72 Comments

So happy to find bean people in the comments haha. I’m vegetarian and make beans every week too. They’re literally the best.

Expand full comment

Seriously! They’re criminally underrated

Expand full comment

How many different types of edible beans do you think there is in the world? Google says 400-500 which I think is bullshit.

Expand full comment

Yeah that's some anti-bean nonsense lol. If you phrase it as "legumes", there are at least 16,000 different edible varieties. We could eat beans forever!

Expand full comment

Love this. I prep about 2 pounds of beans every few weeks and then freeze them in small batches and add them back to other recipes: chili, stews, etc.

Expand full comment

I just love this! This is why food writing is not just blather and recipes. This is wonderful really!

Expand full comment

Thank you ❤️❤️❤️

Expand full comment

I love all the hundreds of ways Indians cook beans (not counting all of our Dahl recipes). I could eat Indian Rajma any time if a Punjabi mum cooked them for me. Only just discovered the joys of cooking beans from scratch and wow they taste so much better than the canned stuff!

Expand full comment

Beans4evs! We chuck black or pintos in the instant pot for an hour with onion, cilantro, better than bouillon and plenty of salt about every week.

This is my latest fav way to cook beans, Nisha never disappoints. https://rainbowplantlife.com/creamy-white-bean-soup-with-kale-and-gremolata/

This stew will be back in the rotation this winter: https://www.alisoneroman.com/recipes/dilly-bean-stew-with-cabbage-and-frizzled-onions

Expand full comment

Dill and beans are one of my favorite combos

Expand full comment

I love beans. All kinds. And really enjoyed Michelle’s article. We do a bean a week. Buy them in bulk dried from “the great bulk wall” at a local grocery. And buy fresh beans at our local Farmers Market. Cook em up a pound at a time on the stove or in the instapot. If I don’t need the whole batch I freeze beans and any leftover bean water in jars for future recipes. My version of cans. A friend recommended this site for some bean varieties not available at the grocery. Haven’t tried it yet but plan to soon

https://www.ranchogordo.com

Expand full comment

Rancho Gordo is amazing. I love a giant bulk wall too though

Expand full comment

I simply love this.

Expand full comment

How fitting that we are repeating the Beanessanince week from the August meal manager (week 2). Love the bean and corn salad for the tostadas and enchiladas! Certainly not missing the 'meat' here!!

Expand full comment

I love to hear that 👏👏👏

Expand full comment

I used to make a kidney bean chilli about once a week... This makes me want to bring it back into the rotation! I've wanted to try dried beans but I always get nervous that I won't soak / cook them long enough and will get stomach aches... Has this ever happened to anyone?

Expand full comment

All you have to do is make sure they’re super soft the first time so you can get the hang of it. Puree them with some spices and make a bean dip. You’ve got this!

Expand full comment

I made a white bean soup last week and it was so tasty. Beans (and lentils) have been our go-to for vegetarian dishes, and they are also so affordable!

Expand full comment

Thank you for posting this, Michelle. I needed that reminder and inspiration to get back to making my beans from scratch. I have a cupboard full of jars of beans but kept buying canned beans. My favourite piece of advice from you is always the reminder that we can do this! Thanks!

Expand full comment

I’m so glad. We CAN do this damnit!

Expand full comment

1. This time of year, try some freshly shucked beans from the farm stand. The taste/texture if remarkably different when compared to dried beans.

2. The stove-top pressure cooker is the answer to all dried bean related questions. No soaking, amazing flavor, cheap to buy, easy to store.

3. What is the title/date of the butt-trumpet photo above? I need some context!

Expand full comment

Yesss, love fresh shucked beans too. Such a treat.

The butt trumpet is all over so many illuminated manuscripts from the medieval period. We love a fart joke

https://rkslade.substack.com/p/the-interesting-history-of-the-butt

Expand full comment

My husband is from Texas, and we now live in South Carolina. Before we were vegan, I fell in love with The Homesick Texan. I have two of her cookbooks, and while we don’t eat the animal products anymore, her bean recipes and salsa recipes, and rice recipes are wonderful! It also turns out that pinto beans and corn bread are a typical meal in SC. The Carolinas also specialize in field peas and butter/lima beans.. so good!

Expand full comment

Yesss! I love The Homesick Texan

Expand full comment

I have gone back & forth from can to dried beans over the decades. Currently in canned phase, prepping things is really hard for me sometimes but I always have dried beans around for the apocalypse. I do have an instant pot & when I am up to it will start using that to cook dried beans.

Expand full comment

I love making beans. Here in Costa Rica the easiest beans to find are black or red beans. We can also get garbanzo and white beans dried. I pressure cook mine the old fashioned way. It’s amazing: less than and hour to fresh delicious beans. I’ve never used an instapot. So far I haven’t felt the need to upgrade.

Expand full comment