The benefits of beans cannot be overstated. (We’re using “beans” as shorthand for the larger family of legumes, which includes thousands of varieties of beans, peas, chickpeas, and lentils.)
Whether for their sustainability superpowers, knockout nutritional advantages, affordability, or their near-universal culinary appeal, beans are one of the most beneficial foods on the planet. So much so, in fact, that doctors now recommend 3 servings of beans per day, while experts are promoting beans as the best food to effectively address the double crises of climate change and global food insecurity.
The UN agrees; they’ve designated February 10 of every year World Pulses Day, and launched the Beans Is How campaign, an initiative to double global bean consumption by 2028. A Well-Fed World was excited to join the Beans Is How partner coalition in 2024, based on our work to increase consumption of beans through our Planetary Pulse Project, which makes improved varieties of legume seeds available to farmers and growers in need around the world.
Now, to complement our work to make beans affordable and accessible for everyone, we’re launching How You Bean!, recipes that showcase the incredible culinary diversity and versatility of beans. While eating three servings of legumes per day may sound like a lot, it is actually quite easy, especially when you consider that beans can even be the secret star in breads and desserts. That’s right! Read on for some incredible, highly edible, and, in some cases, unexpected recipes, and note that we’re looking for adventurous How You Bean! recipe testers. If you’re willing to whip up one or more of these creations and to be featured in a social media post, please email [email protected].
Bean Around the World
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From soups, stews, stir fries, and curries, to casseroles, power bowls, and soul food, beans have long played a leading role in cuisines and cultures across the globe. If you enjoy cooking, then getting creative and trying some new-to-you bean recipes from other regions offers a lesson in culture and a culinary treat.
Check out the carefully curated online collection from Best of Vegan, Around the World in 33 Vegan Bean Recipes, as well as the cookbook, Vegan Beans from Around the World: 100 Adventurous Recipes for the Most Delicious, Nutritious, and Flavorful Bean Dishes Ever.
Power Bowls, aka Buddha Bowls, Balance Bowls, or Veggie Bowls, also tend to incorporate a wide range of flavors and traditions, in addition to a bean-based protein source. Try one of the colorful and mouthwatering creations from 23 Vegan Buddha Bowls, or Feasting At Home’s 31 Plant-Based Buddha Bowls. And for more delicious variations on these no-fuss, nutrient-packed meals, check out the cookbooks Vegan Bowl Attack!, Plant Power Bowls, and Plant-Based Buddha Bowls.
If you don’t like to cook, you can easily find new ways to love legumes when eating out. My personal favorite cuisine (both for beans and generally) is Ethiopian food. Ethiopian dishes are typically composed of injera, a spongy, sourdough crepe-like bread made from fermented teff flour, spread out like a platter and topped with different kinds of seasoned wats (stews) and vegetables.
At Ethiopian restaurants, the yetsom beyaynetu, or vegetarian combination platter, is the perfect entrée for vegans and an excellent introduction to the mouthwatering magic Ethiopian cuisine works with beans, from shiro wat, an aromatic stew made from ground chickpeas, to miser wat (spiced red lentils), kik alicha (yellow split pea stew), and fossolia (green beans with carrot and spices). And that’s just the tip of the bean pod!
If you’re feeling more adventurous, you can also learn to cook the yetsom beyaynetu platter at home. Other restaurants where the cuisine typically features some amazing bean dishes include Indian, Mediterranean, Mexican, Caribbean, Middle Eastern, and more!
Breads & Other Baked Goods
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Bread? Made of beans? You read that right. If the idea of bean bread makes you do a mental double take, you’re not alone. But it’s a real thing! In fact, Cherokee Native Americans have long cooked a bean bread called “tuya asuyi gadu” that is very similar to tamales. And in ancient England (and likely elsewhere), beans were used in bread as far back as at least the 11th century.
More recently, using beans in bread and other baked goods has become popular for a variety of reasons, including appealing to folks who follow grain- or gluten-free diets, while others simply love the idea of a protein-packed bread that’s as nutritious as it is delicious!
Recipe creator Camilla over at PowerHungry.com has created an abundance of super easy bean-based baked good recipes, including:
3 Ingredient Red Lentil Sandwich Bread (yeast-free)
5 Ingredient Fluffy Red Lentil Loaf (with yeast)
Easy Vegan White Bean Biscuits
3 Ingredient Almond & Chickpea Flour Bread
Dips
Three servings of beans per day actually isn’t a lot when you consider that one serving is defined as a quarter cup of hummus or bean dip; a half cup of cooked beans, split peas, lentils, tofu, or tempeh; or a full cup of fresh peas or sprouted lentils. Who doesn’t enjoy a midday snack of hummus and pita, or a late-night nosh of chips and dip? For an added bonus, consider pairing a bean-based spread you love with one of the bean-based breads above!
Desserts
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If you thought bean-based bread was hard to believe, you’ll be peas-itively shocked to learn that beans can be the secret ingredient in some of your favorite desserts. No kidding! In addition to a major protein boost, black beans add the perfect moist, springy sponginess to cakes and brownies, while the actual taste of beans becomes entirely undetectable during baking. Meanwhile, red adzuki beans have long been used in delectable Asian delicacies including ice cream, custard, pudding, cake, cookies and more.
