Turn one batch of red kidney beans into three different meals

1.1622093-3036593349 — Recipes of red kidney beans can be anything from a hearty stew to a green bean salad with grated garlicky tomatoes Image Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Kidney beans always amounts to a hale and hearty meal.

Boil a batch at the start of the week and turn it into three different meals: a spicy soup, fragrant wrap and a sweet yet savoury side.

Dried or canned, I’ve always had a soft spot for red kidney beans. I would get genuinely upset if my mother forgot to add them to her beef borsch, especially in winter. Creamy and slightly overcooked, they complimented the spoon-tender brisket so well.

In the Caucasus, recipes for lobio (literally beans) abound and can be anything from a hearty stew to a green bean salad with grated garlicky tomatoes. One of the dishes here was inspired by a Georgian lobio, which can be eaten as a main, mixed with leftover rice and a knob of butter, or as a side.

Here are three ways to transform a humble pan of kidney beans into an array of comforting dishes. Of course, if you’re short of time and energy, simply stir some thinly sliced red onion, sumac, olive oil and lemon juice through the beans and sprinkle over some feta and whatever herbs you have in your fridge. I could live off lobio like this!

To prepare your batch of kidney beans

Rather than throwing away vegetable offcuts — whether it’s carrot and onion peel, the tough parts of fennel or leek — pop them into a saucepan along with some parsley stalks and thyme,and make a quick stock for cooking beans.

If you don’t have all this, don’t worry, just use water and allspice berries.

Ingredients

1.3kg dried red kidney beans (for all three dishes), soaked overnight

A handful of onion skins

A handful of carrot peel and offcuts

A handful of fennel offcuts

2 garlic cloves, bruised

A handful of parsley stalks

1 bay leaf

2 thyme sprigs

A few peppercorns

A few allspice berries

Sea salt flakes

Steps

Drain the beans. Put them in a large saucepan with the remaining ingredients, except the salt. Cover with cold water.

Bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes, then lower the heat and cook for 1 hour, or until soft.

Season well with salt and leave to cool in the liquid.

Drain and keep in an airtight plastic container until you need them.

THE PACKED LUNCH: REFRIED KIDNEY BEAN WRAPS WITH HALLOUMI AND PLUM CHUTNEY

Basil and coriander together would make my Italian friends want to cry, but they do it in Georgia, and they do it in Thailand, and it is one of my favourite herb combinations. The chutney is easy to make, but garlicky yoghurt would also work well.

4 servings

Ingredients

1/2 tbs oil

300g cooked red kidney beans

150g halloumi, sliced and grilled until golden

A few sprigs of basil

A few sprigs of coriander

A few sprigs of dill

4 lavash or pitta breads

For the chutney

Ingredients

7 plums, halved

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbs brown sugar

A pinch of cayenne pepper

A handful dill, chopped

Steps

Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the beans and cook them over a high heat, squashing them roughly as you go with a fork. Set aside.

Place the plums and a little water into a saucepan, cover with a lid and cook until soft.

Add the garlic, brown sugar, cayenne and season. Cook for another 10 minutes and mush with a fork.

Allow to cool a little and stir through the dill.

Warm the lavash or pittas in the oven. Spread a little chutney over each, followed by the beans.

Top with halloumi and whole sprigs of the herbs.

THE SOOTHING SOUP: RED BEAN SOUP WITH CHARRED CORN, FETA AND PUMPKIN SEEDS When the skies are grey, this sweet and salty soup will hit the spot. Chuck in whatever spices you fancy — some chilli flakes would be good. Toasted sunflower seeds, almond flakes or even sesame seeds can always be used instead of the pumpkin seeds.

4 servings

Ingredients

2 tbs rapeseed oil

1 red onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp cumin seeds, crushed

2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed

1 tsp paprika

1 cinnamon stick

250g butternut squash

400g tin of chopped tomatoes

300g cooked red kidney beans

600ml vegetable or chicken stock (or water)

1 sweetcorn cob (optional)

A handful of pumpkin seeds, toasted

100g feta cheese, crumbled

A handful of coriander, chopped

Steps

Heat the oil in a large casserole.

Add the onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika and cinnamon stick and cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes or until the onion and garlic start to caramelise a little.

Halve the squash, deseed and thinly slice. Add the squash to the casserole.

Cover with the lid and cook on a medium heat for another 10 minutes or so, stirring from time to time.

If using sweetcorn, heat a griddle pan and grill the cob on all sides until charred. When cool enough to handle, slice the corn in two, stand each half vertically and slice off the kernels.

Add the tomatoes, beans, stock or water to the casserole and season to taste. Cover with the lid, season well and cook for another 15 minutes.

Make sure the squash is cooked through and blitz or leave chunky.

Garnish with feta, sweetcorn, pumpkin seeds and torn coriander leaves.

THE SPICY SIDE PLATE: RED KIDNEY BEANS AND CARAMELISED SHALLOTS

This can be served as a main dish or as a side. Toasted walnuts and tangy goat’s cheese add body to this plate. You can also add a splash of stock and crush the beans a little bit with a fork, so their creamy flesh absorbs more flavour.

4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

2 tbs frying oil

10 shallots, sliced

400g cooked red kidney beans

2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground

2 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and ground

2 tsp fennel seeds, toasted and ground

2 tsp caraway seeds, toasted and ground

2 tbs olive oil

2 tsp sherry (or other flavourful) vinegar

Sea salt flakes