Cool Beans: How to Use These Cheap and Delicious Nutritional Powerhouses in Summer Dishes

Cool Beans: How to Use These Cheap and Delicious Nutritional Powerhouses in Summer Dishes
Bean salads are perfect for summer potlucks—they're easy and affordable, keep like a champ, and can be served cold or at room temperature. Svetlana Monyakova/Shutterstock
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When your grocery budget is tight, there are always two things you can count on: beans and rice. These stalwart champions of tiny grocery budgets are affordable, accessible, and nutritious.

Beans make a versatile ingredient that can stretch a pound of ground beef into a pot of chili that feeds a crowd. Add a little cheese and a can of tomatoes, and you have a casserole for a hungry family. Stir them into a pot of broth with last night’s leftovers, and you’ll have a nourishing soup.

Jennifer McGruther
Jennifer McGruther
Author
Jennifer McGruther is a nutritional therapy practitioner, herbalist, and the author of three cookbooks, including “Vibrant Botanicals.” She’s also the creator of NourishedKitchen.com, a website that celebrates traditional foodways, herbal remedies, and fermentation. She teaches workshops on natural foods and herbalism, and currently lives in the Pacific Northwest.
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