Cutting meat for Veganuary? Here’s how to get your protein from beans

Beans are a fabulous and tasty source of protein if you want to cut back on meat. But you need to know how to break down their structural polymers to get the best flavour

20 January 2021

By Sam Wong

What you need

Beans

Tahini

Garlic

Lemon juice Chilli flakes

Salt

Water

Red onion

Olive oil

Parsley

IF YOU are taking part in Veganuary or just cutting down on meat, beans are a valuable source of protein for anyone on a plant-based diet. They owe their high protein content to a symbiosis with Rhizobium bacteria, which the plants foster inside nodules in their roots. These bacteria can absorb nitrogen from the air and convert it into ammonia, which the plants can use to make protein-building amino acids.

Beans, peas and lentils – and peanuts – are the seeds …