Today we’re back with another Top 5 video and this one is on the Top 5 dry legumes we like to have in the pantry at all times. Whether you know them as beans, legumes, pulses(?) or something else, they’re a major staple in a starch-based diet and we don’t want to live in a world without them.

Dillon and I had a couple of debatable/controversial points arise in the first part of the video. First of all, I said it: beans are higher on my list of favorite starches than potatoes. I know… GASP! Dillon was flabbergasted by that statement because he knows how much I looove potatoes. But it’s true… if I had to choose one or the other, beans would win. But thank goodness I don’t have to make that choice today!

The other question that arose is, “What the heck are “pulses” and who actually calls beans “pulses” anyway? I didn’t have the answer on the video but I did a little digging for the blog and found out that “legumes” refer to any plant that grows in a pod and a “pulse” refers to only the dry edible seed within the pod. The more you know!

Whatever you call your legumes, they’re an awesome staple for your healthy, whole-food diet. They last in the pantry almost indefinitely, require minimal preparation, and are an inexpensive, healthy source of protein, potassium, and complex carbohydrates. They add lots of fiber to your diet and on average, contain 20-25% protein by weight (on a dry basis), which is 2-3 times more protein than wheat or rice. Ready to eat some beans? Here are favorites:

#1 - Garbanzos

It’s no surprise that garbanzo beans (a.k.a. chickpeas) slid into our #1 spot. We love garbanzo beans for their sheer versatility. You can eat them plain, with absolutely nothing added to them and they’re delicious. However, if you’re willing to do a tiny bit extra, you can season and roast them for a crunchy snack, add them to curries, soups, and stews, or use them in a variety of ways as a base for healthy dips, sauces, and spreads. I mean, what would life be without hummus, am I right?

Here are a couple of our favorite recipes that include garbanzos: 

The Healthiest Spinach Artichoke Dip On The Planet.

#2 - Lentils

There are so many varieties of lentils, each producing different tastes and textures in the finished result, which is why we have more than one kind on our Top 5 list. Brown lentils retain their shape and texture after cooking and are wonderful additions to soups, salads, or simply eaten on their own.

If there’s a code to crack when it comes to cooking lentils, we’ve cracked it. Ready for the secret? Just cook them like pasta! Boil a large pot of water, throw in your lentils, let them cook for about 17-18 minutes (or until tender), drain, rinse, and serve. That’s it! They’re perfect every time. Lentils are a wonderful food to batch prep so you have a quick and easy protein to grab a handful (or two) of to toss in your meals during your busy week.

Here are a few of our favorite lentil-based recipes: 

Lentil-Mango Salad

Easy Vegan Meatloaf Bites

#3 - Red Lentils

They also cook up very fast and don’t need soaking, so they really are a great way to thicken up a dish and also add a “meaty” texture that is a perfect stand-in for any recipe calling for ground meat (such as chili). If you don’t want to add meaty texture, just grind them up in a high-speed blender to make a lentil “flour”. We’ve even used red lentils to make simple tortilla-style wraps!

Check out these fun ways we like to use red lentils: 

Dillon’s Starch Blaster 

#4 - Green Split Peas

Green (or yellow) split peas are also an excellent source of fiber and protein. They’re also very rich in vitamins B1, B5, K, folate, iron, magnesium and zinc, among others. They’re a nutritional powerhouse! They also absorb a LOT of water in cooking and will easily thicken up soups and stews, similar to red lentils, but they take longer to do it. We mostly use green split peas to make classic Split Pea Soup, which is so filling and comforting particularly in colder months. 

Simply sauté some onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Toss in your green split peas and add enough veggie stock for the peas to swim freely around as you stir. Season with a good dehydrated vegetable blend (you can find one on Amazon) and some smoked paprika, bring to a boil and cook on low until the split peas have thickened up. That’s how easy it is to make a hearty, smokey and satisfying split pea soup any day of the week! 

#5 - Black & Pinto Beans

We’ve mentioned how much we love black and pinto beans in our Top 5 Canned Foods video. If you’ve followed us for even 5 minutes, you will have likely observed our great love for Latin-inspired foods. Black and pinto beans are quintessential for Latin fare and are interchangeable with one another; anything that’s good made out of pinto beans is equally delicious made out of black beans in our opinion!

Here are a couple of our favorite recipes featuring black and pinto beans: 

The World’s Healthiest Plant-Based Nachos

Easy Plant-Based Quesadillas 

Mexican Stuffed Peppers 

Bonus #1 - Soy Curls

Bonus #2 - 13 Bean Soup Mix

What do you get when you take all the beans we’ve mentioned, plus a few more, and mix them all together? 13 Bean Soup Mix, of course! You’ve seen it, you know it, and you may already have a bag of it in your pantry. We use this mix basically the same way we use Green Split Peas, which is to make a hearty soup in our InstantPot. We eat a lot of the same foods week after week; we have our favorites and we mostly stick to them but we do occasionally crave a little variety and 13 Bean Soup is a wonderful way for us to break up our normal bean game. 

There you go: Our Top 5 Dry Legumes (plus a couple more) that we like to have in the pantry at all times for making tasty and satisfying meals. There’s not a week that goes by where we don’t eat at least one thing from this list. We hope this gives you some good ideas and motivation to make legumes a key ingredient in your healthy, whole-food diet.

 
Til Next Time, Xoxo Reebs