Saluting the humble, hearty bean

A well-cooked pot of beans can be summed up in two words — humble and hearty.

Dried or canned beans don’t need many frills to provide warmth and comfort or extra trips to specialty stores. Toss in aromatics like garlic and onion along with herbs, if you have any, and seasonings like salt, paprika, ground turmeric or garam masala.

To bulk up the dish, please vegetarians by adding carrots, peppers, tomatoes and/or greens. For a double dose of protein and flavor, simmer the beans with smoky ham hock. If you add ground meat or chunks of chuck roast or sausage, you would have a pot of chili. For a more wholesome meal, scoop the beans over some cooked rice.

Beans are rather unique as they are embraced by both the protein and vegetable food groups. Regular consumers of meat or fish consider them to be vegetables, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but vegetarians count them first in the protein group and then in the vegetable group.

Like vegetables, beans are a good source of fiber, vitamins and minerals. But unlike vegetables, they have a substantial amount of plant-based protein.

An easy way to incorporate beans is to use the canned version, and that is fine in my opinion. Canned does not mean inferior. If you want to reduce the sodium content, rinse the beans in water to get rid of the gooey liquid. Beans are canned with salt and water to create a brine to keep them fresh. With time, however, starch from the beans makes the brine slimy.

If you are like me and have a stash of dried beans, remember it is just as effortless to cook with them. It requires only one additional step — soaking them in water. But it is often debated: to soak or not to soak. There are those who swear against soaking beans in water, saying it is a waste of time and worse, robs them of color, flavor and nutrients.

I staunchly belong in the other camp and soak them, especially ones like red kidney beans, chickpeas and fava beans, before they are cooked. The soaking not only softens and plumps up the beans but also helps to shorten their cooking time. A multigenerational tip that has been passed down in my family is to replace the water at least three or four times, while the beans soak, to alleviate flatulence. Natural gas-producing sugars from the beans are leached out into the water and so it is best to get rid of the liquid.

When cooking dried beans with thicker skins, I also add a pinch of baking soda to soften them.

However I don’t presoak the split yellow mung, brown or orange-hued lentils and don’t always soak black-eyed peas either.

Once you have the beans softened to your liking, use them in any aspect of a meal. When mashed, beans can be made into dips like hummus or become the backbone for a burger patty. Refried beans can add flavorful weight to burritos or be spread over toast.

Rice dishes, pastas and cassoulets are studded with black-eyed peas, cannellini beans, kidney beans and black beans and so are salads with pinto beans, chickpeas and white beans. Even desserts embrace beans. Little red ones often show up in Malaysian shaved ice, Japanese honeyed pancakes, moon cakes and Chinese rice and coconut puddings.

Then there are the soups, which speak in global accents and are especially embraced during these wicked cold days. Beans are reliable team players that remind you of the Campbell jingle, “M’m! M’m! Good!”

Fasolada

Makes 6 servings. Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Magazine (2018)

Don’t disregard the direction to mash 1 cup of cannellini beans when making this Greek white bean soup. The mashed beans not only thicken the soup but also give it a desired creamy texture.

4 (15.5-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained, divided

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more to serve

1 large red onion, chopped

3 medium celery stalks, chopped

3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

Kosher salt

4 medium garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons tomato paste

11/2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth

4 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Black pepper to taste

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

In a medium bowl, add 1 cup of beans. Mash with a fork or potato masher to a paste.

In a large pot over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of the oil and heat until shimmering.

Add onion, celery and carrots and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until vegetables begin to brown, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add garlic and red pepper flakes and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the paste begins to brown, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the remaining canned beans along with the mashed beans. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.

Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot and cook until carrots are just tender, about 20 minutes.

Turn heat off and stir in vinegar. Then vigorously whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with parsley, olives and feta.

Red Bean Tortilla Soup

Serves 6. Arthi Subramaniam

I used juicy Campari tomatoes here because they are naturally sweet, but any juicy variety will work. To add color, I cut spinach and jalapeno-cheddar wraps into strips and bake them to stand in for the tortilla.

1 cup dried red kidney beans

Coarse kosher salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large white onion, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced, plus more for garnish

4 cups Campari tomatoes, diced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

11/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

2 large tortillas (spinach and jalapeno-cheddar) cut into strips

Diced avocado for garnish

Sour cream for garnish (optional)

Soak kidney beans in water for about 5 hours. Change the water at least 3 or 4 times. Rinse the beans and drain the water. In a heavy pot, cook beans with 3 cups of water, a little salt and baking soda, over medium heat, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

In a heavy pot over medium heat, warm the oil. Add onion and saute until just tender. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add cilantro and turn off heat and let the aromatics cool in the pot for about 10 minutes.

Add the aromatics and tomatoes to a blender and puree until smooth. Transfer the mixture back to the pot, over medium heat. Add cumin and cayenne and stir well. Add cooked beans and broth. Then add salt to taste. Once the soup comes to a boil, turn heat down to medium-low. Cover and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the soup is too thick, add more broth.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Place tortilla strips on the sheet and spritz them with cooking spray. Then sprinkle some salt on top. Bake for 10 minutes or until the strips are crisp, rotating the sheet halfway through and stirring occasionally. Remove from the sheet and let tortilla strips cool.

Ladle soup into 6 bowls. Garnish with tortilla strips, avocado, cilantro and sour cream, if desired.

Green Curry Soup With Black Beans

Serves 5. Arthi Subramaniam

This soup has all the qualities that distinguish a good green curry: It’s creamy but not overbearing, elegantly fiery and soothing.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large garlic cloves, finely minced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced

1 cup small broccoli florets

1 cup yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 cup orange bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 can (13.5 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk

2 cups water

21/2 tablespoons green curry paste, store bought

Kosher salt to taste

2 cans (15.5 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Cilantro for garnish, optional

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Saute the garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the broccoli, yellow and red pepper slices, coconut milk, water and curry paste. Add salt to taste. Stir together and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in black beans and let it all simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Add lime juice, stir and turn the heat off. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.