How to Cook Pinto Beans, A Great Vegetarian Protein

Indigenous people have been eating protein rich beans for thousands of years. Pinto beans have been used in Mexico for a long time and now are also popular particularly in the southwestern US. Mexican influenced cuisine is based around pinto beans, using them in many popular dishes including chili, tostadas, burritos, dips, and soups. The taste of pinto beans is only appealing when prepared and seasoned correctly. Follow these instructions to turn dry pinto beans into moist, tender, delicious vegetarian protein source.

A few simple techniques will help you cook pinto beans and we want to make sure that they are easy to digest. First, we take the beans and put them on a pot and fill it with water and soak them overnight from 12 to 24 hours. The beans begin to sprout which means that carbohydrates and protein will begin breaking down into simpler carbohydrates and protein which will become very easy for the digestive system to handle.

Vegetarian Dishes

Cooking pinto beans, once soaked is an all-day affair, so start them in the morning either in a crock pot or on the stove. Pinto beans are one of the simple foods of the southwest. Ingredients in this soup help create a balance of nutrients shown to boost the immune system. Anti-viral, antibacterial, anti-fungal, herbs and spices make the beans taste good and make them a protective food.

First of all, let's add lots of oregano. Oregano has anti-viral qualities shown to be effective against viruses such as herpes. Another protective spice is cumin, often used in India, and commonly added to beans in Mexico (where there is almost NO CANCER), so let's put a good teaspoon of it into the pot.

Chilis play an important role in foods of the southwest and are very available, so let's add a couple of teaspoons of medium to mild chili powder depending on your family's taste. Look for chili's at your market in the Mexican foods section or at your natural foods grocery. Depending upon your taste for salt add anywhere from a pinch to 1/2-1 teaspoon of earth or sea salt to the pot.

Next add 1/2-1 teaspoon onion powder or a whole diced onion depending on what you have available. Another really great immune protective spice is any kind of curry mix, add a heaping teaspoon of this wonderful spice blend that has tremendous anti-inflammatory qualities. These herbs and spices will cook together to make a rich and tasty broth with the beans.

Next add a few tablespoons of good virgin olive oil. This provides a bit of fat that our body needs and also makes the beans tasty. When in transition to a vegetarian diet, fat is often what we are craving when we think we want meat, so adding some olive oil to this hearty dish will make it more satisfying.

Now chop and add cilantro, sliced yellow peppers and a few cloves of garlic. Stir and let simmer on low temperature for 5-6 hours (adding more water if needed) until the beans are really tender in a nice rich broth. Cooking beans with these amazing herbs and spices, oregano, cumin, curry powder, onion and garlic provides not only wonderful flavor but also supports our immune system with micro nutrients and tastes good.

At the end of cooking time, add a few tablespoons soy sauce and a little more olive oil to give the sauce a rich flavor. The beans are now ready to serve. They have been cooked all day long at a low temperature. You can do this in a crock pot, on a stove or whatever works best for you. If you're gone to work all day a crockpot can make cooking the beans easy - be sure to add plenty of water and leave them on low temperature while gone.

When you get home your house will be filled with the wonderful aroma of beans, herbs and spices.

A great nutritional compliment to beans is traditionally rice, so make a pot for dinner to go with the beans. Beans are a food that has supported various cultures for centuries. They are a great protein source, and once soaked become much more digestible. Most beans can be made with similar preparation and cooking as we did here with pintos. Make beans a basis for good vegetarian nutrition in your home.

Use rice as the base and a nice serving of pinto beans on top, seasoned with all those great herbs and spices. Add a small salad on the side, and viola! A nice dinner!

How to Cook Pinto Beans, A Great Vegetarian Protein

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