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Content
Without further ado, let’s dive into the Introduction to the topic of this e-book…
♦
Learn about the Nutritional composition of the legume family plants: about the protein,
vitamins and minerals and a few fancy scientific words such as resistant starch and
phytoestrogens.
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Then, we need to have a quick word about a few varieties of beans and pulses. The
infamous chickpea, the good old lentils, the mighty pea and the controversial soybean.
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Once we are done with the theory, time to get to the practical stuff – cooking of the beans
and pulses.
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What have you heard about eating pulses? Let’s look at the common myths.
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And finally nine visually appealing recipes that people in the Mediterranean eat, and
specifically in the Iberian Peninsula.
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And, of course, there are a few more sources of information that you could look into, in
case you wanted to know more.

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Introduction
It’s fair to say that pulses have been around for aeons. Pulses are a grateful crop as they
can be cultivated in cold and warm climates. For those of you wanting more precise time
posts, it is thought that people have been growing and eating pulses for over 11, 000 years.
Beans and chickpeas were mentioned in the Iliad, the ancient Greek poem by Homer, in 8th
century BC. It has been a long time, hasn’t it?
Fast forward to the 21st century, we now know about the nutritional benefits of pulses - a
valid protein source for vegetarian and vegan diets, rich in vitamins and minerals.
The Mediterranean region, and Spain specifically, knows how to use beans and pulses in the
kitchen, perhaps enhancing the heart-healthy profile of the Mediterranean diet and raising
the significance of legumes. Having spent the majority of 2018 in Spain, I became fascinated
with how easy it is to buy pulses: from dry to ready to eat in glass jars to frozen. Chickpeas,
green beans, different types of lentils, soybeans, fava beans, known as habas in Spain,
green peas and others are just a few of the widely used in the Mediterranean cuisine. A
good tourist guidebook would mention cocido madrileño, a type of chickpea stew with
vegetables and meat.
Low cost and long shelf-life as well as nutritional value of beans could explain why they are
favoured in the region. If saving money, reducing food waste and loading up your nutrition
with vitamin and mineral packed pulses is not a good enough reason to give them a go, I
give up! Some go as far as to say that pulses are the superfood of the future!
In 2016, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) declared the Year of Pulses. Did you
know that? Well, if not, it’s not too late to make 2018-2019 a year of pulses too!
Did you know … the difference between legumes, pulses and beans?
Pulses belong to the legume family and are edible parts of the legume plants. The
Food and Agriculture Organisation recognises 11 grown varieties of pulses. The most
common ones include dry peas, lentils, dry beans and chickpeas. Beans are
legumes but not all beans are pulses. Legumes are a family of plants which include
pulses as well as peanuts, soybeans, fresh beans and peas.

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Nutritional composition
Pulses are packed with macro and micronutrients, that is vitamins and minerals. Let’s talk
about protein, resistant starch, a few vitamins and minerals and address the topic of
phytoestrogens in soybeans and products.
Protein
The protein in beans and pulses meet the needs of vegetarian and vegan diets.
Nevertheless, it is true that protein in pulses are incomplete - lacking complete profile of
amino acids, the building blocks in the body. Legumes are sufficient in lysine, threonine, and
tryptophan but are limited in sulphur amino acids and, so, combined with grains they provide
the full protein. However, contrary to old recommendations that combining of grains and
legumes is required at every meal, as long as we have grain and legume foods throughout
the day, that’s all that’s needed to obtain the complete protein.
Resistant Starch
The pulses contain oligosaccharides. It simply means that the carbohydrates the pulses
contain are made of medium to long chain simple sugars. Raffinose and stachyose are the
most prevalent oligosaccharides (carbohydrates) in pulses. They cannot be digested by
humans and so they ferment in the large intestine producing short-chain fatty acids (SCFA)
which serve as an energy source for colonic cells. In other words, that is what causes
flatulence and bloating after eating beans! By the way, SCFAs in the colon are thought to be
beneficial to maintaining healthy gut microbiota (Staudacher and Whelan, 2016).

