Recipes

Ingredients:

• 1 package dried beans (You will need 3 cups for the Winter Black Bean Soup recipe.)

Directions:

1. Spread dried beans on a baking sheet. Remove any small stones, dirt pieces, or withered beans. Rinse.

2. Place rinsed beans in a large cooking pan. Cover with 3 cups of water per 1 cup of beans. Use 10 cups for a 1 lb bag. Do either a short soak or a long soak.

• Short Soak – Bring beans to a boil, boil for 2-3 minutes, remove from heat, and let stand covered for 1-4 hours. Rinse beans.
• Long Soak – Cover beans with cold water and soak overnight in an uncovered pot. Rinse beans.

3. Cover beans with fresh cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender. Cooking time varies with bean varieties and soaking times. Long soaks can shorten cooking times. Read package directions. In general:

• Cook 2 hours: black, great northern, kidney, navy, small white, and pinto beans
• Cook 3 hours: garbanzo (chickpeas) and red beans

Money saving tip:

• Cook a large pot of beans at one time and freeze in 1½ cup portions, which is about 1 can (15-ounce) can. Thaw using the defrost cycle of microwave, in the refrigerator overnight, or by setting them in a pan of water for 1 hour.

Give this a try:

• Add beans to a vegetable or pasta salad to make it a protein‐rich main dish.
• Mash cooked beans, spread on a soft tortilla, heat, and eat! Include other ingredients such as cheese, lettuce, tomato, salsa.
• Also try our Winter Black Bean Soup, Vegetarian Chili, Cheesy Enchilda Bake, Quick Black Bean Salad, Cowboy Caviar, Santa Fe Stuff Potatoes, Make-ahead Mexican Rollups, Jicama & Black Bean Dip.