Beans 101

Dried Beans 101

Dried beans are inexpensive and can substitute for meat especially when rice is added to make a complete protein. Depending upon how you cook them and what you add, they are very low in fat and high in fiber. Many ethnic cuisines, includes beans in some form or another. Dried beans are an excellent item to keep in the pantry because of their versatility and longevity.

Here we are going to start off with a Basic Bean Soup recipe and then give you some variations to cook depending upon your taste or your mood.

See High Altitude Cooking for considerations when cooking certain foods at elevations 2000 feet above see level.

All recipes are great served with cornbread.

2  cups dried beans--navy, small, white, pinto, black, etc.
    water to cover + 1 inch above beans
2  tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1  cup finely diced medium onion
1  cup chopped celery
4  large carrots, peeled and sliced about 1/2 inch thick
    vegetable, meat stock or water to cover generously
    other vegetables may be added, such as bell peppers or perhaps a
    cup of uncooked rice

Any or all of the following (see Variations below):
2 tablespoons parsley flakes
1 tablespoons dried oregano leaves
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground thyme
2 large peeled and diced tomatoes
or 1 (14 ½-ounce) can diced
tomatoes
salt and black or cayenne pepper to taste

Pick over beans to remove bad ones and any rocks or clumps of dirt. Wash beans. Put in large pot and cover with water to about 1 inch above beans. Soak in refrigerator over night. Quick method: bring to a boil and immediately turn off heat. Let sit for about 2 hours.

Pour beans into colander or large sieve and drain off all water. Rinse beans thoroughly under running water.

Heat pot and pour in oil. Brown onion, celery, carrots and herbs. Add beans, stock. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce to simmer and cook covered until beans are soft to taste, about 2 ½ hours or longer. Stir occasionally. Add water or more stock as required. The cooking time may vary depending upon preferred softness.

Add tomatoes and salt after bean are soft. If you add them at the beginning of the cooking time, the beans will not soften. To test the seasoning during cooking, ladle a tablespoon of the liquid into a small bowl or cup. Sprinkle with a little salt to test. See also High Altitude Cooking for considerations when cooking certain foods at elevations 2000 feet above see level.

F We have found that using a "simmer ring" under the pot is most helpful to prevent over cooking.
F You can do this in a slow cooker, cooking on high for 8 hours, but the beans may not be as soft.

Variations

With Meat: Omit or reduce the oil. Before browning vegetables and herbs, sauté 1 pound ground meat (beef, turkey, pork), diced ham or chopped bacon. Add the vegetables and herbs and brown. Drain off excess grease and proceed with the recipe as above.

Side Dish: To use as a side dish instead of soup, use less liquid (only enough to cover the ingredients) and add more only as needed to keep from burning.

Texas Chili Beans: Omit oregano and thyme and add chili powder and cumin to taste.

Cajun Red Beans and Rice: Traditionally this was served on Mondays which were wash days. Women would start the beans and cook all day while they did their weekly wash.

Omit carrots, oregano and cumin, use ham and add thickly (about 1 inch) sliced sausage, such as Andouille * for the meat. Be sure to include1 cup diced bell peppers with onion and celery for vegetables. Add cayenne and hot sauce to taste. Use the minimum about of stock. Cook rice separately. Serve beans over the rice.

* Andouille (ahn-DOO-wee) is a smoked sausage with roots in Germany and is standard in Creole and Cajun cuisines. Many markets carry Aidell's brand in several different flavors. Other sausages may be used, but will alter the flavor. Italian sausages (not smoked) include fennel which is not commonly used in Louisiana cooking. In some New Orleans restaurants the sausage links are not sliced, but are served whole on top of a dish of Red Beans and Rice.

The basic recipe and all variations freeze beautifully.

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