the beans, rosemary, chicken stock and bay leaf. Cover, bring to a boil, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until the beans are very soft. Remove the rosemary branch and the bay leaf. Pass the soup through the coarsest blade of a food mill, or place in food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until coarsely pureed. If you do not have either, this is OK, but it is better as this makes it creamy, without actual cream, yet leaves plenty of beans in the soup. Return the soup to the pot and reheat, add salt and pepper to taste.

Black Bean Lasagna

Serves 9

This is a substantial alternative to meat lasagna.

9 lasagna noodles, uncooked

Bean Mixture

2, 15-ounce cans black beans, divided

Vegetable cooking spray

1 cup red or green pepper, chopped

1 cup onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 and one-third cups tomato sauce

Cheese filling

2 cups low-fat cottage cheese

8 ounces light cream cheese

2 egg whites

One-fourth cup cilantro or parsley, chopped

1 cup reduced fat, shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat over to 350. Cook noodles until done, drain and set aside.

Bean mixture: rinse and drain beans. Mash half the beans and set aside. Spray a medium saucepan and sauté pepper, onion and garlic until tender. Add mashed and whole beans, and tomato sauce. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Cheese filling: with an electric mixer or hand blender, combine all but stir in cilantro/parsley.

Spray a 9×9 inch baking pan with vegetable oil spray. Arrange one-third of the noodles on bottom of pan, top with one-third cheese filling, spread on one-third bean mixture. Repeat twice, ending with bean mixture. Bake in oven for 30 minutes, remove and top with cheese, return to oven for 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Kinnon Phillips is Lagniappe cuisine editor. Contact him at kphillips@lagniappemobile.com.

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