Bold Beans: Recipes to get your pulse racing

by Amelia Christie-Miller

'With recipes this good you'll wonder why you didn't embrace the bean craze sooner...' - Thomasina Miers

'I love having beans as a base to make a hearty delicious dinner.' - Melissa Hemsley

Get ready to become bean obsessed!
Beans have had it tough, but they've finally had the makeover they deserve. No longer confined to the back of the cupboard, and now celebrated by foodies, these protein-rich, sumptuous and satisfying marvels offer versatility, texture and heartiness.
With contributions from the Bold Bean team as well as Anna Jones, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and the team at Mob among others, these are enticing, exciting recipes uncompromising in their deliciousness.

Bold Beans contains over 90 recipes divided into the following

Speedy Beans
Bean Snacks and Share Plates
Brothy Beans
Bean Bowls
Hearty Salads
Bean Feasts

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food, Culinary

192 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 6, 2023

Reviews

[Rosemary Standeven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had great hopes for this book. I like beans, and was looking forward to some new recipes, and things to do with beans. And there were some very tasty ideas. I tried out thirteen of the recipes. Most were very good, and my favourites were ‘Lemon + Herby Bean Broth with Seasonal Greens’, ‘Miso Beans’ and ‘Sweet Potato + Black Bean Tortilla Bowls’.
Most recipes came with serving suggestions, and many with alternative ingredients, so were really flexible – always a good thing. Not all recipes were accompanied by photos of the finished dish. I would have liked a few more photos. Most, but not all, recipes were vegetarian, a number vegan (or could be). Still, the majority could be cooked as accompaniments to a meal including meat – as most of the meals I did were.
Beans are very healthy, filling, contain lots of protein, and – as if that wasn’t enough – are generally very cheap. However, this book was written by an author who has a company bottling and selling beans in glass jars. All recipes listed her jars in the ingredients – with canned beans (which most people might use) given as an alternative. Cooking with dried beans (the cheapest and most versatile option) was not dealt with until a passing note at the end of the book.
There are so many different kinds of beans available, but the recipes stuck to four types – coinciding with the author’s jars: namely Butter Beans(23 recipes), White Beans (21 recipes), Red beans (6 recipes) and Black Beans (14 recipes). There were also 28 recipes for Chickpeas, sold in the author’s jars, which as far as I am concerned (I may be wrong) are pulses but not beans. At the end of the book was a list of eight other bean varieties and how they could be substituted into the recipes if desired. I felt this (tiny) section, and that note on dried beans should have been at the start – before any of the recipes, and alternative bean types should have been given in each of the recipes, not just at the end. It would have also been nice to have had a word on the history and different cultures which cook beans, where they are grown, dried versus fresh ….
In conclusion, this was a good recipe book with lots of good, nutritious ideas for a limited number of beans and chickpeas. But, it did not come close to covering the wide culinary options that beans can provide – as it claimed to set out to do. I was disappointed, as it could have been so much better.

[Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic find Bold Beans by Amelia Christie-Miller has been! Published in 2023, this fresh, modern cookbook is packed with inspiration, offering so many flavorful and diverse recipes that you'll never look at beans the same way again. It’s filled with gorgeous, mouth-watering photos that bring each dish to life—a huge bonus for visual cooks!

One of the best parts? Beans are such a cost-effective alternative to meat, making this book not only a resource for delicious food but a great way to save on grocery bills without sacrificing flavour or variety. The book caters to everyone, with choices for vegetarians, vegans, and those needing gluten- and dairy-free options.

You'll find yourself turning to this book for every occasion, from solo dinners to lively gatherings. The range is impressive: there are brothy beans to warm you up, bean bowls for quick and nourishing meals, hearty salads that make great mains or sides, bean snacks for those mid-afternoon cravings, and even share plates for entertaining. And for those days when time is tight, you’ve got speedy bean dishes to save the day, or go all out with bean feasts for a show-stopping spread.

Here are a few dishes I can’t wait to try:

Tahini Yoghurt Chickpeas – Creamy, tangy, and packed with protein, a perfect snack or side.
Black Bean Falafel – A hearty twist on a classic, ideal for a filling wrap or salad topper.
White Bean Soup with Hazelnut Rosemary Pesto – Comforting and aromatic, this one feels like a cozy hug in a bowl.
Beetroot Gazpacho with Brown Butter Black Beans – A bright, earthy blend perfect for summer, made even richer with brown butter.
Black Bean, Coconut, and Lemongrass Broth – Warming and exotic, this one will transport your taste buds.
Pear, Blue Cheese, and Walnut Salad – A beautiful blend of sweet, savoury, and crunchy for a special starter or light meal.
Chickpea Satay Boats – Fun, zesty, and loaded with flavour, ideal for sharing.
Caramelized Cauliflower Chickpeas – A savoury, nutty dish that’s as good on its own as it is over rice.

Whether you’re looking for a quick weeknight meal, a make-ahead dip for guests, or an impressive spread, Bold Beans delivers it all with easy-to-follow recipes that celebrate the humble bean. If you’re looking for a cheaper, healthier, and tastier way to eat, this cookbook deserves a spot on your shelf. Give it a try—you just might become a bean believer!

[Stephen Robert Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

One things I get sick of is when tell people you like beans is that they think it's baked beans and that's it. I in fact am not big fan of Heniz beans. I love cannoli beans and butter beans and people forget about broad beans.
This book about both, vegetarian, vegan and meat eaters alike it gives ingredients lists on how to use dry beans and use of tinned and jar beans. It's easy to use tinned today in 1960s and 1970s tinned beans were horrible everything has changed in 2023 for better quality.
I love the tasty and interesting recipes of food and that as only me to cook for the amount isn't difficult to cook.

[Billy Degge]

i cannot stop eating beans

[Rowan]

don't love that this is a book essentially sponsored by a specific high end company that sells beans in glass jars instead of cans. the fact that it's also more or less sponsored by a group trying to encourage more beans in diets is good, but the way they present it is...not. i'm guessing this book is meant to be marketed towards more well-to-do folks who have the money to i guess help make this kind of cultural shift and funding to help?

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I eat and cook a lot of beans; this cookbook had some nice flavor combinations I hadn't thought of before to keep it fresh! Nice photography, recipes clearly marked vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and/or dairy-free. The ones I've made have come together quickly with things I already had in my pantry or freezer. The Muhammara Chickpeas are way tastier than they have any right to be.

[Debbie Orazi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an extensive collection of recipes using a multitude of bean varieties.

The author has chapters on: speedy beans, bean snacks & share plates, brothy beans, bean bowls, hearty salads, and bean feasts. The recipes have easy to follow instructions and many have full color photos. Just a note - American readers may need to lookup the names of several ingredients.

[Lucy Everett · Rating 5 out of 5]

We all need this book on our shelf and more beans in our diet!
Bean consumption is firstly, an extremely delicious occupation if use some of these recipes, but at the same time you can help save the planet and improve your health!

[Tom Pratt · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Recipes to get your pulse racing”
Fantastic & accessible recipes. Really easy way to get more delicious beans in your life!

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beans are so hot right now, lol. Recommend, get fresh ideas and more fiber in ya life.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most delicious recipes I'm constantly making recipes from this book

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting recipes and a bright, vibrant book.

[Marie V Poulsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Virkelig god