Recipes
How to Cook Beans in the Rancho Gordo Manner
Featured
There is not one single method of cooking beans. At its most basic, you want to simmer the pot until the beans are soft. Soaking can speed up the process and vegetables or stock will make them more flavorful. It's really that simple. There's all kinds of fine tuning and variables, but basically, this is it. Normally on a bean cooking day (which frankly is everyday at Rancho Gordo), I put the beans to soak in the morning, after rinsing in lots of cool water and checking for small debris. I cover the beans by about an inch or so...

Black Garbanzo Salad with Emily Nunn's Barn Ranch
Omnivore Other Legumes Salads Side Dishes Vegetarian
Our friend Emily Nunn is a People of The Bean. Her clever Department of Salad newsletter is an endless font of salad wisdom. She's written an ebook for Rancho Gordo, and she's a constant inspiration for better and better salads. She is an advocate for this delicious version of Ranch...

Garbanzo Salad with Roasted Peppers and Spanish Chorizo
Gluten-Free Omnivore Other Legumes Salads Snacks & Appetizers
Steve made this super simple, flexible salad for an Instagram Live episode and we got some requests for the full recipe. Ta-da! Note that Steve used pre-cooked Spanish chorizo, which is different from the fresh Mexican-style chorizo that needs to be cooked first. 2 cups cooked, drained Rancho Gordo Garbanzo Beans 1 cup chopped...

Green Chile Pozole with Shrimp
Main Dishes Omnivore Posole/Hominy Soups & Stews
As much as I love pork and chicken, some of my happiest memories have been made over a bucket of perfect shrimp. Any type of pozole is appropriate for any time of year, but I think a party with shrimp pozole, cold beers, and a fun crowd sounds like summer....

Black Eyed Peas and Carolina Gold Rice
Main Dishes Omnivore Other Legumes
Hoppin’ John has a fascinating history, with many regional variations – too many to count. One difference is the variety of field peas used. A lot of Southerners grew up with cowpeas, or “red peas,” in their Hoppin’ John, rather than black-eyed peas. There are also different opinions about bacon versus...

Black Eyed Pea and Carrot Salad with Spring Mint
Omnivore Other Legumes Salads Snacks & Appetizers Vegetarian
When we think of Black Eyed Peas, we generally think of stews and pork products, so it was fun to experiment with them in a fresh vegetable and herb salad. Black Eyed Peas, especially our new-crop peas, can overcook quickly, so keep an eye on the pot if you are cooking them...

Roasted Cabbage with Beans and Mushrooms
Dark Beans Main Dishes Omnivore Vegan Vegetarian
Allison Robicelli is a very provocative food writer and when she's not making me laugh on Twitter, she's offering solid advice for things like cabbage. This is her technique for cabbage wedges; I think they're an ideal buddy for a bowl of perfectly cooked heirloom beans. 1 pound whole white...

Runner Bean Salad with Radishes and Pomegranate
Dark Beans Omnivore Salads Vegan Vegetarian
Runner beans make a welcome component in a salad because they are thick-skinned and firm, but with a creamy interior. You can prepare all the components of this salad in advance, but wait until just before serving to combine everything, so all the ingredients stay crisp and fresh. ½ bunch fresh cilantro...

Black Eyed Pea, Corn, and Tomato Salad
Omnivore Other Legumes Side Dishes Snacks & Appetizers Vegetarian
We’ve heard from many customers that their favorite way to enjoy Black Eyed Peas is in “Texas Caviar” or “Cowboy Caviar.” After reading endless recipes calling for canned Black Eyed Peas, canned corn, canned chiles, canned tomatoes, and jarred Italian dressing, we were skeptical about this infamous dish. This version we ended up...

Moros y Cristianos (Black Beans and Rice)
Dark Beans Main Dishes Omnivore
Nowadays, modern cooks prepare the rice and beans together, but in the traditional Cuban manner, the rice and beans are cooked separately and the Moors (beans) don’t encounter the Christians (rice) until they meet on your plate. Both methods are great, though we prefer the sharper, more distinct flavors the...

Huevos Rancheros Divorciados
Breakfasts Dark Beans Medium Beans Omnivore Vegetarian
Melisa in our retail department made refried beans one day with our Santa Maria Pinquito beans. We had never tried refritos with the Pinquitos and it blew everyone away! Melisa offered to come up with a recipe featuring them. She couldn’t decide whether to do a green or a red salsa, so...

Nut-Dusted Beans and Sauteed Greens in Bean Broth
Main Dishes Medium Beans Omnivore soups Soups & Stews Vegan Vegetarian
A big bowl of sauteed greens and heirloom beans always makes me happy. One lazy Sunday l used Italian green chard and King City Pinks, and something possessed me to add a handful of dust from the bottom of a bowl of mixed nuts. It was terrific. Who knew? —Steve 1 bunch chard ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil...

Ribollita (Italian Bread Soup)
Italian Medium Beans Omnivore soups Soups & Stews Vegetarian White Beans
This is our go-to recipe for ribollita, shared with us by Peter Miller, author of Lunch at the Shop: The Art and Practice of the Midday Meal and How to Wash the Dishes. He also runs a famous bookstore in Seattle dedicated to architecture and design. Peter tells us, “Learn...