• Jane on March 01, 2020

  I've tagged so many recipes in this book that I want to try. This is a beautiful and interesting book, especially for anyone wanting to get more into plant-based eating.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Harissa-roasted carrot and white bean dip

  • ksg518 on February 24, 2020

    A great dip! I used slightly more carrots and slightly less beans but I think this is a recipe that can be altered with the amounts you have on hand. I also think it could use a smidge more lemon juice. Don't omit the mint; it takes the dip from good to great. My only complaint is that the gorgeous photo must be stylized. Even with a higher carrot to bean ratio, my dip was only a light orange.

  • krista_jo on May 27, 2020

    This was easy and delicious and it tastes even better the next day.

  • Zosia on May 29, 2020

    I made this with coriander and I think it didn't have the same impact that mint would have had. I did like that it wasn't overly sweet and the roasted garlic, harissa and lemon added good flavour. Both flavour and colour were better the next day. I'll make it again but only when I have mint on hand.

  • inflytur on August 15, 2020

    A great dip. Think about how hot your harissa is before deciding about how much to use when roasting the carrots. The brand I use is very hot and the dip turned out a bit too hot. Next time I’ll use less than a Tbl.

  • Ksmotherman on December 28, 2020

    I was out of mint, so subbed in tarragon. It tasted very bright! The flavor was unexpected, but tasty. Tarragon makes for a very interesting substitution.

  • MariaSwe on December 28, 2021

    I love this dip. I've made it so many times and it comes out perfect every time. If I don't have fresh mint leaves (as in wintertime) I use maybe 1 tsp of dried mint. It's not the same but still good. It's equally good with home cooked or canned beans.

  • patioweather on October 24, 2023

    I've made this twice. The first time, I thought it was bland but I didn't follow the recipe exactly, so I assumed it was my fault. The second time, I followed the recipe diligently and it was still kind of a let down.

  • purrvicz on February 18, 2024

    I didn't care for the mint in this dip. I would make it again but sub a different herb or omit the mint.

  • SheilaS on May 06, 2024

    At first I thought there were too many clashing flavors - sweet roasted carrot, spicy harissa that’s a bit smoky from being charred on the carrots, tart lemon juice, bright mint - but I ended up enjoying it. Glad I tried it but not sure I’ll make it again.

  • bernalgirl on May 13, 2024

    Made with Rancho Gordo King City Pinks which I’d already cooked. I really like the combination of flavors in this dip and agree it’s one to try as you go. I used slightly less mint and slightly more lemon when all was said and done. I might still stir in more harissa or Aleppo pepper. This made an excellent snack with TJ’s Lentil Curls and I would enjoy it in a wrap.

  • lholtzman on June 07, 2024

    I really like this dip. Unfortunately, my garlic overcooked. Next time I’ll use bigger cloves or take out before the carrots are done.

• Perfectly simple and light hummus

  • patioweather on November 14, 2020

    This is going to be my go-to hummus recipe. It is extremely low effort, contains no oil, and tastes delicious. My partner said he prefers it to his usual supermarket hummus.

  • christineakiyoshi on February 17, 2021

    Easy recipe and super creamy. Love that it is no oil.

  • SheilaS on May 14, 2024

    I used Rancho Gordo garbanzos that I cooked from dried because I didn't have any canned beans on hand but I thought this was delicious. With a modest amount of tahini in the hummus, I felt justified in pouring a LOT of olive oil on top!

  • ae.pnw on January 03, 2025

    Good, straight-ahead hummus. Keeping the aquafaba cool helps to keep the hummus from warming up in the blender, and helps the tahini incorporate. Used organic, unsalted tahini so needed to add another 1/2+ tsp salt. Added more garlic and lemon juice because I like it that way.

• Roasted beet hummus bowl with turmeric tahini and peanut dukkah

  • Ksmotherman on November 07, 2020

    This was a last minute dinner, and served more as a guide than a strict recipe. I discovered I was short on ingredients. As a result, the hummus was made using one can chickpeas, one can black beans (using the quick hummus directions). Didn't have enough beets, so I roasted broccoli in cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Made the peanut dukkah, and served with toasted bread. Everything tasted good!

  • SheilaS on May 14, 2024

    I thoroughly enjoyed this. It's a great way to turn hummus from a snack into a meal. I did roast the beets on salt per the recipe but I think my usual method of wrapping them in foil works just as well. I'm not sure the turmeric tahini added a lot taste-wise but it is a very attractive touch. The peanut dukkah adds both flavor and texture. I'll make this again.

• Little Sesame's creamy, fluffy hummus

  • SheilaS on May 14, 2024

    This is a lovely hummus with the confit garlic in the hummus and garlicky olive oil on top making it just a little bit sweeter and more complex. In my experience, Rancho Gordo garbanzos don't need baking soda to soften sufficiently so I just gave them a good cook. The recipe calls for 1 cup of olive oil to make the garlic confit but if you have a tiny pan like my little one-egg cast iron skillet, you won't need that much. Excellent hummus.

• Black bean mother sauce puree (Salsa madre)

  • czalikowski on March 26, 2020

    This is an excellent recipe- with a surprising amount of flavor, given it uses only common pantry items. It’s clear that I will be repeating this recipe as a weekly staple!

  • LKrishnan81 on September 24, 2021

    The method is unusual, but produced a delicious base for several recipes in the book. Luckily the unusual steps don't involve much effort, just time. Well worth adjusting your process to try.

  • Eatmorecake on August 06, 2022

    I halved the recipe exactly and used fennel. Next time, I will reduce the fennel just a bit. I have not used it in the recipes in the book yet, but I ate it with some garlic fried rice and an egg over easy for breakfast today. It was a delicious addition.

  • SheilaS on May 14, 2024

    I didn't have avocado leaves and didn't add fennel or anise seeds to substitute. I also skipped the post-cook brining step as I think seasoning the beans while cooking does pretty much the same thing. So in spite of my failure to follow directions, this made for a very flavorful purée.

  • Chefjames1 on January 25, 2026

    Great! The brine made the beans way too salty though. Next time maybe just add some salt to the cooking water and skip the brine?

