If you are lucky enough to spy fresh beans, like these gorgeous fresh cranberry beans, in your farmers market, snatch them up! About the only other way you can find this delicacy is to grow it yourself! Most of us enjoy pulses (beans, peas, lentils) in their dried form, but you can also harvest them and prepare them before they are dried—fresh out of their shell. They retain a fresh, crunchy taste and color, and nutrient-packed, protein-rich profile. Simply cook them until they are tender (about 20 minutes, depending on bean) in recipes like this Fresh Cranberry Beans with Pasta and Greens. I spied these fresh cranberry beans at my local farmers market, and the farmer (pictured below) was happy to split open the pretty, mottled pink and white pods to show me those white and pink gems inside. My mother always grew fresh beans in her vegetable garden, and now I grow them in mine too. I love watching the vines trail up the side of my garden, with the beans hanging down like earrings among the green leaves.
My fresh cranberry beans from a local Santa Barbara farmer.Fresh cranberry beans, before they are dried and shucked.
My favorite way to serve fresh beans is sautéed with pasta, as in this Fresh Cranberry Beans with Pasta and Greens recipe. You can get this healthy cranberry beans recipe on the table in under 40 minutes, too. With only 8 ingredients (not including pantry staples), this is an easy, rustic, one-dish meal. If you want to fill in your menu, just serve it with a side of crusty, whole grain bread, and a bowl of vegetable soup or a simple kale salad to make it more complete.
This recipe is 100% plant-based (vegan) and packed with nutrients, thanks to the pasta, greens, and beans. Many Italian pasta dishes call upon this simple trio of ingredients to make up rustic, nutritious, delicious dishes that are naturally plant-based. With the addition of tomatoes, onions, garlic, lemon and basil, the dish really sings with flavor, nutrition, and aroma. It is also delicious the next day warmed up for lunch—or even served cold as a pasta salad. Make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta.
Take advantage of fresh cranberry beans when they are in season with this simple, hearty vegan recipe for Fresh Cranberry Beans with Pasta and Greens, which you can get on the table in under 40 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
8 ounces fresh cranberry beans, in the pod (you must make an adjustment to this recipe if you use dried cranberry beans; see below)
Heat a sauté pan and add oil. Sauté cranberry beans for 2 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup water and sauté for 12 minutes, stirring frequently. Add additional water as needed to avoid sticking.
Add onion and garlic, and sauté for an additional 8 minutes. Add additional water as needed to avoid sticking.
Meanwhile, heat a small pot with water to cook pasta. Add pasta, and cook according to package directions to al dente stage. Drain, and set aside.
Add canned tomatoes and cook for an additional 2-6 minutes, testing beans for doneness—they should be tender yet firm with a bit of crunch.
Add greens and lemon juice, and cook for an additional 2 minutes, until greens are soft but still bright green.
Add pasta and heat through. Season with salt and pepper, as desired (optional).
Garnish with fresh basil and vegan parmesan cheese (optional) and serve immediately.
Notes
If you used dried cranberry beans in this recipe, you must adjust the recipe as follows: Soak 8 ounces of dried cranberry beans in water overnight. Discard the water, and add in step 3, increase cooking time to 40 minutes and increasing water to 4-5 cups in step 3. In step 6, may need to cook for an additional 10-15 minutes until done.
Make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta.
Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:26 minutes
Category:Entree
Cuisine:American
Nutrition
Serving Size:1
Calories:363
Sugar:3 g
Sodium:37 mg
Fat:7 g
Saturated Fat:1 g
Carbohydrates:60 g
Fiber:16 g
Protein:19 g
For other favorite plant-based pasta recipes, check out some of my favorites:
3 thoughts on “Fresh Cranberry Beans with Pasta and Greens”
Tasty recipe. Sadly our beans were very underdone. I wish I had thought to test them before moving on to the next step. Maybe covering the pan while cooking them with the water would have helped?
Please note that this recipe is for fresh cranberry beans—not dried cranberry beans. Fresh cranberry beans take much less time and water to cook. If you are going to use dried cranberry beans, follow the instructions in the note section.
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Tasty recipe. Sadly our beans were very underdone. I wish I had thought to test them before moving on to the next step. Maybe covering the pan while cooking them with the water would have helped?
Please note that this recipe is for fresh cranberry beans—not dried cranberry beans. Fresh cranberry beans take much less time and water to cook. If you are going to use dried cranberry beans, follow the instructions in the note section.
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