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FODMAPs (Fermentable Oligosaccharides Disaccharides Monosaccharides and Polyols)
have been at the spotlight recently - reached the mainstream audience even though it’s a
clinically used approach to address irritable bowel. The premise of which is that by reducing
foods high in FODMAPs you end up having fewer symptoms of gastrointestinal tract irritation
such as bloating. Newly plant-based converts adding servings of beans and pulses may
want to do it gradually precisely because of these compounds and effects they have on
digestion.
Vitamins and Minerals
A diet rich in pulses gives a wide range of vitamins and minerals. It is not uncommon to hear
that vegan and vegetarian diets can be lacking calcium and B vitamins, especially B12.
Nevertheless, the fear-mongering is slightly out of hand - 100g of fortified tofu supplies the
body with 510mg of calcium, that is about 70% of calcium RNI for adults in the UK. Folate
deficiency is also unlikely if black-eyed peas are included into the diet regularly, as 100g of
cooked beans contain 210 micrograms which is slightly above recommended daily RNI for
men and women. EPIC Oxford study provides more insight into this.
Phytoestrogens
Phytoestrogens are plant compounds that resemble estradiol, the female sex hormone. That
is where the unnecessary fear of eating soy products may be coming from. Although
phytoestrogens mimic the oestrogen activity in the body, they can also have anti-oestrogenic
effect - prevent oestrogen acting on body tissues. The debate about phytoestrogens is
ongoing and the evidence does not provide clear answers. For this specific reason, we
should stop thinking about soy from “good” or “bad” perspective.
Did you know …
Legumes help to maintain nitrogen balance mitigating the effects of the climate change.
It is due to the soil bacteria which interact with the root parts of the plant, helping the
plants to integrate ammonium ions into amino acids and later utilised by the plant. This
self-sufficiency saves the environment from greenhouse gases, a by-product of the
manufacture and use of nitrogen fertilizers.

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Beans and their nutritional composition
Pulse/pulse product
(100g of edible
portion)
Macronutrients Energy
(kcal/100g)
Carbohydrates Fibre
(NSP*)
Protein Fat
Aduki beans 22.5 (high) 5.5 9.3 0.2 123
Baked beans 12.5-15.3 3.7 5.2 0.6 73-84
Beansprouts 4 1.5 2.9 0.5 31
Black-eyed peas 54.1 3.5 8.8 0.7 116
Broad beans 11.7 6.5 7.9 0.6 81
Butter beans 13 4.6 5.9 0.5 77
Chickpeas 18.2 4.1-4.3 7.2-8.4 2.1-2.9 115-121
Green beans 3.2 2.2 1.7-1.9 0.5 25
Hummus 11.6 2.4 7.6 12.6 187
Lentils (green and
brown)
16.9 3.8 8.8 0.7 105
Lentils (red split) 17.5 1.9 7.6 0.4 100
Mung beans 15.3 3 7.6 0.4-1.1 91
Red kidney beans 17.4-17.8 6.2-6.7 6.9-8.4 0.5-1.4 100
Soya beans 5.1 6.1 14 7.3 141
Tofu 0.7-2 (low) - 8.1-
23.5**
4.2 73
Mange tout 4.2 2.2 3.2-3.6 0.1 26
Peas 9.7-11.3 4.5-5.1 5.3-6.9 0.9-1.6 69-83
Petit pois 5.5 4.5 5 0.9 49
*NSP - non-starchy polysaccharides or the carbohydrate structures found in the cell walls of
the food and are not digested or absorbed.
** The variation depends on the tofu brand and it’s best to check the packaging for accurate
details.

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Note: preparation of pulses dictates nutrient composition. According to McCane and
Widdowson (2014), where the table was adapted from, boiled foods were prepared in water
with 0.5% salt.
Did you know?
According to EU regulations, food can be called a source of fibre if it contains
at least 3g of fibre per 100g or at least 1.5g of fibre per 100 kcal. A ‘high fibre’
food should contain at least 6g of fibre per 100g or at least 3g of fibre per 100
kcal.