  • prkrgrant on February 26, 2026

    Really easy and really useful and yummy! Depending on how your black beans cook, if a lot of them have opened up or gotten crushed in the cooking process, I would not brine for the full hour. Mine were a bit more broken up and I pulled them after 30 minutes which was perfect and not too salty. I think the full hour would be too much, recommend tasting as they brine.

• Black bean sopes

  • SheilaS on May 14, 2024

    These were delicious. This was my first time making sopes so I found them a bit of work, especially when you factor in making the bean purée, tofu feta and salsa verde. I used Masienda red masa harina for the sopes and I'd like to try crisping them in the oven or air-fryer after that initial pan fry and shaping step.

• Black chickpea hummus with black garlic and preserved lemon

  • Tee.Tee on October 24, 2021

    I was intrigued by this rendition of hummus. The black garlic took it over to a sweeter side. The preserved lemon is the star flavoring in this. Next time I will add more instead of erring on the conservative side. I would like to play with this recipe a bit more

  • SheilaS on May 14, 2024

    I love the nutty flavor and texture of black garbanzos and wasn't sure losing that texture was a good idea but this is delicious. Using preserved lemon both in the hummus and as a garnish and saving some beans to garnish make this a great hummus. I used in the roasted cauliflower recipe but it's delicious on its own as well.

  • shelbstirr on June 03, 2025

    I cut the recipe to 1/3 and made it with a can of chickpeas. It’s really good! This may be my go to hummus recipe for this summer as I always have preserved lemon and black garlic on hand. Did not need to add any salt, there was plenty from the lemon.

• Red bean, walnut, and pomegranate pâté

  • LKrishnan81 on September 24, 2021

    Super simple and addictive. Worthy of a party or holiday spread.

  • gbaj on December 04, 2023

    Very delicious, would definitely make again.

  • lolako on September 02, 2025

    So easy to make, and I had all the ingredients in my pantry. I really enjoyed the flavor. It is garlicky and slightly sweet. However, I took to two different parties, and hardly a dent was made. I didn't follow the author's suggested presentation. I will next time.

• Crunchy spiced roasted chickpeas

  • fractal on January 24, 2021

    Works well.

  • LKrishnan81 on September 24, 2021

    Is is just me or does every recipe for making roasted chickpeas leave them dry and tough rather than crunchy? This recipe was no different.

  • inflytur on December 27, 2022

    I found this method superior to any oven baked recipe I’ve tried before, but not as crunchy as fried. I soaked and cooked dried beans instead of using canned. That may have helped.

  • SheilaS on May 13, 2024

    I agree with inflytur that these are the best oven-roasted chickpeas I've made and I've made quite a few different recipes. They're a great garnish or snack. I used Rancho Gordo garbanzo beans that I cooked up. I skipped the salad spinner and used clean kitchen towels instead of paper towels. I gave them an extra long time to dry before roasting because they were quite cold from the fridge. I used smoked paprika as the seasoning and look forward to trying other spices/blends.

  • bernalgirl on May 17, 2024

    This takes time (hands off) and planning, but results In perfectly crunchy chickpeas that stay that way. I also used clean kitchen towels rather than getting out the salad spinner. Perfect!

• White bean brandade

  • Ksmotherman on November 07, 2020

    Used vegenaise instead of chickpea aioli, and granulated onion instead of raw onion. Loved it, and it reminded me of the flavor of twice baked potatoes. Served it on crusty homemade beer bread. This is my absolute favorite from this book.

• Black lentil crackers

  • LKrishnan81 on September 24, 2021

    I truly enjoy these crackers, but have found it difficult to find the sweet spot where they're crisp but not on the verge of being burnt.

• Hot and creamy white bean, spinach, and artichoke dip

  • inflytur on September 10, 2020

    Wonderful flavors. I can't speak to how closely this resembles the dairy version in texture because I decided to leave out the vegan cream cheese in order to make it easier to use as a cold dip/sandwich spread and was glad I did.

  • LKrishnan81 on November 03, 2022

    This is delicious, but stodgier than the dairy version.

  • SKidd on May 30, 2025

    It wasn’t the prettiest dish but it tasted good and felt more substantial with the beans. It makes a HUGE quantity, I had to switch from my skillet to a big Dutch oven to fit all the spinach in, you might save time by using precooked. Might spice it up more next time, maybe fresh chiles. Good use of garden spinach.

• Cannellini bean puree with giardeniera and togarashi

  • shep0012 on August 02, 2025

    The giardiniera (or a similar crunchy/pickle-y thing) is really essential to this, otherwise it’s kind of heavy and one-note. The togarashi adds a lot too. I used RG alubia blancas for the beans. I had it with crackers for lunch over a few days and was very happy.

• Red gem salad with green curry goddess and crispy lentils

  • rmardel on June 05, 2024

    In one sense this is just a basic salad. It is the green goddess and the black lentil/seed crunch that elevate this to something special. In fact both the dressing, and the crispy lentil crunch have become pantry basics that are good on a number of things. The green curry goddess is bright, creamy, and herby with a bit of residual heat from the green curry paste. The crispy lentil dukkah-like crumble is crunchy and savory and good on everything from vegetables to eggs and bagels, or avocado toast. The crumble is fiddly to make, but worth the effort as it keeps well and enhances so many dishes.

  • crandall57 on December 09, 2025

    This salad is delicious. I used Maesri Green Curry Paste, so the dressing had a little spice to it. I added cherry tomatoes and shaved Locatelli cheese. Instead of the sesame seeds, I used Benne seeds. I fried the cooked lentils for 5 minutes, but they hadn't stopped bubbling when I took them out. They tasted great with the other topping ingredients, so I don't think they were under-fried.

• Three-bean salad with feta and parsley

  • valderaa on August 12, 2025

    Love this. Made it twice now. So fresh. Great with the marinated tofu.

• French green lentils with a trio of mustards

  • Hansyhobs on February 20, 2023

    I made this with wasabi mustard greens that I'd bought from Barnes Farmer's Market at the weekend. I didn't have a shallot and I crumbled a sharp cheddar on top, instead of feta. Absolutely delicious and one I'd absolutely make again. Creamy and nice warmth from the mustard, but still very comforting. I love puy lentils

• Nigerian stewed black-eyed peas and plantains (Ewa riro and dodo)

  • Lepa on February 12, 2020

    I was really excited to make this stew and ordered palm oil and grains of selim (I've never used either) so it would be authentic. Unfortunately, it was just okay. I left out the scotch bonnet chile because I was concerned it would be too hot for the kids so that may have affected the end result. I think I would have liked more tomatoes and didn't love the taste of the pureed red pepper paste here. My kids liked it fine but not a repeat.

