Legumes provide the body with valuable nutrients, are available all year round and can be prepared in different ways. Legumes are very popular all over the world. They are a staple food almost everywhere in the world, their high protein content makes them particularly interesting for vegetarian or vegan cuisine. Legumes also have a relatively good ecological balance because they conserve resources in cultivation and transport compared to other foods. In addition, they impress with their diversity, numerous uses and recycling options and their long shelf life, which means that they rarely end up in the trash.
Legumes come in different shapes and colors and in very different consistencies. They also have a lot to offer in terms of taste, from mild to aromatic or nutty to sweet. They are used in the kitchen in the form of various dishes:as a vegetable side dish, puree, soup or stew, in peppers or in a salad. The most popular legumes here are beans, peas, chickpeas, capuchins, lentils and soybeans.
Legumes are an important part of the so-called “Planetary Health Diet”, a menu created by scientists, which depicts a healthy and at the same time environmentally friendly diet and which also aims to significantly reduce food waste. Legumes are low in fat and no other plant food contains as much protein as they do, making them a meat alternative for many.
Using legumes more often than meat saves valuable resources such as water, feed and soil, which are necessary for the relatively complex production of meat. But not only as an alternative to animal products, they score on average with a better climate balance. Legumes are generally regarded as particularly sustainable and climate-friendly vegetables. If you use regionally grown legumes, there are significantly fewer greenhouse gases than with long transport by truck, ship or plane.
Legumes are also beneficial for agriculture, as their symbiosis with nodule bacteria enriches atmospheric nitrogen from the air and thus promotes soil fertility. Legumes generally have only a low to moderately high water requirement.
Legumes not only offer benefits for a balanced and climate-friendly diet, but also for a sustainable and residue-free kitchen. Because: Storing and using healthy protein sources is possible all year round. Due to their long shelf life and versatile application options, they belong as a basic ingredient in every pantry and are particularly suitable as a basis for meal prepping.
Most legumes are sold dried in the supermarket and have a shelf life of a year or more. It is best to store them in a cool, dry and airtight storage cupboard, protected from light. In this way, they can usually be enjoyed beyond the best-before date. Peeled legumes can be kept for about six months. Dark spots on the legumes indicate mold. In this case, they should no longer be eaten.
Canned legumes contain fewer nutrients than frozen or fresh legumes because they are heated twice during the manufacturing process, losing some of the vitamins and phytochemicals. But canning also has advantages: they can be kept for three to five years without refrigeration. After opening, it is best to store the contents of the can in a porcelain, glass or plastic container with a lid in the refrigerator and use within one to two days.
If you buy fresh legumes during the season, it is best to use them as soon as possible:they will stay fresh for about one to two days if they are kept in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. The shelf life can be extended by a few days:Blanch the legumes shortly before you put them in the fridge.
In the home kitchen there are many possibilities to process leftovers of already prepared legumes into delicious dishes and thus prevent food waste.
How about a lentil spread, for example? For four servings, mix about 100 grams of cooked lentils with two spoons of oil and lemon juice each, add curry, turmeric, cumin, coriander and chili as needed and puree with a hand blender. Season with salt and mix again.
You can also make delicious patties from leftover legumes, for example for hamburgers. For six patties, place a chopped onion and garlic clove in a bowl and mash together with about 800 grams of cooked legumes, two tablespoons of tomato paste, a teaspoon of mustard, herbs of your choice and a little oil. Add a little flour, form patties and fry them in the pan.
Boiled, unpeeled chickpeas can also be used very easily as a crunchy topping for the salad or as a snack. Season the chickpeas of your choice and bake in the oven for 45 to 60 minutes.
