Boiled

Appears in

Grist: A Practical Guide to Cooking Grains, Beans, Seeds, and Legumes

Published 2021

About

Our starting point for preparing legumes and grains in this book is boiling in an abundance of water until tender, draining the liquid away, and then using that ingredient as the base for any number of meals. Ingredient + boiling + other stuff = dinner. Beans are no different, and by boiling a big pot full of beans simply, you can then use the beans in any number of different dishes throughout the week.

Similarly, most dishes can be thought of as an equation: This + this + this = delicious. What this is changes with the seasons or what you have on hand. For me, that Flavor Formula is: Start with 2 cups [400 g] of boiled beans (either warm or cool, up to you) + a vegetable (as much as you want) + fat (because it makes it satisfying and most micronutrients are fat-soluble, so it helps your body absorb them better) + an acidic relish or dressing + something crunchy for texture = the hearty bean salad of your dreams. The Flavor Formula coming up gives some suggestions, but there’s no need to follow to the letter. Cook beyond the page and come up with your own combinations.