recipe carousel #24 - legumes/pulses

I love legumes (pulses). Beans and lentils can be unbelievably delicious. So many people are put off by the texture: firm to touch with a softened core. I simply adore this.

Given that Jonas is vegetarian, legumes are my lifeblood at home. I will try to infiltrate them into any meal possible. They provide us both with an important source of protein.

To learn more about all the different kinds of legumes (with photos) check out the excellent resource at Cook’s Thesaurus.

But for this week’s seven recipes, here are my legume lovelies.

Boston Baked Beans comes from Maki in Switzerland (I Was Just Really Very Hungry). What better way to start your day then to breakfast on white beans baked with onions, fresh ginger, garlic, molasses, spices and thyme? The ingredients form a spicy, rich gravy which is enhanced by the smokiness either bacon or chipotle chillies. Photo courtesy of Maki.


K'dami are a great snack food from BurékaBoy in Canada (Is That My Buréka?). He oven roasts chickpeas (garbanzo) in za’atar, a pungent Middle Eastern spice blend consisting of chopped almonds, pepper, onion, garlic and paprika. Rolled in the spices and olive oil, they are then roasted until crispy. I imagine these would make a great beer snack. Photo courtesy of BurekaBoy.


Lima Beans Poriyal are cooked up by Priya in the USA (Sugar and Spice) after she was inspired by a recipe from Indira. Green chillies are made into a paste with fresh coconut flesh then cooked with mustard seeds, cumin and curry leaves, thinly sliced shallots and garlic until the lima beans are soften and smothered with a rich coating of spicy flavour. Photo courtesy of Priya.


Black Eyed Peas, Savoy & Potato Soup w Bulghur is an inventive combination from Orchidea in Sweden (Viaggi & Sappori). Black eyed peas are softened then the potatoes, onion and cabbage are added. The finished soup is pureed, reheated with the bulghur then sprinkled with olive oil before serving. Excellent comfort food. Photo courtesy of Orchidea.


Two Bean Vegetarian Chilli is a hunger inducer from Posie in Switzerland (Posie's Place). To ward away the cold, Posie cooks a delicious combination of kidney and black beans with plum tomatoes, peppers (capsicum), green chillies and mushrooms. They are then flavoured with cumin, onion, smoky paprika and a good dose of garlic. Posie suggests chorizo sausage could be added, but quips that “no meat doesn’t necessarily mean no flavour”. Photo courtesy of Posie.


Puy Shepherd's Pie is another vegetarian extravaganza from Mellie in Australia (Tummy Rumbles). Gorgeous slate coloured puy lentils are softened while carrots, onions and celery are sweated into translucency. Kecap Manis, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauces add tang and the traditional potato top is replaced with a nutty cauliflower and chickpea mash. Mellie’s verdict: “fantastically tasty”. Photo courtesy of Mellie.


Black Bean & Coconut Drink is from Manivan in Canada (Thai & Lao Food). Manivan uses silky black beans to make a luscious cool drink that could equally classify as a dessert. Black beans are cooked with sugar until soft and then stirred with velvety coconut milk. She doesn’t have a photo for this drink but she actually filmed the entire cooking process (with commentary) so I recommend you visit her post and watch her make this delicious drink.

Also, next week's Recipe Carousel will be particularly special because it will be the Festive Food Fair round-up, bringing together special ocassion recipes from around the world. Hope you can join the Fair or visit the recap.

Add your own recipe!
If you want to link in your own legume recipe and share the love around, just leave the link in the comments section. You didn’t have to invent the recipe yourself, just make it and post it on your site. The whole idea of Recipe Carousel is that good recipes are shared with people who love to cook.
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Check out other Recipe Carousel themes: eggs, pancakes, breakfast, raw food, berries, dips, cocktails, pasta, yoghurt, crispy snacks, vegetable desserts, fruit in savoury food, made from scratch, strawberries, jam, bread, seafood mains, ice cream, soup, chocolate and drinks.

Tags: morsels and musings food blog food and drink australia recipes recipe carousel legumes pulses beans lentils chickpeas garbanzo breakfast breakfast recipes desserts savoury drinks sides main course pie chilli soup snack vegetarian food vegetarian recipes vegetarian cuisine vegetarian