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Healthy Kidney Bean Recipes

Ningthoujam Sandhyarani
Dried kidney beans can be stored for an extended time, and are found all the year round. They serve as an excellent food for dry seasons, when vegetables are scarce in the grocery stores. Regarding kidney beans nutrition, they are rich sources of protein, starch, soluble fiber, folate, niacin, B vitamins, calcium, iron, potassium, selenium and other trace minerals. They taste great, when prepared by slow cooking method with appropriate seasoning.

Healthy Recipes with Kidney Beans

One day before cooking kidney beans, measure the required amount and soak them overnight with sufficient water. They expand to nearly three times of their original size after absorbing water. Next day, drain water, rinse beans and cook till they turn soft. The soaking water should be discarded to avoid unwanted gas. Instead of using dried beans, you can add canned red beans in food recipes. The following are some healthy kidney bean recipes for you.

Kidney Beans and Mushroom Salad

Recipe Ingredients
  • 1 can white kidney beans
  • 2-3 teaspoons virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
  • ⅓ cup mushroom, chopped
  • ⅓ cup tomato, chopped
  • ½ cup red bell pepper, chopped
Preparation Method
Drain kidney beans and rinse properly. Cook for a few minutes until they can be mashed (not very soft). Remove from heat and drain cooking water. Add cooked beans in a mixing bowl and stir in olive oil, parsley, mushroom, tomato, bell pepper and toss well to combine ingredients. Sprinkle seasonings and low fat dressing (if preferred). Toss again and your healthy kidney bean salad is ready for serving.

Red Kidney Beans Soup

Recipe Ingredients
  • 2½ teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 cup onions, chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 ½ cup tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ cup red kidney beans
  • 2 tablespoons minced basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Preparation Method
Soak beans as mentioned above and keep them ready for cooking. Heat olive oil in a thick skillet, and saute onions for 30 seconds. Stir in garlic and cook for another half a minute. Stir in tomatoes and chili powder, and cook on medium low for 2 minutes.
Add beans and pour 7 cups water. Transfer into a pressure cooker and cook until beans soften. Add basil, oregano, salt and remove from heat. Allow cooked beans to cool down, and make a puree. Stir on lemon juice and scoop in serving bowls. Garnish with chopped spring onion and cilantro, and serve.

Kidney Beans and Spinach Salad

Recipe Ingredients for Salad
  • 2 bunches of baby spinach, preferably organic
  • 2 cups red kidney beans
  • 8 large eggs
Ingredients for Dressing
  • ½ cup vinegar
  • ½ cup salad oil or extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon hot English mustard
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • Cracked pepper to taste
Preparation Method
Bean salads prepared with nutrient dense spinach are super healthy. In this recipe, the rich flavored dressing complements the bland taste of spinach and red kidney beans.
Soak beans as you usually do for 8 hours, and rinse thoroughly. Cook beans for 2 hours or more until the skin breaks open. By the meantime, you can add spinach in a colander and wash. Allow to drain off excess moisture. Then hard boil eggs and chopped finely.
Keep all these salad ingredients ready and prepare dressing. Combine well the dressing components (vinegar, salad oil, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper) in a blender. Remove salad dressing into a bowl and keep aside. In a salad bowl, place spinach at the bottom, top this with cooked kidney beans and chopped hard boil eggs.
Immediately before serving, drizzle salad dressing over the ingredients. Toss well so that the spinach, kidney beans and eggs are coated well. Serve immediately in individual serving platters.

Kidney Beans in a Chinese Date Cake

Recipe Ingredients
  • 2 cups kidney beans
  • 1 cup Chinese dates
  • ⅔ cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sweet scented osmanthus
Preparation Method
Ever thought of baking kidney beans cake before? Well, you can bake a tasty and healthy, light sweet goody with these beans. Soak beans overnight and next day, clean them under running water.
Boil beans with water for about 2 hours, until the beans burst open slightly. Drain excess water (if any), transfer in a bowl and mash properly. Working on dates, cook them until they break open. Allow them to cool down and remove kernels.
Mash cooked dates with brown sugar and osmanthus, until well blended. Lay a parchment lined baking sheet over a cutting board. Put mashed kidney beans over it, spreading into 1 cm thick rectangle.
Top this with date mixture evenly, and bake in preheated oven at 275° F. Wait till the cake surface hardens a bit. Remove kidney beans cake from oven and roll up along the direction of the length. Make cake slices and serve this in breakfast to improve digestive health.
As you have seen, you can enjoy healthy kidney beans in many ways. Also, bean soup with pork chops and chicken breast tastes delicious. You have the option of using vegetable broth and chicken broth instead of cooking water for a more flavorful soup.
Thus, even if you are tired of the regular cooking methods, you can still enjoy varied kidney beans dishes that are tasty and healthy or go for a kidney bean diet which is completely nutritious..