Vegetarian Advice: Looking For Bean Recipes

Reader shares her 15 bean soup recipe, needs different bean recipes

I am looking for different kinds of bean recipes, and good vegetarian recipes.

I am getting away from eating a lot of meat.

I've included my 15 bean soup recipe - L.M.

15 Bean Soup Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 lb bag jack rabbits bean soup mix
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 cup pearled barley
• 14 oz. can stewed tomatoes, diced
• 1 large onion or to taste
• 3 gloves of garlic
• 1 16 oz. pkg mixed frozen veg
• 1 t. cumin
• 1/4 t. pepper
• 1 t. salt

Directions:

Soak beans over night in enough water to cover. Drain. Put in 3 cups pf water, or more if desired, cook beans for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until beans are tender. Add remaining ingredients and cook for 1 more hour.

Savvy Vegetarian Advice

Dear L.M.,

Thanks for requesting the free reports: 10 Tips For Beginning Vegetarians and Eat Beans Without Gas. You'll find bean recipes listed in the bean report, and other resources too.

Thanks also for your 15 bean soup recipe. It's similar to several of ours! I think you've discovered the eat-beans formula: cook beans, (or open a can or the freezer), add grains, veggies, spices, eat, yum!

A Few Differences and Suggestions:

We've found that onions and garlic with beans increases the gas factor, so we use one or more of these gas reducing spices: pinch of asoefetida (hing), ginger, bay leaf, or fennel - they all help make beans more digestible. Paprika is great too. Cumin is good, and pepper, and herbs - you've noticed that too!

Note that asafoetida is very strong. Just use a small pinch, and heat it first in oil to reduce bitterness. It's also an onion and garlic substitute for people who can't do onions (like me).

The Japanese seaweed Kombu is also recommended for gas. Add a strip after the beans are cooked, and fish it out when the soup is done. Mostly I've used it in soup stocks - it's a good source of minerals.

We use fresh veg, mostly. If you sauté or fry the veggies in one or two Tblsp oil, then add the spices and fry 2 minutes, that increases flavor and color. It makes the stew taste richer. If you steam the veggies covered for a few minutes, before adding the beans, that makes the cooking go much faster. The beans + grain can be cooking while you prep the veggies and sauté and steam them.

If you want to combine fresh and frozen veg, just add the frozen veg in the last few minutes as they cook very quickly. A little soy sauce or Braggs liquid aminos added at the end is also nice.

Happy Experimenting! Judith Kingsbury, Savvy Vegetarian

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