• Tunisian soup with chickpeas, bread, and harissa (Lablabi)

  • Lepa on February 18, 2020

    This wasn't as good as I had hoped. It seemed a bit too dry; more liquid would have been welcome (maybe that's my fault). Two tablespoons of cumin are listed in the recipe but the instructions only mention one tablespoon. Maybe that would have made a difference? Not bad but also not a repeat.

  • Stephenn31 on May 30, 2024

    Definitely not enough liquid, and I had cooked mine in the instant pot so there wasn't evaporation. I halved the amount of chickpeas/water, but used the same amount of the other spices so it was nicely spiced.

  • intrepidfox on July 23, 2022

    Very meh. I didn't make the roasted chickpeas because I didn't have time so maybe that would have made the soup more enjoyable. As it was, it was kinda bland and just tasted like it was missing something. I did like the crispy bread pieces in the soup though, might save that idea for a different soup.

• Roasted tomato and pepper soup with lady cream peas

  • Jane on March 09, 2020

    This is one of the best soups I have ever made. So much flavor! I have bags of slow roasted tomatoes in the freezer so I just needed to roast peppers, garlic and onions and cook the beans. I used Rancho Gordo yellow-eye beans which matched well. This is going to be a definite repeat - I am looking forward to the next few days' lunches.

  • mharriman on May 04, 2021

    Husband and I liked this soup rather than loved it. I did use vine ripe tomatoes that were ripe but probably not nearly as flavorful as what I’d get at a farmer’s market in the middle of summer. For the beans, I used canned northern. With the beans and red bell peppers, the recipe is a heartier tomato soup than I’m used to eating, meaning it was a good vegetarian main meal accompanied by a steamed green bean with lemon vinaigrette salad, crusty baguette and goat cheese. Sauvignon blanc wine went well with the soup. (First recipe tried from this cookbook)

  • jenburkholder on September 06, 2021

    Very tasty soup. Served with quinoa and green salad for a pleasant late-summer lunch.

  • ksg518 on October 14, 2023

    Excellent soup, especially with end of summer ripe tomatoes. My peppers were huge so overall the soup was a little on the sweet side. I used Rancho Gordo black eyed peas, which worked very well. I may make this again next week if I can still get local ripe tomatoes, just to have a batch in the freezer.

  • patioweather on August 28, 2023

    Me, reading the recipe: "It's just tomato soup; don't get hyperbolic." Me, eating the soup: "I am going to cook this everyday for the rest of my life." This time I added sugar but not vinegar. Next time I will do the opposite.

  • MariaSwe on August 20, 2023

    I absolutely loved this soup! I made it with black eyed peas and honestly I think the soup is better without the beans, but to make a full meal I would use them or maybe use the soup as a starter. Will scale down the pepper flakes for next time as mine are quite potent.

  • SKidd on September 26, 2022

    Excellent use of late summer garden tomatoes. Made a big batch to freeze for grilled cheese nights.

  • Laurag29 on May 06, 2024

    Subbed Alubia Blanca beans and added some alphabet pasta for fun. Delicious roasted flavor even with winter tomatoes.

• Winter salad with cranberry beans, squash, and pomegranate

  • Skamper on March 12, 2020

    This was a bit of a disappointment. Not difficult, really, but a lot of steps for a fairly blah result, imo. Note, though, I missed pomegranate season and I think that would have been a nice addition.

  • dc151 on November 06, 2020

    I liked it. Would get shelled seeds next time - tried to roast my own. Also left out the rice. Definitely needs the pomegranate to give a burst of flavor

  • cc7740 on November 23, 2024

    The ingredients worked well together, especially the arugula and pomegranate and pumpkin seeds. I didn't particularly care for the wild rice, which may have been because it came out of the pressure cooker slightly overdone (not the recipe's fault). I'd probably use quinoa instead next time.

• White bean tabbouleh

  • darcie_b on May 05, 2020

    An excellent alternative if you like the flavors of tabbouleh but can't eat gluten.

  • khopkins1012 on September 11, 2020

    I liked this a lot. I made this with great northern beans.

• Falafel fattoush

  • Zosia on May 16, 2020

    In an effort to get the onions really soft, I roasted the chickpeas for the full length of time which was a mistake as they ended up dry. A shame because their flavour was very good (I forgot I was making only a half recipe and added the full amount of spices) as were the other components, especially the roasted garlic tahini dressing.

  • christineakiyoshi on April 29, 2021

    This was very delicious! I knew I would love it because it is the perfect combination. I added a little extra tahini to thicken the dressing a bit. Will make again!

  • VineTomato on May 10, 2021

    Just ate this for lunch and really enjoyed it. I had pickled red cabbage on the side and it was the perfect addition. The tahini sauce is a bit thin, I agree with christineakiyoshi, next time I won't add as much water. It comes together quite quickly and will hopefully keep well for lunches for the rest of the week - although I will toast the pitta each day. It's my first recipe from this book I was so ridiculously excited for - can't believe it has taken me so long!

  • jwindersteed on September 17, 2025

    Added leftover roasted potatoes, sliced radishes, and subbed pickled jalapeños for the sour pickles. It was tasty.

• Quick Sungold tomato, chickpea and greens curry

  • ksg518 on October 02, 2020

    This is pretty good and certainly quick. I made as directed except that I probably only had about half the amount of greens. My biggest issue would be that Yonan tells you to smash the tomatoes once they're heated to the point of bursting. While that does give you lots of liquid, it also results in the squeezed tomato insides erupting all over the cooktop and on your hand. Yonan doesn't mention chopping the greens but I think you should especially if you're using sturdier greens. I used mizuna and frankly the greens would have benefitted from a little more cooking time in addition to being chopped. Also it's fairly mild, so I might up the curry next time. Yonan says this is two servings but when I added rice, I felt it became more like 3-4 servings.

