We love beans. They’re an excellent and economical source of fiber and plant-based protein. Beans are super good for you, tasty, creamy, and easy to incorporate into almost any dish. They deserve a starring role as a culinary love interest for anyone who wants to eat well for themselves and for the planet.

Our meals include lots of different types of beans - each one selected for the flavor, texture, and how it complements the rest of the mea. The beans we use most in our meals are: 

• Adzuki (red bean)
• Black Turtle (black bean)
• Canary (Mayocoba)
• Cannellini
• Garbanzo (chickpea)
• Great Northern
• Kidney
• Lima
• Mung
• Pinto

Beans Have a Piece of Your Heart

All types of beans have one thing in common: they’re incredibly heart healthy. With so much plant-based protein, fiber, and powerful plant compounds found in every little legume, beans are a top food in the fight against heart disease – the world’s leading cause of death.

Beans are budget-friendly. Heart disease is expensive, costing the US up to $1 billion dollars per day! It’s time to give beans a chance and kick heart disease to the curb. Here’s a breakdown of what makes beans so good for your heart:

Beans Reduce Risk of Coronary Artery Disease & Heart Attack

Study after study shows that a diet rich in beans lowers the risk of heart disease. One half to one cup of beans per day – just one serving – is enough to lower your risk of heart disease by 8-10%. Researchers believe it’s primarily beans’ high fiber content – both soluble and insoluble – that makes them so heart healthy.

Beans Lower LDL Cholesterol

LDL cholesterol stands for low-density lipoprotein. High LDL levels cause cholesterol – a fat-like substance – to accumulate as plaque in your arteries, putting you at risk of a blockage. LDL is often called “bad” cholesterol. To help you remember it’s the bad guy, think: L = lousy. Studies indicate that a diet rich in beans reduces LDL cholesterol levels by up to 5%.

Beans Increase HDL Cholesterol

Let’s hear it for HDL cholesterol! Also known as high-density lipoprotein, this “good” or “happy” cholesterol absorbs bad cholesterol and carries it to the liver, which flushes it from the body. Legumes like navy beans and lentils have been shown to increase HDL cholesterol levels.

Beans Reduce Blood Pressure

Beans are a staple of both the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and Mediterranean diet, two ways of eating that are proven to reduce blood pressure. Elevated blood pressure levels are linked to heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases. 

Beans Fight Inflammation

Beans contain phytochemicals, powerful plant compounds that have anti-inflammatory properties. Isoflavones and phenolic acids, the two phytochemicals most abundant in beans, lower risk of heart disease. While all beans contain phenolic acid, soybeans in particular are a good source of isoflavones.  

The Sweet Side of Beans

Time for some fun facts with a sweet twist. While beans are often served up as heart-healthy sides or plant-based mains, they also have a sweet side and are a great addition to many desserts. Here are a few surprisingly sweet ways to enjoy beans:

Adzuki Bean (Red Bean)

This sweet bean treatment is no secret in Asia. In fact, in countries like Japan, red bean desserts are as ubiquitous as chocolate is in the US! Also called adzuki beans, you can use these beans to make popsicles, ice cream, cake, pudding, and more.

Black Bean (Black Turtle Bean)

If you like your brownies fudgy, mix some mashed black beans into the batter. Not only do they provide a decadent and creamy texture, but black beans also up the fiber and protein content of beloved brownies. Thistle’s very own gluten-free, vegan recipe, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies, includes black beans as the secret ingredient.

Garbanzo Bean (Chickpea)

This culinary wonder gives a whole new meaning to beans being a magical fruit. Featured in Thistle’s How-to Guide to Plant-based Treats, aquafaba is the viscous liquid in canned garbanzo beans, or chickpeas. It magically whips up just like egg whites to take on the texture of desserts, like whipped cream, meringue, and pavlova – all without dairy or eggs. To make the magic happen, whip the liquid from one 15 ounce can of garbanzo beans with ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar with a hand or stand mixer for 3-6 minutes.

Level Up Your Cooking With Beans

Here are a few practical tips for eating and cooking with beans more frequently:

Incorporating More Beans Into Your Diet

If you’re sold on the health benefits of beans and intrigued by all the innovative ways to cook with them, what’s stopping you? For many, it’s concerns about digestive issues like bloating and gas. To mitigate unpleasant side effects, consider the following:

• Go slow: To help your digestive system adjust, start with one serving of beans just a few days per week. Over time, you should be able to eat beans multiple times per day with little discomfort. In other words: the more you eat the less you’ll toot.
• Hydrate: Up your fluid intake to aid in digestion. Drink lots of water and decaffeinated unsweetened beverages. Getting fluids from foods like brothy soups and fruit counts too!
• Try supplements: Digestive enzymes – taken just before eating – can lessen bloating and gas. Probiotics and teas and tinctures containing soothing foods like ginger or fennel may also help.

