Black beans has been my go to protein fix this past week. I recently went to Durban and I purchased a kilo of this versatile carb that is packed with fiber.

One hundred grams of black beans has almost half the protein of a 100 g steak. It’s also high in fiber, magnesium, iron and has virtually no cholesterol. Beans however is a carb, but this carb is lower in calories than chickpeas and sugar beans. I eat this regularly at night, sometimes wrapped in a Burrito, scattered on top of grated carrots, lettuce and freshly sliced tomato.

Did you know: Black beans sell for less than R40/500 g in stores. It’s common in Mexican, and South American dishes. Dried black beans can be stored for up to two years in an airtight container. Boiled, it can stay in the freezer for up to three months. It is also a legume and can be enjoyed hot or cold.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion

2 sprigs of thyme

2 stalks of celery, diced

2 cups of Kale

1 punnet mushrooms, sliced

2 cups black beans (I chucked in chick peas and lentils that were leftover from another dish)

1 tsp garlic

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp jeera powder (omit if you don’t have)

1 cup of vegetable stock

1/2 cup of plain yogurt (I used Woolworth’s Vegan Coconut yogurt)

Method

1. On a medium heat in a large pot, heat oil.

2. Add onion and braise until golden brown.

3. Add ginger and garlic and stir for 30 seconds before adding in your spice, celery, and mushrooms.

4. When the mushrooms shrink, add in the beans and vegetable stock.

5. Let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes on a low heat.

6. Add yogurt and kale and let the stew simmer until the desired consistency is reached.

7. Serve warm on a bed of brown rice, quinoa, millet or teff grain.