  • Jane on October 29, 2021

    This was just OK. It's definitely quick but it wasn't very interesting. The curry flavor is very muted. I have bought some new Madras curry powder so it may be worth trying again with that though I don't think I'm invested enough to bother!

• Cuban-style orange-scented black beans

  • patioweather on October 15, 2020

    We absolutely loved this. Made in the Instant Pot with Rancho Gordo Midnight Black Beans and a variety of small peppers instead of bell peppers.

  • fractal on May 25, 2021

    This was excellent. We made it with Rancho Gordo aycote negro beans.

  • Apollonia on December 01, 2024

    As others have said, made perfect rice and beans. My black beans were older, so closer to 55 minutes at high pressure is what they needed. Otherwise, made as written, they came out a dream!

  • Ordinaryblogger on March 18, 2024

    Great bean recipe! Served with coconut brown rice and some plain yogurt. Perfect.

  • shelbstirr on February 03, 2026

    Really really really good. Added some spicy pork. Love the orange and cumin with the black beans. Next time I can add the full amount of hot peppers. This is going on my favorites list. A half recipe with the pork and rice was 5 servings.

  • SKidd on November 01, 2025

    Good use of my end of season garden peppers. Nice pot of beans.

  • Stephenn31 on April 06, 2025

    Good recipe. I didn’t find much of an orange scent, but it’s otherwise a great pot of versatile black beans

  • anothersarah on February 09, 2022

    My favorite recipe from Cool Beans so far. I don't normally go for rice and beans but these were good. Made in IP and came out perfect! Froze half for leftovers later.

  • jenburkholder on June 11, 2022

    Very tasty beans. Made pretty much exactly according to recipe, except halved. Ate with rice.

  • amandaeats on March 01, 2022

    I couldn't find kombu, otherwise made as-is. They are flavorful and make a great pot of beans. We've eaten as an entree with rice, as a component to burrito bowls, with quesadillas, and even mashed up and refried.

• Pinto bean tortilla salad

  • julesamomof2 on November 10, 2020

    This was the first recipe in the book that caught my eye and it's a keeper. Although I did purchase sun dried tomatoes to make this, I changed my mind at the last minute and added campari tomatoes and I think the salad was better for it.

  • LKrishnan81 on September 24, 2021

    Make the tofu feta.

• Chickpea-tarragon salad sandwiches

  • Ksmotherman on December 28, 2020

    Delicious and easy meal. Tarragon added great flavor.

  • FieryFantail on April 15, 2026

    A really satisfying wrap filling for work lunch

• Lentil, zucchini, and cherry tomato sloppy Joes

  • patioweather on May 24, 2021

    I subbed carrots for the zucchini and put them in with the onions. I also doubled the sugar. At first I was not so into them but then when I finished my plate, I had to get more. This will go into the regular rotation.

  • Delys77 on July 15, 2021

    Not bad for us either but definitely doesn't stick together like a regular sloppy joe so very messy. Because of this my little guy wasn't so keen as it was hard to eat for him. Flavour wise it is pretty good, but could perhaps do with a touch more spice.

  • Churchim808 on May 19, 2024

    Is there a more healthy and budget friendly recipe on the planet? Not likely. Would I actually eat it or will it grow hair in the back of my fridge? I actually do like this recipe. I did shred the zucchini instead of the 1/2 inch pieces and I used a cup of canned fire roasted tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes. Oh, and I increased the olive oil and doubled the brown sugar to increase the odds that I'd eat all of it. It's pretty good!

  • Nicolesara1224 on August 05, 2022

    Man this was surprisingly addicting. I halved the cherry tomatoes and added a can of fire roasted tomatoes instead. Added a couple extra smoky spices too.

  • KCKB on May 23, 2024

    This one is a winner! We’ll definitely be adding it to our regular rotation - I’m especially looking forward to making this when all the cherry tomatoes in the garden are ripening. Similar to other commenters, I shredded the zucchini on the large holes of a box grater (makes it a little more kid-friendly). I also kicked up the garlic a bit more, and next time I make it I’m going to try adding a bit of cumin and/or oregano. Also, I’ve noticed that the brand of chili powder makes a big difference to the overall heat level.

  • shelbstirr on March 31, 2025

    I used some frozen cherry tomatoes and shredded zucchini (drained) from last summer’s garden, this recipe really showcases the cherry tomato flavor. I’d like to try doubling the chili powder next time, and could add more garlic. Overall this was alright, but I can only see making it every once in a while.

• Kabocha squash, chickpea, and lemongrass stew

  • Delys77 on July 13, 2021

    Took about an hour end to end with a fair bit of prep but a fairly short cooktime. I used a 540 ml can of chickpeas and a about 2/3rd of a can of coconut milk and the balance was great for us. I really did like the combination of flavours and thought the results were warm and comforting and quite healthy given the broad spread of plant based foods. left out the nuts as it was going to summer camp with my son. Nice dish.

• Lalo's cacahuate beans with pico de gallo

  • mjes on August 22, 2021

    These beans are deliberately cooked until super-soft ... then cooked some more. The cooking liquid does end up with quite a bit of flavor but I thought be beans remained bland. Pico de gallo is not a garnish but is essential to making the dish flavorful.

  • Emily Hope on August 30, 2021

    Made this with RG eye of the goats and loved the depth of flavor the recipe had -- I do deviate from the recipe in that I add salt earlier, at the beginning of the cooking process, and more of it (2 tsp.)--I think this is crucial for flavoring the beans. I also cheated a little by throwing in one leftover piece of bacon from the morning's breakfast, but don't think it changed the flavor that much. Also had to cut back on the chiles for my spice-averse family members. This is essentially a souped-up plain bean bowl and was perfect with some tortillas made with homemade masa (out of heirloom pink corn from Masienda). Also served with a roasted corn salad. Great mostly veg (except for that piece of bacon!) meal.

  • joeljkp on October 08, 2025

    Agree with the other comments - it comes together with the pico and with tortillas on the side. I made it with pintos and attempted to halve the recipe, but in too large of a pot so ended up way too much broth. Still, we enjoyed it. The sliced anchos were kind of distracting - they made big strips in the finished soup that didn't really blend into a bite (and the recipe doesn't indicate to remove the half onion or garlic). Next time I'd try to break the ancho into more bite-sized pieces knowing they were supposed to remain in the soup.

