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Honestly, I can’t look at the title of this post without hearing my little brothers sing that silly song about beans. We didn’t grow up eating beans. The funny thing is, however, that after I stopped eating meat after college, I naturally began to crave them. I quickly discovered that beans are plentiful, satisfying, rich in protein and fiber, and gloriously cheap. Now that I’ve jumped on the bean bandwagon, so has my family. Victory!
The United Nations has declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses (legumes are dried legumes like beans, chickpeas, and lentils), so you’ll hear a lot more about beans in the coming months. I’ve partnered with the U.S. Council on Dried Peas and Lentils to bring you more legume recipes this year. Let’s start with some of my favorite recipes!
Below, you’ll find a wide variety of hearty meals with Mexican, Mediterranean, and Italian influences. These are all recipes that will help you stick to those healthy New Year’s resolutions, and they could also change your family’s opinion about meatless meals.
To learn more about the benefits of pulses and to join me in signing your Legumes Pledge (which commits to eating one serving of pulses each week), visit PulsePledge.com.
1) Baked Crispy Falafel
Gluten-free and vegan
“Another fabulous recipe! Loved everything, great taste.. I baked the falafel in a pan, but I’m going to steal a friend’s cast iron next time to try it. I think the dressing would also be lovely with other salads, or maybe lentils + some raw vegetables. Thank you!” – Brittney
<img src="https://cookieandkate.com/images/2014/04/lemony-lentil-and-chickpea-with-radish-and-herbs-recipe.jpg" alt="Lentil
and chickpea salad recipe with radish and herbs – cookieandkate.com” />
2) Lentil and chickpea salad with lemon
and herbs
Gluten-free and easily vegan
“I love this salad. I’ve been doing it only with dill and serving with arugula. I make a batch and take it to work for lunch. I have some relatives hooked on him as well. It’s so fresh!” – Sarah
<img src="https://cookieandkate.com/images/2013/08/lemon-parsley-bean-salad.jpg" alt="Lebanese lemon-parsley bean salad –
cookieandkate.com” /> 3) Lebanese lemon and parsley bean salad Gluten-free
and vegan
“I don’t usually leave comments after making recipes I find online (I know… shame on you!!); But his Lebanese lemon bean and parsley salad was so successful that I had to thank him! The flavors were amazing: balanced, assertive and addictive. A long time ago, so I shared (but only with people I really like). Each recipient called to demand the prescription. Great job and thanks for sharing! I will come back often.” – Heather
4) Green Goddess Hummus
Gluten-free and vegan
“My grocery store didn’t have tarragon, so I used basil instead. Very well! Thanks for the recipe.” – Nes
5) Socca Pizza with Summer Pumpkin and Gluten Free Feta
, vegan option
“This was excellent and very easy! I’ve done it twice so far with different ingredients. Very good.” – Heather
6) Roasted cauliflower and lentil tacos with creamy chipotle sauce Gluten-free
option
, option
“Kate, I have to admit that when I first saw this I was a little afraid to do it. Of course, based on how delicious your other recipes are, I should have known better. Well, there is no need to fear… This is so delicious!!!! Another winner for sure, even my non-vegan family loved this.” – Tanya
7) Roasted carrots with Farro, Chickpeas and Crème Fraîche
Herbed Gluten free option, vegan option
“I did this with Christmas dinner and wow this was definitely my star dish! It was delicious and very beautiful. I was so intrigued by it, I had to do it and I was glad I did it!” – Leslie
8) Vegan Lentils Soup with Spices
Gluten-free and vegan
“After eating your soup, I told my husband that I will prepare it all my life until I die or someone will have to cook it for me if I can’t. It’s simply the most amazing soup I was given the opportunity to enjoy. The taste made me very happy. I highly recommend this soup to anyone. Thank you so much Kate for sharing all this kindness. Good vibes for you!” – Caroline
9
) Spaghetti Pumpkin Burrito Bowls
Gluten-free and vegan
“I made this recipe for my brother’s birthday dinner and everyone loved it, including my 9- and 3-year-olds, who will now eat each and every vegetable, thanks to his blog. It’s amazing how kids can learn to appreciate all kinds of vegetables. Your recipes really help with that, I think. Thank you, Kate!” – Lisa
10) Roasted broccoli, arugula and lentil salad
Gluten free, vegan
option
“I did this last night and it was amazing! You could skip Brussels sprouts and use only broccoli (personal preference). Thanks for the great recipe!” – Stacey
11) Lentil and mushroom
meatballs
Gluten free option, vegan option
“Hello Kate! I’ve done them several times and they’re always great. I once swapped the mushrooms for beets and it was pretty tasty. This time I decided to try a different bean, so I went with white beans; And instead of mushrooms I used fennel. It’s delicious! Thank you so much for putting these things into the world.” – Sofia
12) Homemade Gluten
Free and Vegan
Vegetarian Chili
“This is honestly the best vegetarian chili I’ve ever had! I did it today, and I have a lot left to freeze for future delicacy. I didn’t mix any of that, I just left it in all its beauty. I served it with some rice. Christmas Day – who needs turkey!” – Liz
13) Bowl of Kale, Black Beans and Avocado Burrito
Gluten Free and
Vegan
“I’m not vegan, but this is delicious. I used leftover beans and it turned out great. My aunt (who is vegan) has asked me to do it two nights in a row. Thank you for the recipe, it was the only one I found that had all the ingredients in hand.” – Emma
14) Spicy vegan black bean soup
Gluten-free and vegan
“This was wonderful! It tastes great and I followed everything exactly as it was written. He used lemon juice instead of vinegar. Yummy!!!!” – Pixie
15) Gluten-free and vegan cowboy caviar
“Hi, my name is Katie and I’m 10 years old. I really like the recipe.” – Katie S. 🙂
16) Pumpkin Chipotle Chili with Avocado
Gluten Free (just make sure your tortillas are gluten-free) and vegan
“WOW was so delicious! I just found it while searching for a pumpkin soup recipe. SO happy I did this instead. I fed him meat and vegetarians alike during a football party. I served it with a tablespoon of plain yogurt on top. Literally everyone asked me for the recipe Thank you for sharing, this goes in my archive of favorite recipes!” – Ellis
More resources you can appreciate: 13 healthy breakfast recipes to prepare ahead of time, 16 recipes that pack well for lunch, and 20 simple weekday dinners. You may also like my monthly guides to seasonal produce and my healthy cooking essentials. See all resource summaries and publications here.
This position was created in collaboration with the United States Council on Peas and Dried Lentils. The opinions are mine, always. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who support C+K!