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Chickpeas, lentils, peas and soybeans -
tomorrow’s superfoods?
Chickpeas originated in Turkey and later were brought to the rest of Europe and other
continents. In Spain, Carthaginians were the ones who cultivated and consumed the
chickpeas which formed the base of their diet.
Protein and high fibre content is what garbanzos are known for. Also, they are rich in niacin
and vitamin E, thiamin, vitamin B6 and folate. Similarly, are rich in the minerals such as
calcium and iron, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus.
100g of cooked chickpeas covers 86% of RNI of folate of for adults (UK guidelines).
Lentils came from southeast Asia and quickly reached the Mediterranean. It is thought to be
cultivated since 6,600 BC making it one of the oldest cultivated pulses. Today we have many
types of lentils available based on the colour of the seed: green lentils, red lentils, yellow
lentils to name a few.
Lentils are the only legumes that do not require soaking.
Similar to chickpeas, lentils are rich in protein and fibre. In terms of the micronutrients,
magnesium, selenium, folate, and high content of iron, zinc, thiamin, niacin and vitamin B6.
100g of red lentils provides 67% RNI of magnesium for 15-50yo women (UK).
Even though peas are popularly considered as a vegetable, they belong to the legume
family. Peas come from the Middle East and Central Asia, although to date they are known
and cultivated all over the world. Folate, iron, magnesium, zinc, potassium, thiamin and
niacin are found in the green peas.
Beta-carotene is also found peas. Even though the first thing that comes to mind when you
think “beta-carotene” is a carrot, peas contain lutein and zeaxanthin which are great for the
eagle vision!
Soybeans are the most controversial legume out there, getting all the media attention
nowadays. Historically, soy plants come from the far East. Soybeans serve for a variety of
purposes from flour to oils to fermented products such as tamari and tempeh to germinated
sprouts. Dried soybeans contain polyunsaturated fats and high content of protein and fibre.
Selenium, riboflavin, vitamins B6 and E are a few of microelements found in the beans.

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Cooking your beans
There is a little bit of alchemy needed in the kitchen to make yours beans ready to eat.
Soaking your beans is a first big step of preparation. Covering the beans with water for 10-
12 hours helps to reduce the cooking time by half because of the decreased amount of
phytic acid. Also, it rehydrates the beans as water was lost during the drying processes.
After pre-soaking, water should be changed as this help to get rid of sugars that penetrated
through the bean walls into the water.
What happens during cooking?
The calcium and magnesium in water interact with the pectins in the beans. Pectins are a
type of carbohydrate found in the cell walls (note: these substances create the jelly-like
consistency in jams and marmalades). At the same time, the phytic acid found in legumes
also interacts with the mineral ions and impede the process of cooking as it forms phytate, a
phytic acid and mineral compound. Beans with lower amounts of phytic acid are cooked
quicker. However, if the water used for cooking is hard (=contains large amounts of calcium
and magnesium), the amount of phytic acid in beans is not able to “catch” all the ions and
the pectins are now involved - slowing down the cooking as the water is unable to enter the
bean. For cooking the beans, the best water: bean ratio is 2:1.
No time for pre-soaking?
Cover your legumes with cold water and add half a teaspoon of yeast for each 0.5 kg of
legumes. Cook on low heat for 40mins, drain and add cold water to start stewing.
Note: chickpeas are the only legume that after pre-soaking should be placed in hot or
boiling water.
The wind problem
To avoid flatulence that eating beans can cause, drain the cooked beans and soak them
again in cold water for one hour. Once done, discard the water and now prepare your recipe.

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Myth or truth?
1. Legumes can make you fat. MYTH.
On their own, legumes are low energy density foods which means that they contain
few calories per 100g of volume. In traditional Spanish cuisine, for example, it is
common to have beans with chorizo or fatty animal meat which is where calories
come from.
Without protein, legumes contain complex carbohydrates which are an energy source
but because of long-chained structure their release is slow and steady. And in
addition to soluble fibre, they are made to keep you fuller for longer and reduce
cravings.
2. The nutrients in legumes are not as available as in animal products. TRUTH.
It is true speaking of protein and iron. Protein in pulses are not complete, in other
words, they are lacking a full profile of essential amino acids, with the exception of
soybean. The lacking amino acids can be added by combining beans with grains. We
now know that it is not essential to do it in one meal, unless of course for
convenience purposes you want to.
There is a different story with iron. The iron in lentils can be absorbed if: the anti-
nutrients or the phytic acid is reduced to allow the absorption of iron or vitamin C is
present. In other words, forgetting the scientific lingo, you should soak and cook your
lentils properly (hopefully, by now you are aware of how to do it) and have vitamin C
rich vegetables with the meal.
3. Red kidney beans are more nutritious than white. MYTH.
This is not true. Look at the picture below - nutritional properties do not differ. The
only difference there is between two varieties is taste and texture.
4. Beans cooked from dry are better than tinned. TRUTH.
Yes, and no. Yes, because no extra additives (e.g. salt, sugar, stabilizers) are added
when you cook beans yourself. No, because nutritionally they are the same.

