High-Protein Vegetarian Cooking with Beans and Legumes

How beans, chick peas and lentils deliver plant protein, and easy ways to build filling vegetarian meals around them.

Beans are the protein powerhouse of the pantry

Beans, chick peas and lentils are among the best plant sources of protein, and they bring fibre along with it. Inexpensive, shelf-stable and filling, they're the foundation of high-protein vegetarian cooking — especially paired with grains.

The high-protein legumes

• Chick peas: firm and versatile — salads, soups, hummus, pasta
• Kidney and black beans: hearty — chili, stews, salads
• Cannellini and romano: creamy — soups and spreads
• Lentils: quick-cooking — soups, salads, sides
• Bean medley: a mix for stews and salads

Make it a complete meal

Pairing legumes with grains — beans and rice, chick peas and pasta, lentils and bread — gives you a fuller range of protein. Add olive oil, vegetables and a savoury hit (tomato, olives, cheese) and a bean-based plate eats like a satisfying main, not a side.

Easy high-protein meals

• Pasta e fagioli — beans, pasta and tomato
• Chick pea and vegetable stew
• Three-bean salad with oil and vinegar
• Lentil soup with greens
• Hummus and white-bean spreads

Tips

• Keep canned beans for speed, dried for value
• Always rinse canned beans
• Pair beans with a grain for fuller protein
• Batch-cook lentils and beans for the week

High-protein vegetarian, made simple

A pantry full of beans and lentils makes filling, protein-rich vegetarian meals effortless. Unico offers chick peas, kidney, black and dried beans plus lentils.