Have you ever felt the desire to incorporate more plant-based meals into your diet? You're not alone! Eating more plants doesn't have to be a restrictive diet or a daunting challenge. It's about gradually integrating more plant-based goodness into your everyday meals. Kidney beans are a fantastic and versatile ingredient to start with. They are not only packed with nutrients but also incredibly adaptable to a variety of cuisines and cooking styles.
Why Kidney Beans?
Red kidney beans are incredibly healthy. Since they’re loaded with fiber and other essential minerals, there’s a range of health benefits kidney beans provide. They have been linked to reducing the risk of heart disease, various types of cancer and type 2 diabetes. This common bean is also an excellent source of healthy amino acids (aka protein), vitamins and minerals which help build the cells of our immune systems. Red kidney beans are also a great source of plant-based protein and are high in dietary fiber.
Essential Tips for Cooking with Kidney Beans
Before diving into the recipes, here are some essential tips for cooking with kidney beans:
- Raw Kidney Beans are a No-Go: You cannot and should not eat kidney beans raw.
- Soaking is Key: Red kidney beans should be soaked for at least 8 hours or overnight before cooking. Pour kidney beans into a medium mixing bowl. Rinse and drain. Cover with an inch of lukewarm water and add baking soda and stir. Let the beans soak for 8 hours or overnight.
- Baking Soda: Soaking with baking soda helps to remove the gassiness from the beans and make them easier to digest.
- Rinsing is Important: Rinse the beans thoroughly. It’s also really important to not cook the beans in the water they’ve been soaked in.
- Versatile Ingredient: Kidney beans reheat really well and make for amazing leftovers.
Kidney Bean Salad Recipes
High-Protein Kidney Bean Salad
This flavorful and healthy Kidney Bean Salad recipe is gluten-free and vegan. Plus, it's rich in plant-based protein and takes 10 minutes to make. It's good for up to 5 days and tastes even better the next day! Make this Kidney Bean Salad for your next barbecue, potluck, or as a high-protein side! This marinated bean recipe is the perfect start for a wholesome balanced veggie bowl.
Ingredients:
- 1 can kidney beans
- Shallots
- Green onion
- Parsley
- Mustard
- Maple syrup
- Crushed red pepper
- Red wine vinegar
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Transfer the kidney beans, shallots, green onion, parsley, mustard, maple syrup, crushed red pepper, red wine vinegar, and olive oil to a medium bowl.
- Mix well to combine.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
Optional additions:
- Sweet potato (tossed in a drizzle of olive oil, a dash of dried herbs, and salt to taste). Cook at 400ºF for 25 minutes, or until fork tender.
- Quinoa (cook ¾ cup dry quinoa).
To make the salad ahead:
Prepare the Kidney Bean Salad and refrigerate overnight. Cook the quinoa and sweet potato and prepare the dressing for serving.
Read also: Healthy food access with Highmark Wholecare explained.
Kidney Bean Salad with Feta
Fresh veggies are garnished with a tasty dressing to make this super easy and satisfying high-protein kidney bean salad.
Ingredients:
- 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ can sweet corn, rinsed and drained
- ½ cucumber, diced
- ½ cup parsley, fresh, chopped
- 1 spring onion, chopped
- 3 oz feta cheese, crumbled
Dressing:
- ½ lime
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 tsp cumin, ground
- ½ tsp oregano, dried
- 1 tsp honey
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Get a big bowl and throw in everything you rinsed and chopped.
- Now crumble in the feta and give it a good mix.
- Get a small bowl and add all the ingredients for the dressing.
- Stir, then taste to make sure it's fine.
- When approved, mix in the dressing to the salad.
Cowboy Salad
See this healthy 15-minute Cowboy Salad on this site for more bean salad inspiration.
Additional tips:
- While this salad is already everything, adding some more veggies won’t hurt.
- But, be sure to use mustard (or vegan mayo), leaving out the feta as well to make it vegan.
- If you’re making a kidney bean salad, there’s absolutely no need to cook your canned kidney beans.
- But if you’re all out of cumin or oregano, just swap them for ground coriander or black pepper and dried thyme or parsley.
- Mustard and lime juice add that much-needed touch of acidity to make this vinaigrette the dressing it is.
- For the olive oil, use any other flavourful oil (like peanut and coconut oil).
- In addition to those, swapping less nutrient-dense food (eg.
One-Pot Red Kidney Beans
One Pot Red Kidney Beans are healthy, hearty, and nourishing. Tender red kidney beans are simmered in aromatic spices and herbs making them flavorful and delicious. This vegan dish offers plenty of plant-based protein to keep you full. Dried beans can sometimes be difficult to work with, but this recipe for one pot red kidney beans delivers perfectly cooked, flavorful beans every time. So use your dried kidney bean stash to make these Middle Eastern-style beans. Serve them over rice or with a bready side to soak up every last bit of the fragrant tomato sauce. An easy vegan meal. Whether you're plant-based yourself or simply looking for a meatless main dish to switch things up, you'll love these savory, filling red kidney beans. They're easy to prepare and even easier to eat!
Ingredients:
- Dried red kidney beans
- Onions
- Garlic
- Turmeric
- Tomato paste
- Cumin
- Mint
- Italiano seasoning (optional)
- Salt and pepper
- Oil
- Baking soda
- Water
Instructions:
- Pick them over to remove any small stones or debris that may be hiding in your beans.
