How often do you eat beans? Pulses and legumes are beloved foods in most parts of the world, and can be seasoned to answer any sort of craving, from any cuisine. They are also inexpensive and about as low-tech as it gets, requiring little more than water and a pot, or in this case, a can opener. So if you haven’t had a lush, herby bean dish lately, these Rosemary Garlic Beans are a fast and easy way to get the goodness of legumes on the plate fast.
Beans for Your Health
The reason that I ask how often you eat beans is that many people don’t get around to them all that often. Depending on how you cook at your house, you might have a fave chili, or pickup hummus at the store, and kind of forget about them the rest of the time. Well, reminding you how good they are is one of my jobs. We all get into habits of eating certain foods over and over, and need a little inspiration to step outside the box. That’s where a recipe like this one comes in.
I hope to inspire you to make this herby, garlicky bowl of beans, because beans are one of the most healthful foods out there. Each bean or pulse has its own nutrient profile, but in general, they are a great source of protein, fiber, iron, calcium and magnesium. Beans are antioxidant sources, too, and they are pre-biotics, and feed very beneficial bacteria in your gut. If you’re concerned about a healthy gut, remember that you have to feed the good bugs what they like on a regular basis, and in general, good bacteria is happy when you eat beans regularly.
Cheat and Use Canned Beans
If the barrier keeping you from making beans part of your life is the time it takes to cook them, then skip it. Canned beans have already been cooked, and that eliminates any worries of undercooking, too. A thoroughly cooked bean is far less likely to cause flatulence. In this recipe, you can even save the liquid from the canned chickpeas and use it for aquafaba.
Eat More Beans
The main reason to make this dish is for pure pleasure. Tender beans are bathed in rich olive oil, infused with piney, herbaceous rosemary and sweetly soft garlic. A hint of heat in the pepper flakes and a pop of lemony tartness rounds out the mouth-filling flavors. I promise that you will love it. If you want to make a meal of it, you can always toss it with some pasta, or spoon it onto a toasted Crostini.
Because we can all use another great way to enjoy the goodness of beans.
Garlic and Rosemary Beans
Ingredients
- 1 15 ounce can navy beans drained and rinsed
- 1 15 ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 medium tomato chopped
Instructions
- Over low heat, cook rosemary and garlic in olive oil just to soften. Add red pepper flakes and cook for a few seconds, remove from heat let cool slightly.Add lemon juice and salt.In a large bowl, combine the beans, parsley and tomato and pour the olive oil mixture over the beans, toss gently.Serve immediately or store, tightly covered for up to 4 days.
