We’ve gotten some great recipes for the Frugal Food Series Part Three: Beans, but we could use even more. Remember, the more ideas and recipes we have, the better a resource this can be for everyone.
So dig into your recipe files for those great family tested bean recipes. I know that there are tons of Indian, Morrocan, Asian and of course Mexican cuisine we have’t touched on. So do Do you have a great Hummus recipe? Bean Dip? Minestrone Soup? Ham and Bean Soup? Three Bean (or other cold bean) salad? Pasta E Fagioli? Black Bean Salsa? Pottage? Dahl? Mexican Lasagna? Quesadillas? Please post and link to it, leave it in the comments or email it to me.
Of course I could just look up a bunch of recipes and link them-but then they wouldn’t be tested and family approved 
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We love this R. Ray Recipe for Papa al pomodoro- from the foodnetwork website. We have a big pot of this at least 2x per month- uses white beans (which I cook ahead & freeze) and stale bread (I just freeze whatever odds and ends of bread we have)- very frugal and tasty!
Papa al Pomodoro Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan, plus some for drizzling
4 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium to large onion, finely chopped
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 quart chicken stock
4 cups, about 1/2 pound, chopped or torn stale bread
2 (15-ounce) cans small white beans, such as Goya brand (smaller than cannellini beans)
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano to pass at table
10 fresh basil leaves, torn, optional
Heat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, garlic and 3/4 of the onion. Cook 7 to 8 minutes, then add tomatoes and crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Add stock and raise heat to make the soup bubble. Reduce heat to simmer and add bread and beans. Stir soup as it simmers until it thickens to a stew-like consistency. Turn off heat, adjust seasonings and ladle into shallow bowls. Top with grated cheese, an additional drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a spoonful of reserved finely chopped raw onions. Torn basil is an optional garnish.
Pretty much the only recipes on my blog are with beans. I don’t have time to look them up and link them but if you search bean recipe over there, you’ll get 4 or 5 of them!
I’ve added a new one. I made some amazing lentil stew the other night and everyone in my family actually ate it! Yeah me! It was super easy, too. And full of lentils, barley and veggies – healthy!
Jill
Hi Sis, We tried this last weekend, it was good! I used a block of frozen spinach, because I had it on hand. Next time I’ll crumble the sausage so the kids won’t pick it out! It made so much for us that I froze half.
Etruscan Peasant Soup Recipe #210541
Taken from Recipezaar, by Kettch23
1 hour | 30 min prep
SERVES 6 -8
1 lb sweet Italian turkey sausage, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3/4 cup onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
1 (15 ounce) can butter beans, rinsed and drained (or white kidney beans)
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes (preferably the ones with basil, garlic, and oregano)
1 (14 ounce) can fat free chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
In a large sauacepan or dutch oven over medium heat cook sausage, chicken, onion, and garlic in oil until sausage is no longer pink.
Add spinach, beans, tomatoes (with their liquid), broth, and crushed red pepper flakes – bring to a boil.
Reduce heat – simmer 20 minutes (or longer!) to blend flavors.
Sprinkle individual servings with cheese.
PS – sometimes I like to use hot turkey sausage, it really kicks it up!
If you have a food processor,you can make great falafel without actually cooking the chickpeas- all you have to do is soak them. You get to use ultra cheap dried beans and save the energy used in boiling them; how frugal is that!
Falafel
1 lb dried chickpeas
1 cup onions
1/2 cup parsley
4 cloves garlic
4 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 Tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda(optional)
1/4 cup flour (optional)
the baking soda gives the falafel a bit of a lift and the flour helps them hold together, but you can skip both
Sauce- mix plain yogurt, tahini(sesame paste), lemon juice, and a pinch of salt to taste
soak the chickpeas at least overnight(I have let them go for a couple of days as long as it is not too hot)
Combine everything in the food processor(in batches, if needed) and grind. I usually add several tablespoons of water to help things along.