  • bfurrow on September 18, 2025

    The other comments about the pico confuse me. The pico is in the recipe title and not marked as garnish. To me, it is part of the recipe, same as the beans. Don’t skip it. — This was really good with rancho gordo cranberry beans. — Cooking on high for 30 min at the end would be too long. Mine were ready after 15 and started burning the bottom. I’d try medium next time for up to 30 minutes. — I’d use the whole Serrano in the pico next time.

  • Stephenn31 on June 24, 2025

    Overall a bit bland for the ingredients. The pico de gallo is an essential part that really brightens it up (so feel free to add a bit of extra lime juice or salt).

  • shelbstirr on March 08, 2026

    I riffed a lot on this. Added some oregano and a bay leaf to the beans, as well as a the Serrano from the pico, and stirred in the cilantro at the end of cooking. Added some pork. Squeezed lime over the top. Topped with curtido instead of the pico. Served with tortillas/rice. A comforting meal! I don’t know if I would rush to make it again amongst the other recipes I want to try, but I’m happy to eat it.

  • linda_s5jipz on January 08, 2026

    it was ok, bit one dimensional. served with tortilla chips and drizzle of salsa macha but could use more spices

• Smoked tofu and navy bean salad

  • LKrishnan81 on September 24, 2021

    This is delicious and evokes ham salad. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing at first, but then realized I wanted to take down the whole bowl. It might be worth sneaking this into Midwestern luncheon and see if there are any reactions. My grandmother would have adored it and asked for the recipe.

• Lady cream pea, sweet potato, and charred okra salad

  • LKrishnan81 on September 24, 2021

    This works well when made with black-eyed peas. But I would go easy on the amount of sweet potato. It's a bit much and easily overwhelms everything else.

• Fava, ricotta, and lemon pizza

  • krista_jo on June 12, 2020

    Wow wow wow wow! Made this last night and making it again tomorrow because it was so good.

  • anothersarah on February 03, 2022

    This was beautiful to look at and quite tasty but needed some modifications. Make sure to use kosher salt or half the amount listed if not using. I used frozen fava beans and ended up using 1/4 to 1/2 cup?

• Fusilli with white beans, cherry tomatoes, and corn sauce

  • Jane on March 01, 2020

    This was a quick prep as I had frozen corn and frozen "creamed" corn and I used canned beans. The beans, pasta and corn are low-key so the basil and Parmesan are essential to lift the flavors. This was great winter comfort food.

  • SheilaS on May 24, 2024

    Nice summer pasta. I used Rancho Caballero beans. Cherry tomatoes add a welcome bit of tartness but not enough to make every bite delicious. Diced sun dried tomatoes or pickled peppers might help.

• Garlicky Great Northern beans and broccoli rabe over toast

  • SheilaS on May 06, 2024

    Beans on toast is a favorite quick meal and I really liked the addition of the broccoli rabe in this version. I used Rancho Gordo caballero beans. I omitted the clove-studded onion as I find cloves overpowering. Would definitely make it again.

  • rmardel on June 05, 2024

    I enjoyed this, enjoyed the combination of beans and broccoli rabe, but although it was good, I felt it was a little one-note. Great idea. Needs a little technique expansion.

  • joeljkp on April 14, 2024

    Easy enough recipe, nice presentation, nice light flavor. I used cannellini beans instead of great northern. Needs the drizzle of something at the end - either the chili oil or some good olive oil. Saving all the broth (or at least more than the 1.5 cups called for) is important to adjust the consistency.

  • Hansyhobs on March 08, 2023

    Great! I love brothy beans and this was a tasty recipe. I used Rancho Gordo Marcella beans and added chilli crisp when serving. Excellent

• Herb-marinated tofu feta

  • SheilaS on May 14, 2024

    I love sheep milk feta and keep it on hand always so I don't need a vegan feta but this was still an excellent addition to the dishes I added it to and I'd happily make it again.

  • LKrishnan81 on November 03, 2022

    This tofu feta is a stunner. I've used it in other vegan/vegetarian dishes calling for feta and loved the results. Works quite well with beetroot pasta sauce.

  • Ajammies on February 06, 2025

    So so good. I ended up eating most of it straight out of the container!

• Show-stopping whole roasted cauliflower

  • SheilaS on May 14, 2024

    Loved this - another way to turn hummus into a meal. I didn't need a whole head of cauliflower so I broke in into large florets and thought it worked fine. The black chickpea hummus is an excellent partner and the crunchy chickpeas are the perfect garnish. I added flatbreads and lemon-dressed arugula to the plate and enjoyed the colors and freshness it brought.

• Ratatouille cassoulet

  • mlbatt on February 21, 2020

    Cooked this in my Le Creuset braiser. The sauce dried out a bit during the long bake, but tasted fabulous (I added about 1/2 cup of water around the edges during the uncovered part of the bake, which helped). I will add water to the tomato layer in the beginning next time. And there will be a next time!

  • bfurrow on September 16, 2025

    Didn’t work as written for me. After the two hours, the beans were not cooked. Added 1/2 cup of water and added back to cook longer. We will see if it ends up working out. — recipe didn’t work out. I’ll try again with par cooking the beans first

  • SKidd on September 10, 2023

    Really fantastic, such a great idea to add beans. I used a little less zataar and fresh tomatoes (plus a little tomato sauce, as I was short). Beans were done in the time, and it tasted delicious.

• Enfrijoladas with sweet potatoes and caramelized onions

  • TrishaCP on December 20, 2020

    We loved this meal. The beans are very flavorful and the chipotle brings just enough spice to jazz up the sweet onion and sweet potato filling. The toppings are needed for the different textures (I used cabbage, cherry tomatoes, and goat cheese- avocado is suggested but I don’t think I would like that soft texture topping with other soft components). I also really appreciated that Joe Yonan was straight up with how long it takes to caramelize onions (one hour and not the silly lie of “10-15 minutes” you too often see).

  • patioweather on December 05, 2020

    Everyone preferred them served taco style rather than following the instructions. A friend who normally doesn't eat onions ate all of the scraps so I guess this is very good!

