Scenario 1: You purchase a bean mix, thinking you’ll make a great batch of chili with it, and soup, and maybe…something else (it’ll come to you later)…then….it just sits in your cupboard until next year’s chili season. And every time you open your pantry door, you see that huge container of mixed beans, still three-quarters or seven-eighths full, and feel a little guiltier each time you see it. “What do I do with ALL THOSE BEANS??!!” You ask yourself every.time.you.open.the.pantry.
Scenario 2: You were using those beans to make a large pot of Tomato Bean Chili for a multi-family chili pot luck, so you followed the container instructions and soaked a BUNCH of beans overnight, thinking you’d make two huge batches of chili. You always forget how far beans go! Sure, it was great to use up over half the container of beans, but you only used a third of those soaked/pre-cooked beans in the chili. So now you have a bunch ready-to-use beans for….?
Meatless Main to the RESCUE! Here are three recipes for the price of one bean: Tomato Bean Chili, Full O’ Beans Shepherd’s Pie, and Beanie-Veggie Burgers!
My bean mix is from Epicurean Specialty, and includes dried kidney, white, pinto, and black beans, split yellow and green peas, and lentils. I love this mix! It’s hearty, versatile, warm, and as you’ll see, works great in more than just soup or chili!
TOMATO BEAN CHILI
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups dried bean mix
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 medium carrot, chopped
- 1 stalk of celery, chopped
- 1 cup parsley, roughly chopped
- 2 poblano peppers, seeds and ribs removed, and chopped
- 1/2 cup dried wheat berries {or farro, barley, or other whole grain of choice}
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2(two) 8 oz cans tomato paste
- 2(two) 15 oz cans diced tomatoes
- 2 limes, squeezed
- 1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 6 cups vegetable stock
DIRECTIONS
- For the beans: Soak beans in three times their volume of cold water at least 8 hours, or overnight. Drain. Pre-cook the beans according to package directions: Coat the bottom of a large stock pot with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, salt and pepper to taste, and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the beans, parsley, and fresh water, roughly double the volume of beans. Bring water to a simmer and cook beans, uncovered, until tender, approximately 1.5-2 hours. Drain.
- For the chili: Coat bottom of a large stock pot with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Sauté the poblano peppers, whole grain of choice, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the pre-cooked beans, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, and lime juice and let cook for another 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the remaining ingredients, minus the vegetable stock, and continue to stir and cook for about 5-7 minutes. Now add the vegetable stock, allow to come to a boil, and reduce heat to low and let simmer for at least one hour, adding water as needed. Test the beans for doneness, and continue to simmer as needed until the beans are creamy and the chili has come together, another 30-60 minutes. Add water or stock as needed for desired consistency.
- Serve with chopped red onion, cilantro, green onions, and any other favorite chili toppings.
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On to the Full O’ Beans Shepherd’s Pie. This is so hearty and warm–and topped with smashed sweet potatoes adds the perfect amount of subtle sweetness. {I usually add a sweet potato to my regular potatoes if I’m making mashed potatoes–it adds more flavor, nutrients, and a fun orange color!}
FULL O' BEANS SHEPHERD'S PIE
This is a snap to pull together if you have about 3 cups pre-cooked beans ready to go. If you are busy during the week, soak and pre-cook your beans over the weekend, and just pull them out of the fridge to throw this together and heat up for dinner.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE BEANS:
- 1 cups dried bean mix
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 medium carrot, chopped
- 1 stalk of celery, chopped
- 1 cup parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced on the diagonal and set aside
- 1/2 cup barley, farro, wheat berries, or other whole grain of choice, cooked and set aside
INGREDIENTS FOR THE SMASHED POTATOES:
- 2 medium potatoes (any variety is fine), peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped
INGREDIENTS FOR THE GRAVY:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2-2 cups vegetable stock
DIRECTIONS
- For the beans: Soak beans in three times their volume of cold water at least 8 hours, or overnight. Drain. Pre-cook the beans according to package directions: Coat the bottom of a large stock pot with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, salt and pepper to taste, and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the beans, parsley, and fresh water, roughly double the volume of beans. Bring water to a simmer and cook beans, uncovered, until tender, approximately 1.5-2 hours. Drain any extra cooking liquid.
