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Beans and lentils are often integral to a plant-based diet as they are an awesome and dynamic source of protein. There are so many delicious ways to cook beans and they pair well with all your other favorite vegetables and dishes! You are going to love these recipes from our Food Monster App!
1. Red Bean Curry
Source: Red Bean Curry
This Red Bean Curry by Molly Patrick is totally delicious, and it’s also a lot easier to clean up because there is no oil coating your dishes. The part that takes the longest is chopping the veggies!
2. Three Bean and Green Lentil Chili
Source: Three-Bean and Green Lentil Chili
Completely plant-based and good for you, this Three-Bean and Green Lentil Chili by Julie Zimmer will be your new favorite dish! Now that the evenings are cooler, why not make a big pot of spicy chili?
3. Vegetable and Bean Soup
Source: Vegetable and Bean Soup
This Vegetable and Bean Soup by Mary Callan is a cure-all. There’s protein from the beans and an entire bunch of kale slipped in to help boost your immune system. It’s like eating an overflowing perfectly ripe vegetable garden. As usual with a hearty soup like this don’t worry too much if you’re missing a vegetable, just substitute with what you have at hand. It’s hard to go wrong with any root vegetable:) and if you can’t stand kale use spinach or Swiss chard. As with any soup or stew, this just gets better with time (although it’s still great straight from the pot) giving the flavors a chance to really meld.
Chili is one of the most comforting and filling meals around. Pair it with a piping hot baked sweet potato and you have yourself the perfect autumnal evening meal. Enjoy cuddled up on the sofa for one, or place in the middle of the table to share with your closest friends and let them help themselves. Made with black beans, this Black Bean Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes recipe by The Plant-Based Londoner is packed full of plant-based protein and dietary fiber, keeping you full and satisfied for longer. The fresh guacamole adds a beautifully creamy taste, and the coconut yogurt perfectly mimics the taste of sour cream.
5. Jambalaya Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
A plant-based take on jambalaya, one of the most popular dishes in Cajun cuisine. Meat-free sausage and a blend of vegetables are cooked in a savory blend of cayenne pepper, paprika, and thyme. Roasted spaghetti squash takes the place of rice, making this dish lower in carbs than the classic. This Jambalaya Stuffed Spaghetti Squash by Kathryn Pfeffer-Scanlan is amazing!
A simple veggie burger that’s nutritious, yet delicious! The Black Bean Burger with Tahini Slaw by Caroline Doucet is high in protein thanks to the beans, nuts, and seeds. It’s also filled with fiber due to the beans, vegetables, whole wheat bread, and again, the nuts and seeds. It’s flavored with smoked paprika, garlic, and onions to give you a BBQ-flavored burger, without any BBQ sauce. Make a few batches and keep them in the freezer for easy weeknight dinners!
7. Black Bean Brownies with Sweet Potato Caramel
Everybody loves brownies, but brownies with caramel are by far the best. This recipe uses a rich chocolate, black bean, and date brownie batter and then marbles homemade sweet potato caramel throughout the dessert. These Black Bean Brownies with Sweet Potato Caramel by Ashley Madden are scrumptious!
This delicious Fennel Bowl with White Beans and Dry Roasted Veggies by Annie McGee is nourishing, takes almost no prep time, and is super healthy for you too. It uses a creamy base of chickpeas, with some thinly sliced jalapeño to give them a bit of spice, that is topped off with some dry roasted fennel, broccoli, and carrots.
9. Fava Beans Zaatar Potato Salad
Potatoes are filling, versatile, and just plain delicious. Mix up your traditional potato salad with this recipe that features caramelized red onion, fava beans, and green olives. The salad is well-seasoned with za’atar, a Middle Eastern spice blend of thyme, sesame seeds, sumac, and more. This Fava Bean and Zaatar Potato Salad by Marta Ansaldo and Mimma Sangiorgio is dreamy.
10. Ratatouille White Bean Casserole
This is a simplified, rustic take on ratatouille! The vegetables are tender and literally melt into the tomato sauce and mix with the creamy white bean puree – it’s pure heaven! This is definitely a lighter dinner, since it’s mostly just vegetables, so you could easy bulk it up with a grain like couscous or quinoa on the side. Or also a huge baguette of French bread— because you KNOW there’s going to be some leftover tomato juices that need some mopping up. This Ratatouille White Bean Casserole by Liz Martone is simply awesome.
11. 5 Ingredient Spicy Black Bean Jalapeno Burgers
These 5-ingredient Spicy Black Bean Jalapeño Burgers by Michele Elizabeth are paired with a tahini lime sauce, healthy, tasty, and store well in the freezer. These simple burgers have a hearty, earthy flavor that’s given a spicy kick from the jalapeños that is counteracted by the creamy, tangy tahini sauce. Plus they’re quick and easy to make.
12. Black Beans S’mores Brownies
Utilizing black beans in brownie recipes is amazing because they are accessible, affordable, packed with protein, easy to use and create the perfect, buttery soft texture! These protein-packed goodies combine two of your all-time favorite sweets: fudgy brownies and ooey gooey s’mores. If you are in the mood for an indulgent treat that really isn’t that bad for you, whip up a batch of these Black Bean S’mores Brownies by Gabrielle St. Claire.
13. Swiss Chard and White Bean Grilled Sammie
This Swiss Chard and White Bean Grilled Sammie sandwich by Heather Poire is just as comforting as a grilled cheese but packed full of healthy ingredients. A grilled sandwich is so much better than one that is not and this tasty creation is the embodiment of summer comfort food perfected.
This is a beautiful take on a classic chili and the addition of kale makes it hearty and nutritious. The black eyed peas provide a sturdy foundation for the plethora of spices, garlic, and onion that go into creating the flavor of this chili and the kale adds a nice bit of texture to make this recipe a ‘bowl’ in one. This Black Eyed Peas and Kale Chili by Pavani Nandula is awesome.
15. Salsa Verde Zucchini Burrito Bowl
This tasty Salsa Verde Zucchini Burrito Bowl recipe by Emma D’Alessandro is packed with vegetables and makes a quick and easy dinner option that is delicious and creative. The sweet roasted peppers and tomatoes are complemented by a hearty mixture of rice, beans, and zucchini, and all of these flavors are studded with crunchy walnuts and flax seeds. Plus, every meal is better when it’s served in a bowl you can eat.
Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home
Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental well-being, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, and prostate cancer, and has many side effects.
For those of you interested in eating more plant-based we highly recommend grabbing our favorite plant-based cookbooks and downloading the Food Monster App — with over 20,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals, and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.
Here are some great resources to get you started:
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