Make Healthy Adzuki Beans Bowls (Full of protein and fiber)

• Food: Adzuki Bean Bowls
• Writer: Nicola Wilson
• Content-Type: Food Blog

Ever tried adzuki beans? Discover how to prepare them for use in this flavorful grain bowl recipe! You should not worry if you are unable to locate them because you may substitute black beans in their place.

Do you have any experience with adzuki beans? If you haven’t done so already, you really ought to start. They, like most other types of beans, come with a plethora of health benefits.

These beans are an excellent source of protein and fiber, and some people believe that they can improve cardiovascular health by reducing both blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

They can be prepared in a flash due to their diminutive size, and, to top it all off, they taste fantastic! Their one-of-a-kind sweet and nutty flavor works wonderfully in a wide variety of dishes, from substantial grain bowls to ice cream from Japan.

My preferred method for cooking adzuki beans can be found below, along with the recipe for adzuki beans that I use the most often. If you’re ready to give them a try, read on.

How to Prepare Adzuki Beans

Adzuki beans are often sold in their dried form; however, it is possible to locate them in canned form. There is no need to soak adzuki beans before cooking them, in contrast to the majority of other dried beans.

Even when not presoaked, they usually finish cooking in fewer than 90 minutes when placed on the stove. In point of fact, I choose cooking dried beans over canned beans due to the shorter amount of time it takes to prepare them.

When you cook adzuki beans yourself, you have complete control over their final texture, and you can boost their flavor by boiling them with aromatic ingredients such as chopped onions, smashed garlic cloves, bay leaves, or black peppercorns.

Cooking adzuki beans also allows you to save money.

Want to give it a shot? My straightforward approach to cooking adzuki beans is as follows:

• First, you should sift through them. It is common for dried beans to contain small stones or other debris, thus it is important to go through the beans before cooking them. Throw away this material as well as any beans that have become shriveled or discolored, and then rinse the beans in a colander with a fine mesh while running water over them.
• Then you need to boil them! Put the beans in a big saucepan, then add enough ice water to cover them by about 2 inches all the way around. Salt them, then add any aromatics you like to the saucepan they’re cooking in. Bring to a boil, then decrease the heat to low and simmer for about an hour, or until the beans are soft but not mushy. The freshness of your beans will determine how long this step takes: it could be anywhere from 35 to 90 minutes (note: if your beans are very old, they could take a little longer). While the beans are cooking, if you notice that they are becoming dry, add more water to the pot as necessary.
• At this point, you can either eat or preserve the beans. When the beans are done cooking, you can either eat them straight from the pot with a scoop of the cooking liquid, drain them and use them in your go-to dish for adzuki beans, or put them away for later use. You can keep them in the refrigerator for up to five days in a container that is airtight, or you can freeze them for several months.

Components of Adzuki Beans and Their Variations

My all-time favorite recipe for adzuki beans is found in the cookbook called Healthyish and it’s called Adzuki Bean Bowl.

The earthy brown rice and a crunchy salad that has been seasoned with miso are the ideal partners for the sweet and nutty beans.

Because of the ease with which these components may be stored after being prepared in advance, this recipe is ideal for use as either a lunch or a weekday meal that can be made in advance.

And don’t worry if you don’t have all of these specific things on hand. You can still make this recipe! You are free to use anything you have available, just as in any other decent grain bowl.

The following are the ingredients that are required for the dish, as well as some suggestions for straightforward swaps:

• The star of the show is adzuki beans after cooking. If you are unable to locate them, you can substitute black beans in their place. I frequently switch between the two of them. Cooking the adzuki beans up to three days in advance, or using beans from a can, will make assembling much quicker.
• The combination of red beans and brown rice is a time-honored one, and these delicious bowls demonstrate why. In this recipe, you might substitute brown rice for white rice, cauliflower rice, or quinoa if you don’t have any brown rice on hand.
• Napa cabbage, snap peas, and carrots – are the three vegetables. You can prepare the slaw for this dish using this mix, or you can substitute it with your preferred crispy vegetables instead. The addition of snow peas, cucumbers, green onions, or either red or green cabbage would be a welcome treat.
• A fresh herb, like cilantro, is one of my favorite toppings for grain bowls. Although the cilantro is fantastic in this dish, you could also use mint or Thai basil instead.
• This has quickly become one of my favorite dressings, and its name is Sesame Miso Dressing. White miso paste, rice vinegar, sesame oil, tamari, and olive oil are the ingredients that go into its preparation.

Complete the bowls by topping them with toasty sesame seeds or crushed walnuts, velvety avocado, and fiery red chilies. Please report back to me with any variations you come up with!

Adzuki Beans Bowls

The grain bowl with adzuki beans is a recipe that was developed by Lindsay Maitland Hunt in her book Healthyish. For speedy assembly, cook the adzuki beans up to 3 days in advance, or use canned beans.

Ingredients

• 1/2 large Napa cabbage head, sliced (6 1/2 cups)
• 3 small carrots, shaved with a vegetable peeler
• 1 cup sugar snap peas, sliced
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, more for serving
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, more for serving
• 1 1/2 cups cooked adzuki beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 avocados, sliced
• 1 small fresh red chile, sliced

Sesame Miso Dressing (makes extra)

• 1/4 cup white miso
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons tamari
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Instructions

1. Prepare the salad dressing. To make the miso dressing, combine the miso, rice vinegar, olive oil, tamari, and sesame oil in a small bowl and mix together.
2. Combine the shredded cabbage, carrots, sugar snap peas, and sesame seeds in a large bowl. Stir in a quarter cup of the dressing.
3. The cilantro should be folded into the cabbage salad right before it is served. The rice, the cabbage salad, the beans, and the avocados should each be placed in their own separate bowl. If wanted, drizzle with more dressing and top with the chile, as well as additional cilantro and sesame seeds, if desired.

Notes

If there is any salad dressing left over after making the salad, save it and use it on another salad another day.