- Stir in the whole grain of choice with the beans in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- For the smashed potatoes: Put the chopped potatoes in a large stock pot and cover with two inches of water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and let simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Reserve about 1 cup cooking liquid, then drain the rest, and put the potatoes back in the pot. Roughly smash the potatoes with a smasher, fork, or spoon, adding the cooking liquid as you need. You can also add a dollop of butter, vegan butter, sour scream, kefir, or any other potato-enhancing ingredient to your smashed potatoes. Set aside.
- For the gravy: In a small sauce pan, heat the oil or butter over medium heat, then add the flour, whisking the entire time to incorporate and “cook” the flour. Once it’s bubbling, add the vegetable stock, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Continue to stir until the gravy thickens and comes together. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- For assembly and bake: Spoon the bean/whole grain mixture into a greased casserole dish. Next evenly layer the carrots on top of the beans and pour the gravy over the carrots and beans. Spoon the smashed potatoes on top. Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake, uncovered, for 45-60 minutes, until gravy is deliciously bubbly and smashed potatoes have crispy golden tips.
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Last but not least: the Beanie-Veggie Burger. Who doesn’t love a burger, right?! The beans make a great base for any of your favorite additions. I used 1/2 cup leftover cooked barley, chopped walnuts, fresh parsley, Worcestershire sauce, and ground flax seed as a binder.
I had {believe it or not} 6 cups of leftover beans to use for burgers, even after using a ton of beans for that pot luck chili dinner, and about three cups of beans I used for the Shepherd’s Pie. I think I initially soaked 6 cups of beans, and used that huge pot of pre-cooked beans in all three recipes! Dried beans go a loooooooong way!!
Back to the burgers…using 6 cups of smashed beans will make 9 burgers, using a #6 {about 3.5oz} cookie/ice cream scooper. I cooked a few up for dinner, and froze the rest to cook up for a quick weeknight dinner later. They were amazingly burger-iffic.
BEANIE-VEGGIE BURGERS
This is a snap to pull together if you have about 6 cups pre-cooked beans ready to go. If you are busy during the week, soak and pre-cook your beans over the weekend, and just pull them out of the fridge to throw this together and heat up for dinner.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE BEANS:
- 2 1/2 cups dried bean mix
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 medium carrot, chopped
- 1 stalk of celery, chopped
- 1 cup parsley, roughly chopped
INGREDIENTS FOR THE BURGERS:
- 6 cups precooked beans
- 1/2 cup cooked barley {or farro, wheat berries, or another whole grain of choice}
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup ground flax seed
- salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
- For the beans: Soak beans in three times their volume of cold water at least 8 hours, or overnight. Drain. Pre-cook the beans according to package directions: Coat the bottom of a large stock pot with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, salt and pepper to taste, and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the beans, parsley, and fresh water, roughly double the volume of beans. Bring water to a simmer and cook beans, uncovered, until tender, approximately 1.5-2 hours. Drain any extra cooking liquid.
- Spoon half of the pre-cooked bean mix into a blender and pulse until the consistency of guacamole, sort of chunky-smooth. Pour into a large mixing bowl and add the remaining whole beans and the rest of the ingredients. Stir until well mixed and fully incorporated. Let rest for a few minutes.
- Line a cookie tray with parchment paper. Using a scooper to ensure equal-sized patties, scoop bean mixture and form into patties. The mixture will be wet; press well to keep the mixture together and well-formed. If you use a #6 {about 3.5 oz} scooper, you will make 9 patties. Let rest to help bind everything together before cooking or freezing.
- These are great cooked in a skillet, indoor/outdoor grill, etc. Without any meat or eggs, you just need to heat through and get a crispy exterior, about 5-7 minutes on each side. Serve with your favorite burger toppings!
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MEATLESS MAIN 