It’s World Pulses Day! Today we highlight the small seeds with a big impact.
Pulses are a remarkable crop; they are drout-resisant, with many health benefits. Pulses not only boost our food security and nutrition, but they also nourish our soils and improve the environment. This is why we believe Beans is How we will shape a better food future for all.
To me, choosing Canadian beans is the most delicious way to eat locally and sustainably; just one way I help fight climate change with my fork!
Eating more pulses means eating local, eating for our heath, supporting farmers, and helping the planet out, too. Tell that to your kids when you serve up lentil tacos.
Including pulses in your diet can be be a pot of chili or bowl of soup, a plate of salad or maybe a comfort food dinner. Here’s a list of our favourite recipe featuring pulses for every meal of the day.
Introduction to Cooking Pulses
When my pantry is well stocked with Canadian beans, I can rest assured that a wholesome family meal is always within arms reach.
Whether you are stocking canned kidney beans, jars of colourful lentils or a sack of pinto beans, you never have to worry about them spoiling. Pulses are the pantry’s best friend because of their long shelf life.
Cooking professionals (me!) recommend a shelf life of around one year for dried pulses. After that, cooking time increases and the quality decreases.
Sourcing Pulses:
By pulses I mean beans, lentils, chickpeas, ect.
- Flourist ships amazing Canadian-grown dried pulses coast to coast.
- Cullen’s has canned organic pulses are 100% grown and packed in Canada; find them at most grocery store chains. Ontario folks can order through Mama Earth.
- Canadians can shop online at Well.ca for a wide variety of pulses.
- Other great brands include Clic, Yupik, Bob’s Red Mill (USA) Eden Organics (USA)
How to Cook Dried Beans
Frijoles Rancheros (Everyday Mexican Beans) is our go to method for cooking dried beans. This recipe leans toward Mexican cuisine and are delicous in everything from burritos to breakfast tacos.
I’ve done these saucy beans both in the slow cooker and the stove top. Use what works for you! And I don’t always soak the beans first.
Pulses for Breakfast
I love starting the day with a little extra fibre. Including pulses in my breakfast ensures I’ll stay filled and energized until lunch. I have a friend who adds a few spoonfuls of canned beans to her smoothies in the morning. I might try that next.
Cheesy Leek and Lentil Rolled Omelet ~ Eggs and lentils pair well together and this omelet is one of my brunch specialities! Cooking for one person? And a few tablespoons of cooked lentils to the Best Omelet Recipe.
Tender Sweet Potato Red Lentil Biscuits ~ Light and fluffy, these biscuits are deeply flavourful. A wintertime favourite and a great way to get kids to eat lentils.
Beans and Things Breakfast Tacos ~ How do you feed a crowd and keep everyone happy? Serve up a DIY breakfast taco bar. My kids could eat this once a week – and the beans are the first to go.
Lunches with Pulses
Yea you can freeze pulses! Having 1 cup portions of cooked black beans or green lentils in the freezer to grab and thaw helps me incorporate them into lunchtime meals on a daily basis.
Coconut Curry Red Lentil Soup ~ Nourishing and comforting, this soup is delicious in any season, but we love it in the dead of winter. It’s a fabulous pantry meal, freezes well, and easily adaptable to be vegan.
Mediterranean Lentil Salad with Haloumi ~ Yes you can make this extraordinary salad year round. I made a February, non-grilled version of this lentil salad recently and it was every bit as good as the summer edition.
- Halloumi was seared in a pan
- Green onions were charred under the broiler
- I used preserved lemon – a new batch!- instead of grilled
- green lentils and brown Basmati rice made up the bulk of the salad
A superb winter lunch that keeps for days in the fridge. It’s packed with fibre and protein too!
Simple Lentil, Kale and Pumpkin Soup ~ A pantry soup that’s hearty and rustic, this recipe comes together in under an hour. Make use of those winter squash right now!
BLT – Bacon, Lentil and Tomato Salad ~ A heart salad that includes loads of chopped parsley, a pungent mustard dressing and crispy fried chickpeas. Oh, and a fried egg if you like, because, well, bacon and eggs.
Antipasto Pasta Salad with White Beans ~ Sure this is a picnic staple, but you can make it a year round dish by using roasted vegetables in place of the grilled. Roasted peppers, sweet potato and onion? Yes please! White cannellini beans are the highlight here, adding protein and fibre to the salad.
Main Dishes with Pulses
This is where beans, lentils and chickpeas really shine. Stirred into a curry, layered in a lasagne, simmered with spiced and squash. Pick a few recipe to add to your meal plan this week.
Spiced Lentils with Squash and Chicken ~ If you haven’t tried this new-ish recipe, I urge you to add it to the meal plan while winter squash is still prevalent! It’s a hearty, one-pot meal that perfect for weeknight dinner.
The flavours of the Turkish-style spiced lentils, bolstered with seasonal greens, will wow you. Zero waste. One pan. Comfort food. Seasonal ingredients. And ready in under an hour. There’s a lot to love about this recipe.
Spiced Taco Beef with Beans and Quinoa ~ I currently have three teens in my house (yep all the kids have grown up!) and let me tell you, Taco Tuesday is very popular. My simple and easily customizable recipe for stretching spiced taco beef is how I keep tacos on regular rotation without going over budget.
One Pot Beef and Lentil Bolognaise ~ An old comfort food favourite – now newly shared with you! In this recipe, lentils take on the flavours of the parmesan rind, Mediterranean herbs and tomatoes, and meld into a comforting Bolognaise. It’s our favourite sauce for twirling into spaghetti when we need the comfort of pasta.
Vegetarian Red Lentil Lasagne ~ Pure plant based comfort food. This dish freezes extremely well so make a double batch.
Simple Butter Chicken with Chickpeas ~ Chickpeas round out this chicken dinner and bring a little extra fibre.
Slow Cooker Chicken Chili ~ A true set-it-and-forget it weeknight dinner that the whole family loves, this simple slow cooker chicken chili is packed with beans! Talk about pure comfort food; just add tortilla chips.
Lentil Shepherd’s Pie with Sweet Potato Mash ~ Craving meat and potatoes? This caserole does the trick but keeps dinner vegetarian.
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili ~ Another vegan comfort food favourite, this chili is a very satisfying dish that is even better on the second day, after the flavours have had a chance to mingle a little.
Mexican Black Bean Burgers ~ One has to feature a veggie burger in a pulses round up! These pattys are tender and flavourful; we absoluty love them for Meatless Monday burger night.
Favourite Cookbooks for Beans and Pulses
Sometimes you need a little extra inspiration. I love browsing cookbooks, old and new, for ideas on how to incorporate beans into my diet.
Share your favourite recipe for using pulses in the comments!