Bean Recipes (dried beans)

I am passionate about French beans: I grow 100+ plants every year, and I still have a dozen jars of dried beans in my cupboard from the year before.

Beans are so good for you, reducing cholesterol, filling you up, low in calories, full of fibre & protein. I chuck a handful into most dishes (meat & veggie) to pad it out.
By growing your own you are reducing food miles, saving on packaging & you can grow varieties that you just can't buy in the shops.

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The Toxin
All beans (not just the red kidney ones) contain a natural toxin (called lectin) that can cause stomach aches and vomiting.

You must boil them vigorously for 10 mins to destroy the toxin.


Dried beans need rehydrating before the boil ~ soak them in cold water overnight (or one hour soak in hot boiled water).
Then simmer them for 45-60 mins to make them tender enough to eat.

Shelly beans (the soft, unripe seeds) need the boil but not the soak.

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I thought I'd start a new thread of my favourite recipes to inspire others to grow their own dried beans.


This is really worth a read, lots of bean explanations on here: Common bean - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

and good photos of different beans on here: Cook's Thesaurus: Dry Beans