• Cannellini cannelloni

  • crandall57 on August 21, 2025

    This dish was delicious. Since we’re not vegan, I added about 1/2 cup of sheep’s milk ricotta to the filling along with a 1/4 cup of goat’s milk mozzarella. I used gluten free cannelloni, so I pre-boiled it for 4 minutes prior to stuffing it and putting it in the oven. I used one 15 ounce can of Jovial cannellini beans. Even though it's a little time intensive, I'd make it again. If using only one can of beans, reduce the red pepper.

  • patioweather on November 14, 2022

    I guess I'm glad I made cannelloni at least once, but using lasagna would be so much easier.

• Kidney bean and poblano tacos with quick-pickled onions

  • bernalgirl on June 13, 2024

    I made these with Rancho Gordo Whipple beans, as I don’t love the tough skin of kidney beans. My only other change was cotija cheese in favor of feta. These tacos were outstanding, once my kids were convinced that it was poblano peppers and not kale, they tried them and agreed. I served ground turkey with taco seasoning just in case, but I think I’ve found a veg meal my carnivores can agree on.

  • prkrgrant on February 18, 2026

    Pretty good and quick to make. Good salsa and plenty of pickled onions help as the bean and poblano mix is good but not incredibly flavorful.

• Rigatoni e ceci

  • bernalgirl on May 15, 2024

    This is a great rendition of a homey Italian dish, the blended chickpeas make it seam more substantial. My only changes were to cut the garlic in thin slices and to add a solid pinch of chile flakes.

  • Stephenn31 on July 10, 2023

    Would absolutely make again. Added Parmesan on top and great with a big salad

• Paella with chickpeas, green beans, and shishito peppers

  • bernalgirl on May 22, 2024

    I followed the structure of this recipe while making some significant ingredient changes and it was a huge hit. Most significantly, I added small Spanish chorizo sausages which I’d purchased on a whim, which I blistered after the shishitos. I also blistered the green beans, removed them and added them back per the recipe. Finally I’d cooked a batch of Rancho Gordo white limas and added those instead of chickpeas. They were wonderfully creamy, better in my opinion than more firm chickpeas. Next time I’d double the shishitos.

  • BoobGuru on May 30, 2026

    Thought it was bland, way under seasoned. I wouldn't make this again.

  • spatterson88 on February 13, 2021

    We halved the recipe and it made more than 4 servings. I also used pickled shishitos, and that added quite the kick!

• Black bean chipotle falafel burgers

  • JCBaldassare on January 22, 2026

    https://food52.com/recipes/82467-falafel-burger-with-black-beans-chipotle

• Red lentil ful with sumac-roasted cauliflower

  • rmardel on June 05, 2024

    I really enjoyed this. I used only 1 can of chickpeas (slightly less than 2 cups) rather than 2, and double the tomato and onion, but otherwise followed the recipe. I did feel the cauliflower could have used slightly more sumac, but the combination was mildly delicious, comforting, and completely satisfying.

  • babyfork on March 08, 2025

    I didn't make the sumac-roasted cauliflower, just the red lentil ful. I made my own ras el hanout blend from a Food.com recipe. This was pretty good, although I'm writing this a few weeks after making it and having trouble recalling it...I guess it wasn't particularly memorable. But it was a fine and healthy dish, which was what I was looking for.

  • amy_9scy2c on May 21, 2026

    This is two E’s of recipes, excellent tasting and easy to make. We double the onion, tomatoes and ras el hanout.

• Curried chickpea pancake with mushrooms

  • cjross on January 03, 2023

    I was so excited to make this and it came out so mushy. My kid gagged and threw up a bit and my mom even said it wasn't very good. I think 1tsp diamond crystal kosher salt was too little as well.

• Arroz negro

  • VineTomato on December 12, 2021

    Wonderful. I was surprised to see no black beans in the recipe, just their cooking liquid. I served Rancho Gordo's ayocote negro beans alongside and it was a perfect match. Topped with tomato, avocado, lime and feta with a spot of greek yogurt on the side. This rice would be a wonderful filling for a burrito.

• Homesteader's New England baked beans

  • joeljkp on June 02, 2025

    Made this as a big batch for a small cookout, with many leftovers to spare - using pinto beans in place of Jacob's cattle. This is my first attempt at baked beans, and was overall successful. The process was simple. The beans didn't turn out as creamy as canned, probably because they were old - next time I'll try to soak them overnight just to be sure. This is not as sweet as Bush's either. I added some salt to amp up the flavor a bit. Overall, well-liked. NOTE: per the author, make sure to cover the pot during the 8hr bake. This isn't immediately clear in the recipe text.

  • fractal on September 28, 2024

    Tasty and adaptable for the instant pot.

  • Yuanboa on April 25, 2026

    Made these for the first time and was attracted to the recipe since it had no fatty pork and no brown sugar. This was excellent as i followed the recipe

• Creamy Indian black lentil stew

  • joeljkp on May 11, 2024

    A satisfactory version of this - not as showstopping as the Dishoom version, for example. My only note is that it spends quite a while reducing in the pot at the end - more than the 20 minutes called for in my case.

• Root vegetable, white bean, and mushroom cassoulet

  • ksg518 on February 24, 2020

    I was really excited to try this but it was a great disappointment. It's just very bland. I know this is a vegan book with vegetarian options, but this could really use some bacon or sausage. I also think adding some acid, perhaps a pickled onion topping, would help. In addition, Yonan says to add the breadcrumb topping as the cassoulet is going in the oven. When I removed the lid halfway through, I realized the breadcrumbs had absorbed the liquid so there was no chance for a crispy topping. Perhaps the topping should just be added at the end with a run under the broiler. This will not be a repeat.

  • Skamper on April 17, 2021

    April 2021. Really liked this. Made the beans in the ip first, then sauteed and added the vegetables. High pressure for 8 mins, QR. I used about 6 oz wine and 2 cups bean stock. Next time use even less. Added grated parm to the breadcrumbs and broiled in mini lodges 3 mins on highest rack.

  • shelbstirr on February 03, 2026

    Creamy, comforting, filling. I added sliced kielbasa. I feel like it needed something more to be a favorite.

  • Samjbutler on February 06, 2021

    This was so delicious! I upped the quantities of spices a little, subbed out cremini mushrooms for shiitakes, and cooked it in a large 14" skillet covered with foil. The beans melded together beautifully with the root vegetables, and the mushrooms/breadcrumbs made a wonderfully crispy topping (which my kid picked off first, and then begged for more). A perfect dish for a vegetarian dinner party.

