Beans are beloved all over the world. They are used in just about ever culture in every kind of cuisine.

With the Chinese New Year coming up this weekend, we thought we would take a look at exotic, Asian-inspired bean dishes. Now, when you do a little bit of hunting for Asian bean recipes, you will run across a lot of green bean recipes, which may lead you to believe there are not a lot of other beans in Chinese cuisine. This is not the case at all. In fact, many Asian dishes utilize black beans, mixed beans and even garbanzo beans.

While those green bean dishes are delicious, that is not what we are looking for today. We are looking for some great ways to use the Randall Beans you know and love in Chinese dishes in the year of the Fire Rooster.

 

Kung Pao Chickpeas

We found this recipe and knew we had found an instant winner. This dish takes a whole new twist on kung pao chicken, a Chinese food classic, by replacing the protein. By replacing chicken with garbanzo beans this dish takes on a whole new persona by becoming vegan-friendly but retaining all the same great elements.

The pan-fried garbanzo beans take on a whole new crispy and crunchy texture that works alongside the peanuts in the dish. Of course, red pepper flakes, ginger, scallions and garlic create that traditional kung pao style sauce to set it all off.

 

Asian Pork Belly Bean Soup

We all know beans are perfect for soup, but did you know the same rules apply for Chinese-inspired soups? This recipe is perfect for getting your Asian food fix during the winter time because of it’s salty, brothy, hearty and warm goodness.

The prime element in this dish – aside from Randall Beans Mixed Beans – is pork belly. This salty and fatty cut of meat gets a chance to become extremely tender and cook down over the course of cooking and gives a good salty balance to the beans. Almost like Chinese ham and bean soup! You should be able to find pork belly at a nearby international market, butcher shop or if your local grocery store if it is big enough.

 

Peppers with Black Beans

Here is another vegan-friendly recipe to help ring in the Chinese New Year in delicious fashion. This dish is easy to make and ready in just 30-40 minutes. All you need is a wok, Randall black beans, peppers and a handful of other herbs, sauces and spices.

Black beans are not used in the traditional sense in this dish. They are coarsely chopped, heated and mixed with other elements to create a sauce to mix the peppers in. This dish makes for a perfect side dish or appetizer to your Chinese New Year feast.

Beans are some of the world’s favorite food. These are just some of the examples of the diverse and exotic ways to use beans in everyday cuisine.

These bean dishes are truly unique. Want a more traditional bean dish? It doesn’t get any better than chili!

Loading...