High-Protein Beans Recipe

Maybe beans aren’t the most popular dishes for celebrations but get ready to change that now. It’s one of the healthiest recipes enjoyed by adults and kids alike. Nutritious, flavorful, and satisfying – it’s everything you can ask for in High-Protein Beans! 

It makes the perfect main dish or side dish for gatherings and picnics. Cook it with soups and stews for the best combinations yet!

How to Make High-Protein Beans

You can cook this hearty dish with the right herbs and spices! It’s so delicious that your friends and family won’t notice that they’ve been eating healthy all along!

Ingredients

Black-eyed beans

You might recognize these as white beans with black marks attached to the pods. Black eye beans are extremely healthy because they contain calcium, iron, and many other vitamins and minerals! 

According to WebMD, even half a cup of these beans will be enough to supply you with energy and the suggested daily intake of manganese!

Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes come in a variety of colors, all of which are starchy and saccharine. These are great ingredients for cancer prevention, digestion, and immunity!

Ripe plantains

Like sweet potatoes, ripe plantains are also starchy and sweet. They are usually black in color with touches of yellow on the skin. It is known to be a mood booster to reduce stress and anxiety.

Aside from this recipe, you can also convert ripe plantains into Roasted Plantains, Steamed Plantains, or even Plantain Porridge!

Liquid stock and stock cubes

These broth ingredients are perfect for making any dish savory. It incorporates infused poultry, meat, or vegetable flavors to make the recipe diverse. 

Herbs and spices

Choose the best seasoning to give life to the dish you’re cooking! This recipe uses smoked paprika, mixed herbs, curry powder, garlic powder, onion granules, mace, all-purpose seasoning, sea salt, coriander, cardamom, cumin, fenugreek, and garam masala. 

Onions

Convert this into a paste and you will add an irresistible aroma to the beans! It can also be a thickening agent for richer bean recipes. 

Oil 

Sunflower and palm oil are the best options due to their high smoke point. The dish will need hours to cook so these oils can withstand high temperatures for long periods of time. 

Can you already smell and taste the goodness of the beans? You won’t even believe how luxurious the texture will be once you make it! Prepare yourself for the best beans recipe yet! 

Directions

1. In a bowl, soak the black-eyed beans in water overnight.
2. On the following day, rinse and drain the beans.
3. Peel and dice the sweet potatoes and ripe plantains using a knife. 
4. In a pot, pour water, liquid stock, stock cubes, smoked paprika, mixed herbs, curry powder, garlic powder, onion granules, mace, all-purpose seasoning, sea salt, coriander, cardamom, cumin, fenugreek, and garam masala. You can add a scotch bonnet or any chili pepper. 
5. Drain the pre-soaked beans in the herbs and spices mixture.
6. Put in the diced sweet potatoes and plantain. Cover the pot with parchment paper and a lid. 
7. Cook it on low heat for 5 hours or medium-low heat for 2 hours and 30 minutes. 
8. Peel and chop the onions. Blend it until you achieve a paste consistency. 
9. After cooking the beans, add the fresh onion paste to the pot. Drizzle sunflower oil and palm oil. 
10. Mix them from the bottom of the pan to the top. Cover the pot with the parchment paper and lid again.
11. Cook it for another hour on very low heat or 30 minutes on medium heat. 
12. You can already serve it after the final cooking stage, but you can also mash it for a finer texture. 

You may notice that it takes a while to cook, making it extra flavorful! I can also assure you that it will be worth the wait!

Tips

How to Select and Store the Fresh Ingredients

Black-eyed beans

Selection. These are readily packaged and available in supermarkets. Ensure that the beans are not shriveled, cracked, or infested. 

Storage. Once opened, transfer the bean into an airtight jar and store it at room temperature for up to several months. For cooked or soaked black-eyed beans, put them in an airtight container to last up to a week in the fridge and several weeks in the freezer. 

Sweet Potatoes

Selection. Choose small to medium-sized sweet potatoes. Opt for ones with smooth skin and firm to the touch. 

Storage. Store the potatoes in cool and dry areas and use them within one week. These are not recommended for freezing or refrigeration because they easily bruise. 

Ripe Plantains

Selection. Buy ones that are black and yellow because these are likely to be perfectly ripe. Note that they should still be firm. 

Storage. If the plantains are already ripe, it is best to use them as soon as possible. To prolong shelf life, freeze the plantains in freezer bags. 

How to Make and Store Liquid Stock

You can use chicken, meat, or vegetables to make your liquid stock. First, rinse the ingredients and add your desired herbs and spices to make the broth flavorful. Let the ingredients cook in a pot for a few hours or until tender. 

Then, strain the contents and set the liquid stock aside for future use. You can freeze the liquid stock in ice cube trays and transfer it into freezer bags within 6 months. 

How to Puree Onions Without a Blender

You won’t have to skip the onion puree without a blender! You can use a mortar and pestle, food mill, food processor, potato masher, or even a simple kitchen knife to mash the onions for a paste. 

Beans Variations

You can use all sorts of beans for this recipe. Alter the cooking process as needed but feel free to use the same herbs and spices in this dish. For instance, you can try making this with kidney beans, lima beans, or pinto beans. 

Moreover, this recipe gives you the freedom to use your preferred seasonings. In addition, you can add a scotch bonnet or other chili options you desire. You can use vegetable stock instead of liquid stock for a vegan and vegetarian variant. 

Recommended Tools

• Pot: Cook the ingredients in a pot over a stove.
• Blender: Use the blender to puree the onions into a paste.
• Masher: This is an optional tool if you want to mash the beans.
• Spatula: Mix the ingredients using a spatula. 
• Knife: Slice the ingredients with a clean knife. 
• Peeler: Use a peeler to remove the skin of the sweet potatoes. 

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How to Serve Beans

These healthy beans are best served with other nutritious food, such as:

• Roasted Plantains
• Bread
• Steamed Plantains
• Moi Moi

Babies can have beans as early as seven months old but stick to cooked and mashed beans with breast milk or formula milk. Reduce the seasoning if you plan on serving this to toddlers too. 

For beverage options, enjoy the beans with the following drinks:

• Beetroot Apple Juice
• Carrot Juice
• Zobo Drink
• Orange Juice
• Pomegranate Juice

Storage Tips

• At room temperature: Beans are best consumed within 2 hours at room temperature. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What bean has the highest protein?

According to Hari & Co, fava beans have the highest protein content, with 26.12 grams for every 100 grams. Other high-protein beans include black-eyed beans, lentils, kidney beans, and split peas.

Is this beans recipe healthy? 

Yes, it is healthy because it uses natural and fresh ingredients packed with vitamins and minerals. Beans also supply your body with energy for a productive day. 

This dish also contains other ingredients to promote weight management, heart health, healthy vision, bone strength, cancer prevention, and more!

What beans have more protein than meat?

Beans with higher protein than beans include black beans, lentils, chickpeas, and pinto beans.

This post may contain general information and does not constitute professional medical advice. Always seek information or advice from a qualified medical professional. Please read the full disclaimer for details.