mildest bean?

[kathymuggle]

My DD, the new vegan, is doing really well. I find she eats a lot of soy though, and would like to find another source of protein for her. She does eat some nuts and seeds so that is good....

I am hoping she will expand to beans - I am wonderring if anyone knows what is the mildest bean, and a bean that can be pureed and put into food without affecting the flavour too much?

For example, I was thinking of making her a potato soup, but wanted to add a protein source of some sort and I though beans may be the way to go.

She does eat hummous.

So, please dish on mild beans and their uses.....

[wytchywoman]

Cannelini beans are really nice to use. They have a very creamy, almost milk like quality to them. You can just buy the canned ones and puree them and use as you would a milk or milk alternative. Forgot to add that Great Northerns are good for this purpose as well.

[Magelet]

I love navy beans. they're small white beans, very mild and creamy flavor.

I agree that cannelini and great northerns are also good.

a tip for beans, is that beans need a LOT of salt to taste good. somehow they seem to "absorb" it all, and it takes a lot more salt for beans than for other foods.

[theoldmommers]

You can easily blend a can of cannelini beans into a pot of leek and potato soup without change of taste or texture. It's also a very mild soup.

Don't forget about good old baked beans! I lived in England for a while and a common breakfast would be baked beans on buttered/margerined toast. Sides can be sauteed mushrooms and/or tomatoes. We'll eat that any time of day around here.

Has she tried Dal, an Indian lentil soup?

My niece (not veg) used to eat chickpeas/garbonzoes right out of the can all through high school. I think they may even sell snack size. They're also good tossed onto salads.

[mumkimum]

I agree with cannelini or navy beans - though garbanzo beans are pretty popular here with the kiddo too. They all puree pretty well, white bean mash is good too - or you can combine them into mashed potatoes, and they'd definitely blend well into a soup and help make it creamy.

Colored lentils - red and yellow - are also pretty mild and would be easy to puree into other dishes. We most often do lentil soups here - but they make great dips or sandwich spreads too.

[kathymuggle]

I am going to start with cannelini and see how that goes.

Do you all use canned or dried? I want to use canned. I have reservations with cans - the liquid in the cans is a little gross and I worry about cans in general - but they seem so much easier!

Thanks for the posts. I do not know what Dal is (will google) but I do remember having lentil loaf once that was excellent. I may google loaf and spreads too....

Kathy

[wytchywoman]

When I have the time to do dried I will but that's not often so I usually use canned beans. I just dump them into a colander and rinse really well before using them.

[tanyalynn]

The mildest, most un-lentil-y flavored lentil I've found is French green lentils. I kept trying lentils and not enjoying them, for years, until I found French green lentils.

Dried can be pretty easy. Rinse, pick through, and stick them in a slow cooker on low for a day. You can freeze them at that point if you want, or use them immediately. With that long, warm soak, they cook faster and some people have fewer digestive issues with soaked beans than unsoaked. I think meals with cooked beans freeze well, they're good enough for me, and then I have a convenient meal when I've gotten busy/behind.

[Shantimama]

White kidney beans are good too.

[Magelet]

I use dried. they're easy enough, and much cheaper. (also, that way I can soak them, which makes them more digestable which = less gas. good thing, that.) It's also MUCH more expensive to get the few brands of canned beans that don't have BPA in them.

I soak my beans overnight with a little bit of baking soda(or a few extra nights in the fridge if I don't have time to make them right away). then I drain them, and simmer with a stick of kombu (kelp. it's super nutritious) as low a temp as possible until the beans are cooked. If I cook more than I need, I just freeze them. (they freeze quite well, though they don't really hold their shape. but they're great for things like refried beans, or adding to soups. I like them plain even better when they're mushy a bit.)

after the beans are cooked, I add plenty of salt, and often some lemon juice or other acid.

oh yes, french green lentils are wonderful. I love lentil salad made of them. (veggies like tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, etc, we put in feta, and a simple very vinegary and very salty vinaigrette.)

red lentils are also great kind of soupy. I like them cooked in veggie stock (or meat stock, since I'm not a veggie) with sauted onions, and seasoned with curry spices/flavors.

[Liquesce]

I'd just also like the add that for volume lentils do have more protein than beans in general.

[Koalamom]

Lentils are pretty mild, or favorite is red, but I hear they are a process lentil, so we also love brown. I like to puree half the soups I make so it is creamy, but some chunkiness to it too..

Mung beans are heavenly!

[DevaMajka]

I've added small amounts of cooked red lentils to spaghetti sauce, and dp and ds couldn't tell. If you overcook them, they basically dissolve. lol

I don't know about "mild" but black beans seem to have a less bean-y flavor than, say, kidney beans. Black beans are popular with dp, who isn't a bean fan in general.

[fresh_veggie]

Originally Posted by Liquesce

I'd just also like the add that for volume lentils do have more protein than beans in general.

How about black bean burgers? There are lots of good recipes out there!

And I love cannelini beans, too. Good place to start!

[sugarlumpkin]

Originally Posted by Magelet

I use dried. they're easy enough, and much cheaper. (also, that way I can soak them, which makes them more digestable which = less gas. good thing, that.) It's also MUCH more expensive to get the few brands of canned beans that don't have BPA in them.

...

If I cook more than I need, I just freeze them. (they freeze quite well, though they don't really hold their shape. but they're great for things like refried beans, or adding to soups. I like them plain even better when they're mushy a bit.)

My new year's resolution this year was to stop buying canned beans. So far I've been doing very well. I prefer the texture and flavor of beans made from dry! I purposefully make more beans than we need for dinner and freeze them in 2-cup portions. 16 oz (or 2 cups) is about one can of beans, so I know exactly how much to add to my recipes. I find they hold their shape and texture well, but I have yet to freeze any for over a month.

Here is the simple method I use to make them.
1) wash and pick over beans
2) put beans in large pot and put in enough water to cover them by an inch
3) bring to a boil
4) as soon as they've reached a boil, remove from heat
5) allow to soak for an hour
6) pour out bean water but retain and rinse beans (you can also leave it in and cook the beans in this but it can cause more farting. i always drain and rinse!)
7) fill pot again with enough water to cover the beans by an inch.
8) simmer for 1-2 hours (usually 1 to 1.5 hours)

[425lisamarie]

I LOVE lentils! The lentils de puy are the best IMO. I also make a curried red lentil dip that is fabulous.