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Bean Soups
Beans are justly praised for their nutritional value as well as their availability and economy, and dried beans play a role in almost all the world’s cuisines, so there are soups here from a veritable United Nations of cuisines. Beans are a high source of fiber and protein, and they are low in fat and contain no cholesterol. They are also a good source of B vitamins, especially B6. Before using dried beans, rinse them in a colander or sieve under cold running water, and pick through them to discard any broken beans or pebbles that might have found their way into the bag. When the beans are covered with water to soak, discard any that float to the top. Dried beans should be cooked until they are no longer crunchy but still have texture. If beans are going to be precooked and then cooked further in a dish, such as in a chili, stop the initial cooking when they are still slightly crunchy. The other caveat of bean cookery is to make sure beans are cooked to the proper consistency before adding any acidic ingredient— such as tomatoes, vinegar, or lemon—because acid prevents beans from becoming tender. Cooking beans is common sense: The larger the bean, the longer it will take to soften. But it’s not necessary to presoak larger beans for a longer period of time than smaller beans. There’s only so much softening that goes on at no or low heat.
Using Canned Beans Here are the benefits of dry beans: They don’t have the high sodium content of canned beans, you can monitor their texture, and you can flavor them as you wish. Here is the benefit of canned beans: They’re ready to use because they’re already cooked. There is a basic arithmetic to dry and cooked beans: 2⁄ 3 cup of dry beans, when cooked, is equal to 1 (15-ounce) can of cooked beans. So calculate accordingly. But add the canned beans at the end of the cooking time because they’re already fully cooked.
Substituting Various Beans Bean recipes are very tolerant to substitutions, and here’s a guide to what can become a standin for another. Color, texture, and flavor are all criteria to consider, but this list can be used for guidance. Bean
What to Substitute
Black (also called Turtle)
Kidney
Black-eyed Peas
Kidney
Cannellini
Navy
Cranberry
Kidney
Fava (broad beans)
Large Lima
Flageolet
Navy
Kidney (pink and red, pinto)
Navy
Lentils (red, brown, green)
Split peas
Split peas
Lentils
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