Kidney Beans

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Chief Longwind Of The North

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I like to add dark red kidney beans to sloppy joes, salads, certain soups, 5-bean salad, and even mash them into refried beans. They can be good in American goulash, and simply combined with seasoned ground beef.

Where do you use kidney beans besides in chili?

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North
 
Heat as they are, then serve with hard fried belly pork. And potatoes maybe
In soup, chili con carne, stews
 
Some veggie soups, occasionally a regular salad ( thats how I get rid of the extra ones I didnt use for another recipe. A bean salad , but thats too obvious. And although I haven't made them in awhile, I may use them in the mix when making refried beans.
 
Been a while since I bought any (canned beans went up so high I stopped buying them), but when I had them on hand, I would use them often in salads, since they were some of the firmer ones, besides garbanzos. They also make good bean dip, but then, anything can make a good dip, with proper ingredients.

I have a lot of dried kidney beans, most of which I'll use in Indian foods, though most that I use for that are the quicker cooking legumes. But there are many recipes, especially in northern Indian cuisines, using red kidney beans. In fact, they are used so much that the name they have for the kidney beans - Rajma - is also a generic term for the dishes they make with them, much like the term dal refers to the various types of lentils, as well as just a generic term term for a soup/stew made with any of those lentils.
 
The one thing I have noticed over the years is that the Dark Red kidney beans seem to hold up better ( hold their shape, dont break down) compared to the regular , lighter red kidney beans in soups, chili ... Maybe its just a me thing, but when I make soups, bean salad..., I seek out the dark red only. If its a recipe where the bean needs to break down ( retired beans ...). I.ll sometimes go with the lighter ones, although The dark is pretty much what I keep in stock at all times ( I load up during Shoprites can can sale).
 
I make a variation of Rachel Wharton’s recipe for Bodega Beans as a quick dinner.

Sauté onion and garlic, add a can of beans with the liquid, salt, and pepper, and sprinkle with cheese if you like. I usually add a chopped carrot and chopped celery if I have it on hand. If the vegetables are cut small it only needs to simmer for about 15 minutes.

The Bean Police won't break down your door if you make pasta e fagioli, baked beans, cassoulet, or bean soup with dark red kidney beans.

In my area, Aldi seems to have the freshest quick-cooking dried beans. I usually cook a pound or two and freeze them in two-cup containers.

Use what you have and never apologize! :ermm::ohmy::LOL:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uuli3So6Oo4&ab_channel=KQED
 
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The one thing I have noticed over the years is that the Dark Red kidney beans seem to hold up better ( hold their shape, dont break down) compared to the regular , lighter red kidney beans in soups, chili ... Maybe its just a me thing, but when I make soups, bean salad..., I seek out the dark red only. If its a recipe where the bean needs to break down ( retired beans ...). I.ll sometimes go with the lighter ones, although The dark is pretty much what I keep in stock at all times ( I load up during Shoprites can can sale).
I agree, 100% - those dark reds definitely seem to stay firm much better. I don't even remember the last time I bought the light red ones, canned or dried.

And that can-can sale is where I would always stock up on them, until the Aldi moved in up the street, and had beans dirt cheap...until prices went way up. I'm wondering if the ShopRite will have that sale soon, and if they will be anywhere near as cheap.
 

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