Shape mixture into small patties and fry or bake. (Taste the first one and if the middle seems dry, add more water to the mixture.)Both methods work, but the frying gives a crunchier exterior. These freeze well, raw or cooked. My favorite way is to briefly fry them just until they are beginning to color, freeze on cookie sheets and bake in a hot oven from frozen. This is great for parties when you want a lot, but don’t want to spend two hours standing over hot oil.
This is one of those recipes that can be halved/doubled or endlessly varied according to taste. I got this on the internet and I am sorry I cannot credit the source, because this is a delicious recipe that everyone loves.
This is a recipe for “Many Beans Salad” that I asked my sister-in-law for after it was a hit at a 4th of July picnic. The amounts for the veggies are adjustable to according to your preference and what is available.
1 can each: Black Beans, Dark Kidney Beans, Pinto Beans, Garbanzo Beans, Black-Eyed Peas, Yellow Corn, White Corn, Water Chestnuts
Fresh Vegetables: Celery, Green Pepper, Red Pepper, Red Onion
Dressing: 2/3 cup Olive Oil, 2/3 cup Cider Vinegar, 1/2 tsp. Salt, Sugar or Sweet-n-Low to taste (approx. 6 tsp. if using Sweet-n-Low)
Drain, rinse, and “dry” beans, black-eyed peas, and corn. Place all in large bowl and stir well.
Drain and rinse water chestnuts. Chop them, add to the beans, and mix together.
Chop celery, green pepper, red pepper, and red onion. Add all to the other assembled ingredients and mix again.
Boil 2/3 c. cider vinegar and 6 tsp. Sweet-n-Low. Remove from heat. Add 2/3 c. olive oil. Pour dressing over bean mixture. Add 1/2 tsp. salt. Stir well.
Cover and refrigerate overnight. Stir well and serve.
-Mac
I made this fantastic orange lentil soup for my husband and he loved it, and he’s not a fan of lentils (although he’d only had the most common brown kind).
I got it from Epicurious.com:
Orange Lentil Soup
Shorabat Adas
Cumin lends a unique flavor and aroma to this popular Ramadan soup. Sometimes, for a heartier version, I add Kafta balls just after I puree the lentils and let them cook together. Lemon juice is thought to aid the body in absorbing the iron in the lentils, so I always squeeze some into each serving — it brightens the flavor, too.
Shorabat Adas is delicious the next day; just add a little water to the cold lentils, which will be very thick, before reheating it. You can freeze it, too, in a tightly covered rigid container for up to 6 months.
Servings: Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the croutons
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 cups orange lentils, picked clean and rinsed
6 cups low-sodium canned chicken or beef broth
3 slices whole-wheat or white bread, crusts removed
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Lemon wedges, for serving
Red radishes, for serving
Olives, for serving
Preparation:
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the lentils and stir to coat them in the oil. Add the stock and bring it to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot, and cook, removing any foam that rises to the surface, until the lentils are soft, about 45 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and set it aside to cool for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the over to 400°F.
Brush olive oil over both sides of the bread slices, and cut them into small cubes. Place the cubes in a single layer in a baking dish, and toast in the oven until golden and crisp, about 7 minutes. Set the croutons aside.
Transfer the lentils, with their liquid, to a blender, in batches if necessary, and puree. Return the soup to the pot. (Alternatively puree the lentils right in the pot with an immersion blender.) Add the cumin, salt, and pepper and give the soup a good stir. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
Ladle the soup into bowls, and sprinkle a few croutons on top of each serving. Serve with the lemon wedges, radishes, and olives alongside.
Variation: Mix 1 cup low-fat yogurt, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, and the grated zest of 1 lemon together in a small bowl. Spoon a bit into each bowl before serving.
Source Information:
Reprinted with permission from The Arab Table
William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
Hi, Jenn,
I’ve just come upon your blog site and have been reading your posts on eggs, tuna, and now beans and have really enjoyed it. I left a link on my blog to your post and put up a bean recipe there if you’d like to check it out. I love cooking with beans.
DarcyLee
I’ve linked a post for tarka dhal. I usually make it in summer but haven’t this year yet, so I didn’t think of it at first.
I added my recipes to the linky thing on the bean post. Love beans for cost effective food! Thank you for doing these posts!