Beans and legumes are nutritional powerhouses that can provide us with protein, vitamins, minerals and more, showcased by these recipes that bring out the best in them
CHICKPEA SATAY BOATS
By Beck Johnson
Serves 2-3 | Prep 15 mins | Cook none
1 red onion, finely diced juice of 2 limes, plus lime wedges to serve 1 garlic clove, crushed 700g jar (4 cups) chickpeas, drained ½ a cucumber, chopped 150g (1 cup) cherry tomatoes, quartered 100g (¾ cup) sugar snap peas, sliced into thirds a large bunch (about 30g) of coriander (cilantro), finely chopped dried chilli flakes (optional) sea salt
FOR THE DRESSING
4 tbsp crunchy peanut butter 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar 3 tbsp soy sauce or tamari 2 tbsp sesame oil 1 tsp white or brown miso 1 tbsp maple syrup 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tbsp hot sauce (optional)
TO SERVE
8 Little Gem lettuce leaves 100g (⅔ cup) cooked white rice shop-bought crispy onions (optional) 2 tbsp sesame seeds salted peanuts, crushed 1-2 mild red chillies, sliced
1 In a small bowl, combine the red onion, lime juice and garlic with a pinch of sea salt. Stir and set aside.
2 In a separate medium-size bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients and mix well.
3 Add the chickpeas to the bowl with the dressing and stir until they are fully coated in the sauce. Add the cucumber, tomatoes, sugar snap peas and coriander, followed by the onion and lime juice mix. Toss well. Add chilli flakes at this point if you like a bit of a kick.
4 To serve, use the lettuce leaves as ‘boats’ for the filling. If using cooked rice, sprinkle some into each lettuce boat, then top with the satay chickpeas, followed by some crispy onions (if using) and sesame seeds.
5 Sprinkle over the crushed peanuts for some added crunch, and garnish with the sliced fresh chilli. Finish with another squeeze of lime if you like it zesty.
NUTRITIONAL INFO
Calories (per serving) 633 | Total fat 28.6g Saturates 4.5g | Salt 4.47g | Sugar 12g Carbohydrates 74.3g | Protein 22.8g
LEMON AND HERBY BEAN BROTH WITH SEASONAL GREENS
By Gill Meller Serves 3-4 | Prep 20 mins | Cook 20 mins
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve 1 large onion, very finely chopped 3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced juice and finely grated zest of 1 large lemon 3 thyme sprigs or ½ tsp dried thyme a pinch of dried chilli flakes 3 bay leaves (fresh or dried) 700g jar (4 cups) of white beans with their bean stock, or 2 x 400g tins of white beans with 200ml (scant 1 cup) vegetable stock (broth) about 300ml (1¼ cups) vegetable stock (broth) 150g (5-6 cups) spinach leaves, coarse stems discarded 100g (¾ cup) frozen peas 100g (1 cup) long-stem broccoli a good handful of