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RECIPES
The next 9 pages are all about the classic and veganised dishes in the Mediterranean
cuisine. From hummus to vegan tortilla de patata. There, of course, are various ways of
making the recipes in the book as well as developing a recipe that works for your taste buds.
One has to start somewhere, right? So, that’s why I put together/translated nine recipes from
the FEN (Fundacion Española de la Nutrición) paper that caught my eye and gives a good
representation of what Spanish food is like, paying tribute to the beans and pulses, of
course!
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HUMMUS
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PEA AND LETTUCE SOUP
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ALUBIAS CON HABAS
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LENTILS AND RICE
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CHICKPEAS AND SPINACH
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CREMA ESAU (FROM LENTILS AND RICE AND LEEK)
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GUISO DE SOJA
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FALAFEL
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TORTILLA DE PATATA VEGANA

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HUMMUS
No need for introductions! The famous chickpea dip blended with spices, tahini and lemon
juice comes from ancient Egypt and is eaten throughout the year. You can make it at home
but if you ever are in Spain, ask for ummus (h is silent).
Ingredients (4 people):
125g Chickpeas
Tahini or 20g of sesame seeds and 10g of olive oil
Garlic
100 ml of lemon juice
10 ml of olive oil
A dash of smoked paprika
A dash of parsley
A dash of salt
Blend cooked chickpeas with other ingredients until smooth.
Nutrition per portion: 199 kcal; protein - 7,28g; fat - 9,5g; carbohydrates - 18,58g; fibre -
5,16g; Iron - 2,76mg; Phosphorus - 161,11 mg; Magnesium - 71,63mg

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PEA AND LETTUCE SOUP
Pea and lettuce soup is certainly a summer dish – very light and refreshing. It can be made
all year round due to the availability of frozen peas, yet due to it’s cooling appearance is
better enjoyed in the warmer times of the year.
Ingredients (4 people):
500g of peas
500g of lettuce
200g of onion
750ml of vegetable stock
10ml of olive oil
100 ml of plant-based milk
Mint
A dash of smoked paprika
A dash of salt
While the onion is cooking on the pan with some olive oil, wash the lettuce. Prepare the pot
for the soup and add all the ingredients except the milk. Boil for 20 mins then let it cool and
blend. Add the milk once the soup is cool and serve.
Nutrition per portion: 230kcal; protein - 11,94g; fat - 5,66g; carbohydrates - 27,01g; fibre -
12,2g; folate - 147,17 micrograms; vitamin B1 - 0,51mg; Iodine - 49,63micrograms.

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KIDNEY AND BROAD BEAN STEW
Alubias con habas
It’s never easy to
identify what’s in
the stew, you see
pieces of veg and
beans all in one
big pot, so finding
a pretty picture is a
mission! Instead,
here is a picture of
broad beans or
fava beans.
Ingredients (4
people):
220g of red kidney
beans
100g of broad
beans
150g of onion
150g of carrot
A clove of garlic
A dash of smoked
paprika
Parsley
Salt
40 ml olive oil
Put pre-soaked
kidney beans with
chopped onion and
carrot to cook for
1,5 hours. Once
cooked, add broad beans and leave to cook for another half an hour. Make a sofrito with
onion, garlic, parsley and smoked paprika. Mix the sofrito in with the stew at the very end.
Nutrition (per portion): 334,99 kcal; protein - 13,2g; fat - 11,08g; carbohydrate - 37,05g; fibre
- 17,38g; vitamin A - 444,18 micrograms; iron - 5,21 mg; vitamin B1 - 0,37 mg.

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LENTILS AND RICE
Lentejas con arroz
Picture: lentejas.info
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication with this dish. Easy to cook with minimal culinary skill
and effort. Perfect for a warming meal in the cold autumn and winter months.
Ingredients (4 people):
180g of lentils
80g of rice
150g of onion
100g of green pepper
100g of carrots
150g of tomatoes
Salt to taste
40 ml of olive oil
Cut the veg in big pieces and fry on the pan. Later, add the lentils and cook for an hour.
Once cooked drain and separate the veg from the lentils. Blend the vegetables to make a
pure which will be mixed in with the lentils. Cook the rice in a separate pot.
Once everything is ready, serve lentils stew over rice.
Nutrition (per portion): 353 kcal; protein - 13,36g; fat - 11,18g; carbohydrates - 46,31g; fibre -
7,02g; vitamin A - 323,1 micrograms; iron - 4,32mg; vitamin B6 - 0,47mg.

