Red beans and noodles go especially well together in soup and stew. While red kidney beans may come to mind first, other red beans such as azuki and Mexican red beans are also available and interchangeable in any recipe you use. Whether you cook red beans and noodles together or separately depends on the dish as well as whether you use dried or canned beans. Dried beans require soaking and cooking prior to cooking with noodles, while you can usually cook canned beans along with noodles.
Step 1
Make a flavoring base in which to cook the noodles. Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat and then stir-fry the garlic, onions and fresh parsley for about two minutes, until the onions start to brown.
Step 2
Stir in the tomato paste along with 2 tbsp. of water to thin it slightly and let the mixture cook for another two minutes.
Step 3
Add 1 1/2 to 2 cups of broth or water for every 8 oz. of noodles you plan to cook, depending on whether you want a thicker or thinner consistency. Stir in the noodles and bring the water to a boil.
Step 4
Reduce the heat to medium low and let the noodles cook just below boiling point for seven to eight minutes, until the texture is "al dente," or firm but with no hard sections.
Step 5
Stir in the red beans, undrained diced tomatoes and additional broth or water, if necessary, to adjust the consistency of your dish. Let the red beans and noodles cook another two to five minutes until hot.
Tips and Warnings
- Drain and rinse canned red beans before adding them to the cooking pot. If you use dried rather than canned beans, start with about 2/3 cup of dried beans. Soak the beans in 3 cups of water for no more than six hours, or as an option, bring the beans and soaking water to a full boil on your stove top, then turn off the heat and let the beans soak for one to two hours. After this time, drain and replace the soaking water with fresh water. Bring the beans and water to a full boil on your stove top, then reduce the heat and cook the beans just under the boiling point for 60 to 90 minutes.
Things You'll Need
- 1 to 2 tbsp. olive oil
- Soup pot
- Stir spoon
- 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp. garlic, chopped
- 1/4 cup white or yellow onions, chopped
- 2 to 3 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 to 2 tbsp. no-salt tomato paste, plain or Italian flavored
- Low-sodium chicken broth or water
- 8 to 10 oz. noodles, tubular shaped or macaroni
- 2 cups red beans
- 28 oz. no-salt diced tomatoes, plain or flavored
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