Purchasing Beans

At the store, you have two options: canned beans or dried beans. Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons of each:

Canned Beans

Canned beans are super convenient and a great option when you’re pressed for time or when you’ve forgotten to give dried beans an overnight soak. Although not as cheap as dry beans, they’re still a super economical source of whole food, plant-based protein. And if you’re making aquafaba, canned chickpeas are a must. 

Tip: Look for low sodium varieties of canned beans. Your heart and circulatory system will thank you. 

Dry Beans

The most economical and least resource-intense way to purchase legumes, dry beans are found next to canned beans at the supermarket or in the bulk section at natural food stores. To avoid single use packaging, bring your own jars and canisters to fill.

Tip: Look for dry beans that are smooth and uniform in appearance. Wrinkled and misshapen beans tend to be older and will take much longer to cook and won’t be as flavorful. 

Storing Beans

Canned Beans

Storing canned beans couldn’t be simpler. Keep them in a cabinet or pantry and be mindful of the expiration date. For leftover canned beans, refrigerate them in liquid or with a thin layer of oil on top in a sealed container for up to five days. You can also freeze leftover canned beans – cover them with water and place them in a jar or freezer bag.

Dry Beans

If you didn’t use your own canisters to purchase them in bulk, decant dry beans into airtight containers and store them in a cool, dark place. A cupboard or pantry some distance from the stove works great. Dry beans are good for at least a year. The more airtight the packaging, the longer they’ll last.

Preparing Beans

Canned Beans

Just as canned beans are simple to store, they’re also simple to prepare. Drain the beans and give them a good rinse – especially if they’re not a low sodium variety – and cook according to the recipe instructions. 

Tip: To reduce food waste, use the liquid from canned chickpeas to make an aquafaba-based dessert.

Dry Beans

Preparing dry beans takes some time, but is really quite simple and almost entirely hands-off. Here’s how to do it:

1. Measure: Dry beans, once fully cooked, double or triple in volume. Example: If a recipe calls for one cup of cooked beans, measure out a scant half cup or so of dry beans.
2. Sort and Rinse: Remove any debris (small stones, etc.) and shriveled beans. Then give them a really good rinse to remove any dirt.
3. Soak: Place beans in a pot and generously cover with cool water and two tablespoons of coarse salt – the briny solution helps soften the skins so they cook faster. Soak beans for at least eight hours. Twelve or more hours tends to produce the best results. The longer dry beans soak, the less gas they tend to cause. 
4. Try a quick soak: If you forgot to soak beans overnight, a quick soak in boiling hot water is a good plan B. After completing steps one and two, bring beans to a boil for one to two minutes. Turn off the heat, cover, and soak for 60 minutes.
5. Cook: Drain the soaking water and rinse beans again. Place in a pot with plenty of fresh water – the beans should be completely covered for the duration of cooking. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered for 30 minutes to two hours. Skim off any foam that forms during the cooking process. Stir and taste the beans every 15-30 minutes, adding more water as needed. When the texture is perfectly creamy and tender, the beans are done!
6. Add aromatics: During the cooking process, add an assortment of aromatics. Consider trying: 

• Bay leaves
• Chopped onion
• Garlic cloves
• Chopped carrots and celery
• Dried chiles
• Spices like cumin or paprika
• Woody herbs like thyme or rosemary
• Kombu – a type of kelp that adds umami and helps with digestibility 

1. Add salt and acid: Wait until toward the end of the cooking process – when the beans are almost done – to add these ingredients. If you add salt too early, the beans may get tough. If you add acids like vinegar or lemon juice too early, the flavor will be lost.
   

Tips:

• Black-eyed peas and lentils do not require soaking.
• If using a pressure cooker, dry beans don’t require nearly as much cooking time.
• Don’t toss the cooking broth! Instead, fight food waste by using it in soups and stews, to saute veggies, etc.
  

Be it beans and rice (black beans in Cuba, red beans in Louisiana, “peas” in the Caribbean, etc.), Hoppin’ John on New Years Day, chana masala at the Indian buffet, baked beans at a cookout, bean dip while you’re binging TV, chili on a frigid day, taco filling on a Tuesday night, hummus as an afternoon snack, or some of those sweet surprises we mention above, beans have a place in every cuisine and belong on every plate. How will you enjoy beans today?