This week’s featured item is the most popular bean in the United States–the pinto bean!
Pinto beans are a tan color with splashes of reddish-brown, hence the name “pinto,” which means “painted” in Spanish. When cooked, they become a pink color.
If you have ever gone out to a Mexican restaurant and had refried beans with rice or on your burrito, they were most likely made from pinto beans. These beans can also be added to soups and salads, or eaten as a side dish.
One cup of pinto beans has about 15 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber, and they are known to lower cholesterol, help with digestion, contribute to good heart health, and help your body produce energy.
HOW TO PREPARE DRIED BEANS:
To speed up the cooking process and make them more digestible, we suggest soaking the beans first. To do this, simply add the beans to water and let sit overnight (or for at least 8 hours). If you don’t have time to soak them for this long, you can boil the beans for two minutes, then let them soak for 2 hours instead.
After the beans have soaked, drain and rinse them, then cook them on the stove top or in an Instant Pot (our favorite method).
If cooking on the stove top, use 3 cups of fresh water or broth for every 1 cup of beans (the liquid should cover the beans by at least an inch). Bring the beans to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, partially covering the pot. If any foam develops, simply skim it off during the simmering process. Pinto beans generally take about 1 to 1.5 hours to cook.
If using an Instant Pot, add beans and enough water to cover them. Cook at high pressure for about 25 minutes. Let the cooker release pressure naturally.
After cooking beans, you can leave them how they are (they will get creamier as they cook), mash them, or rinse them if adding to salads or other dishes.
PINTO BEAN RECIPES:
Crockpot Calico Beans
Restaurant Style Refried Beans
Vegetarian Lentil Tortilla Soup
Jalapeno Pinto Bean “Hummus”
Summer Chicken Soup with Pinto Beans & Corn
Vegetarian Swiss Chard & Pinto Bean Burritos
Three Bean Chili
These are just some recipe suggestions. There are thousands of recipes on the internet–just search “pinto bean recipes” on Pinterest or Google.