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CHICKPEAS AND SPINACH
Garbanzos con espinacas
Nutrition powerhouse in a bowl
here! The only difference
between eating this at home or
in the restaurant is the amount
of olive oil used. We all know
about the miraculous virgin
olive oil effects of a
Mediterranean diet but it’s easy
to overdo it.
Ingredients (4 people):
280g of chickpeas
150g of spinach
150g of onion
Salt to taste
40 ml of olive oil
Cook the pre-soaked
chickpeas. While they are
cooking, chop the onion and
saute with spinach in oil. Once
chickpeas are cooked, drain
and mix with sauteed onion and
spinach.
Photo credit: Danza de Fogones
Nutrition (per portion): 369 kcal; protein - 14,89g; fat - 13,66g; carbohydrates - 40,18g; fibre -
12,79g; folate - 174,53 micrograms; iron - 6,47mg; vitamin E - 3,82mg.

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CREMA ESAÚ
Photo credit: cocinillas
It is a warm lentil and rice soup. It would be easy to prepare the soup from the leftover rice
and lentils; don’t you think? In case you want to make it from scratch, it also requires minimal
time investment.
Ingredients (4 people):
280g of lentils
80g of rice
150g of onion
150g of leek
200ml of plant-based milk
Salt to taste
40ml of olive oil
Chop the onion and leek and sautee with a little bit of oil in the pan. Add cooked lentils and
leave to cook for another 30mins. One cooked, add rice and cook for another 10 minutes.
Let it cool and blend. Pour a splash of milk to serve.
Nutrition (per portion): 377kcal; protein - 15,79g; fat - 11,96g; carbohydrates - 47,98g; fibre -
7,24g; iron - 4,69mg; phosphorus - 222,94mg; iodine - 48,44 micrograms.

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MUNG BEAN
AND
VEGETABLE
STEW
Guiso de soja o
judia mungo
The Indian cuisine is the
only other culinary school
that I know of using mung
beans. Spanish refer to the
mung bean as the soy bean
but in reality, it doesn’t have
anything to do with soy.
Ingredients (4 people):
280g of soybeans/ mung
beans
A clove of garlic
150g of onion
150g of carrot
200g of tomatoes
150g of leeks
150g of potato
20ml of olive oil
400ml of vegetable stock
Bay leaf
Salt to taste photo credit: La Olla Vegetariana
Make the sofrito with diced onion, carrot, tomatoes and leeks. Once done, add the potatoes
without skins and soybeans. Pour the stock in and cook for 30 minutes.
Nutrition (per portion): 436kcal; protein - 28,75g; fat - 19,18g; carbohydrates - 29,63g;
vitamin A - 562,25 micrograms; folate - 320, 37 micrograms; iron - 8,85 micrograms.

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FALAFEL
Croqueta de garbanzo
While the true origins of this dish remain controversial and unclear, it is another ingenious
way of incorporating more pulses into your diet. Oven baked is perhaps better than
deep/shallow fried but if eaten out – one cannot object against the traditional way of
preparing falafel.
Ingredients (4 people):
400g of cooked chickpeas
40g of bread crumbs
Coriander
Cumin
Parsley
Salt to taste
40 ml of olive oil
Blend the chickpeas and season with herbs. Make balls and roll in the bread crumbs to fry in
oil.
Nutrition (per portion): 344kcal; protein - 12,54g; fat - 13,19g; carbohydrates - 39,08g; fibre -
9,31g; iron - 4,61mg; folate - 109,13 micrograms; vitamin E - 2,25mg.

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VEGAN SPANISH OMELETTE
Tortilla de patata vegana
Potato omelette or Spanish omelette takes a quintessential place on the Spanish food table.
The authentic recipe requires eggs but chickpea flour can be used to replace them, giving it
a nice yellow colour and a nutty taste.
Ingredients (4
people):
500g of
cooked/leftover
chickpea stew
150g of onion
400 of potatoes
Salt to taste
80ml of olive oil
Peel the potatoes and
chop into smaller
pieces. Put them
together with chopped
onion in a generous
amount of oil over low
heat. While potatoes
are being cooked,
blend the chickpeas into a puré and mix with the potatoes. Then fry from both sides with a
little olive oil.
Nutrition (per portion): 491kcal; protein - 14,42g; fat - 23,24g; carbohydrates - 50,51g; fibre -
11,18g; vitamin E - 4,22mg; iron - 5,12mg; vitamin B6 - 0,58mg.

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More information
General
Pulses – Nutritious Seeds for a Sustainable Future
(by the FAO of the UN)
Rediscovering Pulses
(by the Sustainable Food Trust)
5 Things to Know about Pulses
(by the Sustainable Food Trust)
Pulses.org
Pulses: Nutrition and Health (in Spanish)
Nutrition
Resistant Starch
(journal article)
Soya, food and health
(the British Dietetic Association factsheet)
Short Chain Fatty Acids
(journal article)