5 Ways to Use Pulses and Legumes in Warming Plant-Based Dishes

For those seeking alternatives to meat products, pulses and legumes are a great source of protein. With a whooping 21-25% protein (dry weight) and a plethora of vitamins, minerals and fibre, pulses and legumes are a fantastic option for a meat-free meal - plus, they're not overly expensive!

The only note of caution is that some legumes don't contain the full range of essential amino acids - but this can be overcome by consuming a variety of legumes/ pulses, in addition to other whole grains and nuts.

You can either use canned or dry pulses - if you opt for the latter, make sure to soak them in water for 8-10 hours, then rinsing well before eating.

There are plenty of ways to incorporate legumes and pulses into one's diet… here are our favourites:

Falafel.

Crispy on the outside, moist and fluffy inside, packed with plenty of nutrients and oh so moreish, falafel are, to my mind, severely underrated! Shockingly easy to make, it is important to note one critical aspect of making a successful batch of falafels: use soaked dried chickpeas, NOT canned chickpeas (falafels only work well with uncooked chickpeas).

Meat-free Mince.

This one's popped up before (refer to our previous post for a fantastic recipe!). With the right vegetable and spice additions, sure: this will taste different to a meaty mince dish… but not in a bad way! You're still getting all the protein your body needs (hopefully), in addition to a bunch of other veggie goodness!

Curry.

The beauty of a good curry is that you can make almost any flavour combinations work: chickpea and potato; pumpkin, lentil and coconut - even just a simple dhal will have you going back for seconds! They key is to sautée onions, garlic and ginger on low-medium heat, until they're golden brown, before adding whatever spices you wish to include and letting those bloom prior to tossing everything else in. This will give your curry and added depth of flavour you didn't know was missing!

Salads.

The options are enormous - butter beans, cannellini beans, black beans, chickpeas, lentils… one can employ the texture of any legume to create a well-rounded, delicious and vibrant salad to grace one's plate. If you've soaked the beans/ lentils/ chickpeas, cooking them in a broth or stock will add so much flavour! If using canned pulses, taking a bit of extra time to marinade them in the salad dressing will make the world of difference!

Hummus.

What better way to impress guests than with homemade hummus! And you know what? I can guarantee it'll taste SO much better than the store-bought version. A key ingredient is tahini - be sure to use hulled tahini, as the unhulled type tends to create a rather bitter aftertaste. With a decent food processor, the resulting hummus should be smooth enough, but if you're after a super smooth texture, peel the chickpeas beforehand. One final tip is to serve hummus when it's at room temperature to give the best flavour and texture.