Vegan Bean-Otto (+ protein of choice!)
4 colorsTHE WHY BEHIND THIS RECIPE
BEAN-OTTO, the cousin of risotto but blood sugar friendly because it’s lower carb, and high in protein! I love this because it takes 1/3 the time of risotto and it’s packed with flavor. You can also make this vegan if you swap bone broth for veggie broth! Top with fish or another protein of course, or just devour it as is!
You can easily use canned beans, but let me make a brief case for dried beans:
Dried beans: Dried beans generally are a little bit more nutritionally dense (DOI: I10.4236/fns.2011.22009) and they have less sodium than most canned beans.
No matter if you are using dried or canned beans, be sure to wash them well (washing canned beans can also help with sodium).
Soaking your beans for 4-12 hours before you cook them can actually help you digest them because it removes the oligosaccharides, and removing that big silly word basically means you’ll be less gassy. 🤣
I love Beanstory which is an amazing 100% organic company that sources their beans from small family farms (not sponsored, just love their beans).
Yields: 3-4 servings
Total time: 30 minutes
Prep time =5 minutes
Cook time = 20-25 minutes
WHAT YOU NEED
1 tbsp olive oil
3 large zucchini or squash (ideally one yellow and one green because then it’s more COLORFUL and fun)
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 lemon
1 (15oz) can of white beans OR dried beans
I love beans from Beanstory which is an amazing 100% organic company that sources their beans from small family farms (not sponsored, just love their beans).
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup bone broth
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/3 cup parsley, leaves finely chopped
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
2 tsp kosher salt
A handful of pine nuts or sunflower seeds for topping
Parmesan for topping (not vegan, but delicious option for topping if you want!)
HOW TO DO IT
Grate your zucchini and squash - I use a cheese grader here. Then using a nut bag, drain the juice so it’s less wet. This step is important otherwise your bean-otto will be water-y. If you don’t have a nut bag, use a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out the water.
Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add garlic with pinch of salt and saute for 2-3 minutes. Then, add the grated squash and cook everything for 2-3 more minutes. Grate in the zest of ½ the lemon. Add a little more salt at this step!
If you are feeling super fancy, toast the pine nuts or sunflower seeds in a dry pan for 2-3 minutes until golden, set aside.
Pour in the beans and the bone broth into the pan, and stir to combine. Season well with cracked black pepper and salt to taste.
Reduce the heat to low and stir in the coconut milk and nutritional yeast. Stir in most of the chopped parsley and basil but leave some for garnish. Check for seasoning and add more salt or nutritional yeast as preferred. Add the juice of the other ½ a lemon.
Serve the beans into bowls, and top with roasted pine nuts, the remaining herbs and drizzle of olive oil. Always add some finishing salt on top!
If not vegan, grate some parmesan on top.
Top with your favorite protein - I love pairing salmon with this dish!
SWAPS, TIPS & TRICKS
TIPS:
If you are new to cooking beans, I love this guide from Melissa Clark!
Nutritional Info
Per serving, recipe yields 4 servings
Calories: 334
Carbohydrates: 30g
Fiber: 11
Net carbs: 19g
Protein: 16g (I aim for 30g per meal, this is why I like to add chicken or salmon on top!)
Fat: 16G
Sodium: 1580g
Sugar: 4g