• Orecchiette with borlotti beans, bitter greens, and lemony bread crumbs

  • ksg518 on April 15, 2023

    I thought this was fine. The bread crumbs are great and should not be skipped, otherwise the dish will be much too bland. Probably not a repeat except the bread crumbs.

  • Ksmotherman on December 28, 2020

    Flavor was good, but it seemed a bit dry. Maybe should have added more liquid. I did a mix of radicchio and baby kale for the bitter greens, might try just arugula next time.

• Black bean soup with masa dumplings

  • LKrishnan81 on November 03, 2022

    This is delicious and worth the effort. That said, it verges on a weekend project if you don't have a batch of the mother sauce in the freezer.

  • prkrgrant on February 26, 2026

    If you make the salsa madre ahead of time and opt out of the masa dumplings this is stupid easy, quick and tasty. With the dumplings it's even better, but for a bit more effort.

• Simply delicious marinated lima beans

  • LKrishnan81 on November 03, 2022

    I made these with Christmas Limas and they fell apart before the marinating process. Agree with Gretchen that the sauce is too vinegar forward for my taste.

  • GretchenHicks on January 23, 2022

    Used Rancho Gordo giant white lima beans. This tasted too vinegar forward to me. I added more salt and chili flakes to try to balance it and it was better. A little bummed because this is my first recipe I've tried in the book and my first batch of Rancho Gordo beans. I think I might not be a huge fan of the limas. A little too big and creamy. OH. I forgot to put in the Kombu (it was right beside the oven) so I'm not sure how much that would have changed it. Might try again with half of the vinegar.

  • Babeng.Bubba on August 18, 2024

    Didn’t have parsley so used a bit of dried basil and garlic granules. Also increased olive oil, vinegar and chilli flakes. Tasty!

• Puffy pinto bean tacos

  • LKrishnan81 on November 03, 2022

    The directions for shaping the taco shell while frying, were confusing and left me thinking the taco should be triangle rather than the typical hard shell taco form. Otherwise, this is a delicious recipe I'll be glad to make again when the urge to fry something hits.

  • fractal on September 28, 2024

    Have not tried the tacos wheel parts yet but the beans were great and sunple

• Chickpea aioli

  • LKrishnan81 on November 03, 2022

    I find this works better than the other aquafaba aioli recipes we've tried. The addition of Dijon boosts the emulsifying and speeds up a process that can otherwise kill your immersion blender.

  • Chefjames1 on March 04, 2026

    A little runnier than regular mayo

• Yellow bean and spinach dosas

  • sarahawker on March 11, 2021

    The flavor is good, I did not read for comprehension so mixed the diced onion and spinach into the batter so they did not spread easily and I ended up with thicker instead of crispy dosa. The family did like them. Would use a non-stick vs. cast iron pan next time.

• Curried red lentil stew with lime and harissa

  • babyfork on January 17, 2025

    I didn't have a whole pound of red lentils, so I added yellow lentils to make up the difference. Probably about 10 oz red and 6 oz yellow. I followed the recipe pretty closely but halved the lime juice and omitted the agave syrup. I also used Brooklyn Dehli Tomato Achaar instead of harissa. I put in about 3 tbsp of it (it's not very spicy). Also added about a tbsp or so of chopped fresh ginger. A good basic recipe for curried lentils.

• Roasted carrots and cannellini beans in almond broth

  • lolako on March 12, 2026

    As a whole this recipe just doesn't work. The roasted carrots with tomato paste, chile and cloves are so good. My kitchen smelled amazing. The carrots out of the oven are delicious, and can be served just as is with the mint and almonds scattered on top. It starts to fall apart when adding the beans, broth and almond milk. They added nothing to the great taste of the carrots. I wasn't even sure why the beans were in the dish other than this was a book with bean recipes. The cloves of the carrots blended well with the fresh mint and the crunch of the almonds. I wasn't interested in eating leftovers, so I decided to make a soup with them. I covered with vegetable broth and a little more almond milk and ground cloves. I added some berbere powder, which contains chili and cloves, in hopes to bring some more heat and not cancel out the taste of the cloves. After pureeing, I served with almond based sour cream and blackberry-ginger balsamic vinegar. I would give the soup 4 stars.

• Georgian kidney bean stew with corn flatbreads and pickled cabbage (Lobio)

  • bfurrow on September 17, 2025

    I made rancho gordo domingo rojo for this. Three components to make (with dried beans) but I give it a 3.5 ish. I’d make again but wouldn’t rush to. I think I’d like better sans dill.

  • anothersarah on February 09, 2022

    The beans with the cabbage really work but without it, it's sort of blah. Not sure I would make the effort again.

• Chocolate chickpea spread

  • kitchen_chick on April 20, 2026

    Tasty and very easy to make. I added a bit of olive oil for texture and to help it go through my blended better (rather than adding more water), and I left out the extra 2 Tbs of sugar because I prefer less sweetness though I suspect the average person will want to add the sugar.

• Crispy hoppin' John with smoked tofu

  • inflytur on January 01, 2021

    Even though I didn’t stick strictly to the recipe, this is a very good recipe. I served it as regular Hoppin’ John instead of making the rice patties. The black-eyed peas were absolutely delicious.

  • Rachel_ on February 09, 2026

    Put about half in my braiser (figured I would finish it in smaller batches) and it all just seemed so dry. Probably going to finish the rest (including the broth) over rice more like a stew

• Christmas lima, kale and cherry tomato salad with honey-dill dressing

  • Dannausc on July 25, 2022

    Quite easy. Pretty decent.

  • Hansyhobs on January 09, 2023

    You can make this with any beans but I used the Christmas Lima beans as I had them (bought from Rancho Gordo in Portland in Oct 2022 on our Honeymoon). Salad seems pretty boring at first, but it's actually super tasty and we were happy enough to have it for dinner, with added homemade croutons. I cooked the beans in my standard brothy beans way (sear lemon, onion, ginger, bay, and peppercorns before adding water) and didn't follow the recipe for that part, but I'm sure the result would have been the same,

• Italian rice salad with cannellini beans

  • Dannausc on July 25, 2022

    Quite easy. Decent.