Where to begin? With nearly 9,000 five-star reviews, Chocolate Covered Katie’s Famous Flourless Black Bean Brownies (PDF) might be your best bet to start with. Another popular bean brownie recipe is this one from Clean Food Crush. Once you’ve tasted how delicious sweets made with beans can be, you’ll feel emboldened to try some of these other amazing bean-based confections:
Chocolate Chip Paht (Sweet Red Bean) Cookies
Sticky Rice Cake with Red Bean Paste
Swaps
By now it’s clear that beans are masters of disguise, capable of going undetected in the most unexpected of foods. A related undercover specialty is their power of mimicry; legumes have long been a prime ingredient in plant-based meat and milk alternatives, from ancient soybean-based foods like tempeh, tofu, and soymilk, to products like the Beyond Burger and Just Egg, which make use of the incredibly versatile mung bean.
Tempeh is a traditional Indonesian food made from fermented soybeans that is widely eaten around the world. Delicious (and incredibly nutritious) in its own right, it’s also great at transforming into vegan versions of certain animal products. Another beloved old school soyfood is tofu, also known as bean curd. Like tempeh, it is a celebrated food on its own, with a starring role in many stir fries, curries, kebabs, and bowls. It is also one of the oldest “mock meats.” When Buddhism spread to medieval China, converts adopted the Buddhist requirement of vegetarianism, and began using tofu (as well as ingredients like gluten) to innovate nearly identical versions of traditional animal-based dishes.
Below, learn how these and other beans are used to create some of the most popular and persuasive plant-based meat and dairy analogs. Happy swapping!
Scrambled Eggs: There are delicious plant-based versions of every egg dish under the sun… and most of them have beans to thank! Many eggless egg dishes rely on tofu, but for those with soy allergy or aversion, chickpea flour is another excellent replicator of egg texture and flavor. A savory tofu scramble is one of our favorite meals; there are tofu scramble recipes that are dead ringers for scrambled eggs, like this one from The Gentle Chef. There are also many popular chickpea flour scramble recipes to choose from; here’s one. Feel free to get creative and add your favorite veggies like sautéed spinach or kale, onions, mushrooms, potatoes, cherry tomatoes… And if you need a faster scramble, grab a bottle of Just Egg, the amazing plant-based scramble made from mung beans!
Tuna Salad and Chicken Salad: The humble chickpea is a mouthwatering replacement for meat in chicken salad and tuna salad. There are tons of recipes for chicken-less chickpea salad, and “chickpea of the sea” tuna-less salad. People are obsessed with both of these on a classic sandwich. Whichever you try, our tip is to be sure and use some Vegenaise!
Bacon: There are tons of amazing vegan bacon recipes, using everything from seitan to rice paper to mushrooms… and, of course, beans! In this case, it’s tempeh (made from soybeans). Soaked in a maple-smoke marinade, this easy tempeh bacon fries up crispy and chewy, salty and sweet, and is perfect with a breakfast scramble or on a BLT. Oh, and it’s packed with protein; thanks, beans!
Ground Beef (Tacos, Meatballs, Chili): Judging by reviews, chefs and home cooks have nailed the perfect plant-based substitute for ground beef. Or I should say, substitutes; it’s a tie between two different versions, but they’re both bean-based. The jury’s split between TVP (texturized vegetable protein from soybeans)and lentils. Try them both and you be the judge!
Meatloaf: It’s another close call when it comes to most popular vegan meatloaf recipes, this time with chickpeas going head to head with store-bought Impossible Ground Beef. Lentils are still in the game, though: try this Best Vegan Meatloaf recipe from Sweet Potato Soul, or the Ultimate Lentil Loaf from Simple Veganista.
Burgers: nine out of ten of the most popular vegan burger recipes on Google are also bean-based! Try this chickpea-and-walnut based burger from Loving It Vegan, this one made with TVP from Thee Burger Dude, or one of the black bean-based burgers that get rave reviews over at Minimalist Baker and Inspired Taste. These lentil, chickpea and nut burgers from Serious Eats are also big crowd pleasers!
Bean There, Done That
Help us get more folks excited about beans! Volunteer as a recipe tester for one or more of the recipes featured here, and, if it’s a success, send us a photo and review for social media telling us #HowYouBean!
Bean Bash: Host a #HowYouBean potluck with guests each trying a different recipe: somebody brings a bean bread, somebody else brings a bean dessert, while others bring bean-based main courses from around the globe! Snap some pics and share to social media with the hashtag #HowYouBean, and tag us too!
Fun with Kids: Make something fun like black bean brownies and enlist kids to be the taste testers, whether at a pool party or as a classroom snack. Host a bean-themed Halloween (Hallobean?) and give out bean cupcakes or brownies at the door. Trick or treat? How about both!
Do you have other ideas for how to get people to eat more beans? A favorite recipe you’d like to see featured? Get in touch and tell us #HowYouBean!