Beans and Grain Recipes

Shucked oysters topped with fermented black beans and a savory sauce of soy, sesame oil, vinegar, and chicken broth, steamed for just 2 to 3 minutes. An elegant Chinese appetizer that's quick and impressive.

Rack of lamb glazed with rosemary-garlic Dijon paste, seared and roasted to medium rare. A French bistro classic served over white beans, elegant enough for a dinner party.

Chinese clay pot crab stir-fried with fermented black beans, garlic, ginger, and scallions in rice wine and chicken stock. A dramatic, fragrant shellfish dish ready in 25 minutes.

Traditional Shabbos cholent slow-cooked overnight with meat, soup bones, potatoes, barley, beans, and onions. This classic Jewish Sabbath stew simmers 18 to 24 hours for deeply rich, tender results.

Homemade vegan sausage (soysage) made from soybeans, kombu, oats, gluten flour, and classic sausage spices like sage, fennel, and cayenne. Steamed until firm and sliceable.

Pork chili with pinto beans, blended tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and garlic served over beans with corn tortillas. A New Mexican-style chile that skips the ground beef for tender cubed pork simmered in a simple red sauce.

Garden soup with chicken, potatoes, lima beans, carrots, and celery in a tomato-chicken broth. A hearty dump-and-simmer vegetable soup that's low calorie and feeds a crowd.

Chili macaroni is a one-pot weeknight dinner combining ground beef, kidney beans, corn, tomatoes, and elbow macaroni in a chili-spiced sauce, topped with melted cheddar. Think homemade Hamburger Helper chili mac, only better.

Lentil pasta soup with orzo, Italian green beans, tomatoes, and four dried herbs in a chicken broth base. A hearty one-pot soup finished with vinegar and croutons.

Caribbean shrimp and black bean salad: poached pink shrimp ringed around a chilled black bean salad punched up with picante, lime, honey, cilantro, and red onion. Make-ahead summer plate.

French country soup with beef shank, cabbage, turnips, rutabaga, green beans, and elbow macaroni in a tomato broth seasoned with cloves. A hearty pot-au-feu style meal that simmers for hours.

Slow cooker Mexican beef with round steak strips, kidney beans, tomatoes, chili powder, and mustard. A hands-off Tex-Mex dinner served over rice, ready after a low 8-hour simmer.

Cuban-style black beans simmered with bay leaves, then enriched with a sofrito of onion, green pepper, garlic and oregano. Naturally vegan, gluten-free and high in fiber. Serve over rice.

Pecan pralines made the old-fashioned way: white and brown sugar cooked with milk and corn syrup to the medium-ball stage, beaten creamy, then spooned over pecans. A classic Southern brown-sugar candy.

Cincinnati Skyline chili with cinnamon, allspice, and cumin simmered for 3 hours. A unique Midwest-style chili with warm spices that's built for topping spaghetti or coneys.

Pedernales River chili made Texas-style with coarse ground beef, lard, ground chile, and no beans. A bold, no-frills LBJ-era recipe simmered low for an hour.