• Kidney bean and mushroom Bourguignon

  • MariaSwe on August 08, 2023

    I wish I had read the previous note because I agree that the cooking time is off. There is no way the carrots will be soft in that amount of time. It needed more salt as well. Even with the added salt I didn't think there was enough flavour to the dish. Will not repeat.

  • Churchim808 on March 03, 2023

    This is a promising recipe but the cooking time, salt and butter are way too small. I’ve followed the recipe to a T but the carrots are still crunchy and raw, there is way too little salt and fat. The fresh rosemary only gets a couple minutes so it’s still quite astringent. Carrots cut into 1/2 inch coins are not going to be cooked in 7 minutes. I still have high hopes for the final product after 30 min or more of slow cooking.

• New Orleans red beans and rice

  • tmjellicoe on June 14, 2022

    Not sure on this one. Hubby liked it; I found it lacking. Maybe my spice was not spicy enough? Or, it was because I used a pressure cooker rather than stovetop? I did enjoy the rice on its own so it will be made into kimchi fried rice tomorrow. I made a half recipe, though did use a full small green pepper and full celery rib (I like extra veg).

  • Stephenn31 on May 27, 2024

    Delicious. I halved the bean and rice content but used the full amount of other ingredients (onion, spices, soy sauce, etc.). Delicious and easy with an instant pot for the beans. The rice was nicely flavoured on its own. Will make again for an easy meatless dinner

• Penne with cicerchie in rosemary-scented tomato sauce

  • hbakke on October 19, 2022

    I subbed radiatori pasta for penne pasta. This was an interesting pasta sauce. I cooked the cicerchie beans in the pressure cooker as directed in the instructions and they were very overcooked. Since the beans mostly get pureed in the sauce, I didn't mind that they were overcooked but I wouldn't use the the pressure cooker directions again to cook the beans.The lemon zest (and I added a squeeze of lemon juice) was nice for the acidity.

• Smoky black bean and plaintain chili

  • intrepidcook on July 04, 2023

    Made 7/3/2023. Rather tasty but not a wow. Sort of one-dimensional leaning towards the fruity side.

  • shelbstirr on February 28, 2025

    This was really really good, the flavors all go together well. Very quick to make too! Use just two chipotles next time, would also be good with some pork added. Hold up to freezing great!

  • KateS27 on May 17, 2026

    Not the best picture and I probably should have used a different bowl, but it was delicious!! I served it with cashew cream and homemade totopos.

• Israeli-style mung bean stew

  • anothersarah on February 09, 2022

    I found this really off-putting both in taste and aroma. I was excited to try mung beans but they are not for me.

• Southern baked beans

  • KCKB on June 14, 2024

    This is a good base recipe for baked beans. Personally, I like them to have a bit of sweetness and this recipe is all savory - but you can stir in a bit of maple syrup or molasses or brown sugar at the end, and that way you can adjust to your taste and it won’t be overly sweet. Also, this recipe seems to have gotten missed in the book’s index? It doesn’t appear under “S” or “B”, so I added a handwritten note to my copy.

  • Stephenn31 on February 17, 2024

    The recipe says tamari is a substitute for liquid aminos, so I used tamari. Simple and hearty.

  • jessica_xo0q7w on February 16, 2026

    Added some leftover died ham from Easter dinner and this turned out great. Very savory, which is my preference.

  • ravenbrockman on February 05, 2026

    A great “set it and forget it” recipe, it’s slowed cooked in the oven for 3 hours. Very smoky and savory baked beans. I am more used to having a little sweetness in my beans, I added some maple syrup at the end. Very good. Next time I will adjust a little bit and probably add sweetener of some sort when I bake. But still very good.

• Mushroom-kidney bean burgers

  • ravenbrockman on February 06, 2026

    Really loved the texture on these, they did not fall apart. The great thing about this burger is that is can be versatile, you could change up the bean and seasoning if you wanted. Really delicious.

  • lsmedley on December 07, 2021

    Mine for some reason were super crumbly. Maybe I should have added a bit more aminos or lime juice. Flavor was amazing though!!

• Molletes with shiitake bacon, feta and arugula

  • Ksmotherman on December 28, 2020

    Such a good recipe! One of my family's favorites from this book. The refried beans are delicious, made them exactly per the recipe. We prefer the shiitake bacon a bit less sweet though, do cut the maple syrup a bit.

• Chickpea and quinoa chorizo

  • SKidd on December 15, 2022

    Smelled amazing, texture is good, we had it with potatoes in tacos and had a lot leftover to freeze for easy dinners.

  • Ksmotherman on December 28, 2020

    Fantastic faux meat for tacos, and very easy to make. Reheats well. I served them in tacos with fresh salsa and black velvet beans from the Decolonize Your Diet cookbook.

• Chinese-style noodles with black beans and shiitakes

  • Ksmotherman on January 13, 2021

    So easy, and really good! Made it mostly per recipe with slightly more mushrooms, and swapped soy sauce for tamari. Easy to adjust spice level; as written, has just a slight hint of spice. Cucumber matchstick topping was perfect, don't skip it; they provided a cool refreshing contrast to the noodles.

  • Stephenn31 on June 11, 2024

    Decent vegetarian version of the original. I added extra mushrooms (mix of shiitake and button) which was good as they cooked down. Nice with the udon. I did the black beans in the instant pot so I did 50/50 of the noodle cooking water and bean cooking water (as the udon cooking water wasn’t very starchy)

• Peruvian beans and rice (Tacu tacu)

  • anothersarah on February 03, 2022

    Yummy

  • SKidd on February 24, 2026

    Have made a few times as it’s a restaurant favorite we don’t see too much, comforting and filling, the pickled onions are a must have. Adaptable to leftover beans and rice.

• Chickpea and mushroom puttanesca with crispy polenta

  • Stephenn31 on May 16, 2024

    The puttanesca was a nice change from the usual and more substantial with the chickpeas and mushrooms. My polenta didn't set properly so I had it soft which was OK, but not amazing.

• Eat Your Books by Jenny Hartin

  Recipes use a colorful mosaic of beans from Lady cream peas to red lentils. International dishes such as Chinese-style noodles with black beans and shiitakes will take us around the world of flavor.

  Full review