CHIPOTLE PINTO BEANS

I used to hate beans, it didn’t matter if they were black, kidney or any other beans really. I just hated them. Then, years later I decided to go vegan and started trying different recipes. I enjoy food so much now, the flavors are mind-blowing. I’ve heard this from several vegans, that once you stop eating something that used to live, or something that came from a living being the world becomes a rainbow of colors you never saw before.

Over the past few months I realized that not many people know about the benefits of eating beans. They are an excellent source of cholesterol-lowering fiber (fun fact, vegan diet does not contain any cholesterol). Pinto Beans actually prevent blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, which makes them a great choice for diabetics. Plus, if you like to eat them with whole grains, they provide virtually fat-free, high quality protein. They are also a great source of Vitamin B1 and B6 as well as minerals like iron, magnesium, potassium, and manganese. 

CHIPOTLE PINTO BEANS

It took me a little while to perfect this recipe…it was completely worth it. I make it at least once a week!

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 

-1 lb dried pinto bean, soaked overnight*

-2 cups chopped tomatoes / or a medium can of tomato paste

-4 oz tomato paste

-1 cup chopped onion

-2 tablespoons garlic / or 3 cloves

-2 flat tablespoon ground cumin

-1 teaspoon chili powder

-1 tablespoon paprika

-1 teaspoon soy sauce

-1 small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1. Soak the beans overnight*.

2. Put beans in a big sauce pan, add just enough water to cover the beans. Cover with a lid, bring to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes.

3. Now, if you like your beans spicy, throw all the remaining ingredients in a blender and create your sauce. If you would prefer a non-spicy version, blend everything but the chipotle pepper. 

4. If you chose to go spicy, just pour the sauce in the pot. If not, put the whole chipotle pepper in the pot along with the sauce. Bring to a boil and take the pepper out. 

5. Stir the beans frequently, if it seems like the water is evaporating too quickly, turn the heat down just a bit and add more water. 

6. Simmer for another 20 minutes or until the beans are soft. 

Salt and pepper to taste, serve with rice, guacamole, lettuce and whatever you like. 

They taste the best after you let them cool in the fridge for a few hours.

*Why should you soak your beans? 

Soaking your beans increases digestibility. Different beans have different outer coatings which contain sugars called oligosaccharides. If you don’t soak your beans, these sugars bypass your stomach as well as your small intestine without being fully digested. Once they reach the large intestine, bacteria break them down, producing intestinal gas in the process. When you soak your beans, you dissolve the membranes covering the beans and release their oligosaccharides, you are also removing residue from pesticides. Make sure to discard the water and rinse the beans before cooking to remove the sugars. 

*veggie smart dog