- Pre-soak the beans for at least 8 hours or overnight (in a mixing bowl covered with an inch of room temperature water - not cold water). This will cause the beans to absorb moisture and increase in size, and in turn will make the beans cook faster.
- Soak with baking soda to remove the gassiness from the beans and make them easier to digest.
- Rinse.
- In a large cooking pot, heat oil over medium heat.
- Add onions, garlic, and turmeric. Sauté until onions are soft and translucent (about 2-3 minutes).
- Stir in the pre-soaked kidney beans, remaining boiling water, tomato paste, cumin, mint, Italiano seasoning (optional), and salt and pepper.
- Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Then, turn to low and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes.
- Check on the beans and remove from heat if they are ready.
- Pour the water into a blender along with ¼ to ½ cup of the beans, and blend.
- Stir the sauce back into the pot. If you prefer a thicker consistency, continue to simmer until you reach the consistency that you like.
- Serve.
Tips and Variations:
- Freezer-friendly: Cooked beans last a long time when frozen, so you can make as much of these one pot red kidney beans as you like and add them to your freezer stash for a rainy day.
- Versatile: These wholesome red kidney beans get an upgrade with healthy ingredients like onions, garlic, and simple spices. They're hearty enough to be served as an entree but simple enough to be offered as a side along with similarly spiced dishes.
- Pantry-Friendly: This red kidney bean recipe is a great one to use if you are looking to go through your bulk dried bean stash in the pantry, especially if canned beans are out of stock at the grocery store.
- Spice Substitutions: If you're out of cumin, try curry powder or ground coriander instead. The flavor will be different but still delicious. You may need to adjust the measurement depending on what you choose in order to balance the flavor.
- Mac'n'Beans: Having trouble getting your kids to eat red kidney beans?
- Brothy Red Kidney Beans: Beans and broth just go together - some people actually prefer to eat them in soup or broth.
- Red Kidney Bean Chili: You can make a quick variation of chili using these one pot red kidney beans!
- Serving Suggestions: You can serve these one pot kidney beans as is for a filling lunch or dinner, or with a starchy side or whole grains.
- Creative Leftovers: Use in other recipes.
- Reheating: When you are ready to eat, reheat beans in a saucepan over medium-low heat until warmed through.
- Freezing: Freeze leftover kidney beans in a freezer-safe container or in portions in freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months. The best part is that frozen kidney beans will pretty much taste the same as they did on the day that you made them.
Coconut Kidney Bean Curry
This top-rated coconut kidney bean curry is proof that weeknight magic can happen in just 15 minutes. Think: creamy coconut milk, warm garam masala, tangy tomatoes, and hearty beans that soak up every bit of flavor. Kidney Beans: Protein-rich and sturdy, so they hold their shape even with a quick simmer.
Ingredients:
- Kidney beans
- Coconut milk
- Garam masala
- Tomatoes
- Onion
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Soy sauce
- Brown sugar
- Oil
- Rice or naan bread for serving
Instructions:
- Prep: If serving with rice, prepare rice.
- Flavor Makers: In a large pot, add a splash of water or vegetable broth over medium heat. Add the diced onion, garlic, grated ginger, and garam masala.
- Cook until onion softens, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Filler Uppers: Add the crushed tomatoes, lite coconut milk, kidney beans, soy sauce, and brown sugar to the pot.
- Stir everything together and bring it to a gentle simmer.
- Let it cook for about 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to blend.
- Taste and add salt as needed to intensify flavors.
- Serve: Ladle the curry over warm rice. Top with fresh cilantro, a pinch of crushed red pepper, and a squeeze of lime juice.
Tips and Variations:
- Chickpeas: Not a fan of kidney beans? That’s ok! You can use the kidney bean’s older brother, the chickpea, instead.
- Naan Bread: This bread is easy to make at home and has a short rise time.
- Storage: This curry is great for meal prep! You can store it with rice in personal-sized airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Just reheat it all together!
- Freezing: You can also freeze the curry for up to 2 months.
Daily Dozen Inspired Kidney Bean Meal
Here is a simple and delicious Daily Dozen inspired meal using pantry staples.
Read also: Healthy Eating on the Run
Ingredients:
- 2 lemons
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 large bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 ½ cups cooked or 1 (15.5-ounce/420 g) BPA-free can or Tetra Pak salt-free kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼-½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- ¼-½ cup no-salt added vegetable broth or water
- Cooked quinoa, to serve
Instructions:
- Heat the juice of two lemons in a pot over medium heat and sauté the chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery.
- Once the veggies are soft, add in the kidney beans, spices, and vegetable broth.
- Stir everything together and simmer for a few minutes.
- Cook until the dish is heated thoroughly.
- Serve with the cooked quinoa and enjoy!
Stewed Red Kidney Beans (Puerto Rican Style)
I love my Stewed Red Kidney Beans! Our Sofrito is a special blend of herbs and vegetables sautéed in annatto oil and tomato sauce. It is the basic condiment that gives the Puerto Rican cuisine its unique flavor and aroma.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups of cooked dry red kidney beans (or 2 cans of red kidney beans, each can 15.5 ounces)
- Sofrito
Instructions:
- Prepare the stewed red kidney beans with sofrito.
- Serve over White Rice. You can also serve over brown rice if you so desire.
Tips:
- You really don’t need any meat to accompany this dish.
- The bean sauce is full of Caribbean flavors.
Read also: Mobile Dining Revolution