Sautéed Mayocoba Beans & Greens

Sautéed Mayocoba Beans & Greens are a great way to get protein, healthy carbs, fiber, and greens into your every day – and make it taste great too!

Have you guys ever heard of Karen Hurd’s bean protocol? (What a weird way to start a blog post by the way, right?) I was actually reading up on this because a friend of mine shared that she had followed this bean protocol and saw amazing results.

From what I can tell the key is that beans contain soluble fiber, which means that toxins will bind with the soluble fiber and then be excreted rather than reabsorbed by your body. Now, I looked into the protocol and you have to eliminate a whole lot of other stuff and eat a whole lot of beans, but if you’re working with hormone health issues, or some problems that just don’t seem to ever go away? Well, it sounds like the bean protocol may be something to pay attention to!

That said, I don’t think I’ll ever give up things like coffee, but I can FOR SURE eat a lot more beans…especially if they taste like these mayocoba beans & greens! When the quarantine restrictions hit our town a few months ago I started trying to stock up – in a responsible manner – on ingredients that we could eat if we ran out of our normal foods. Turns out a million other people had the same idea, so when I got to the store and tried to find beans the ONLY thing I found was a lonely bag of mayocoba beans next to a full shelf of lima beans.

Side note, can lima beans and water chestnuts just die already? ICK.

There in the aisle, surrounded by angry hoards of mask-wearing strangers and my two very hangry children, I googled mayocoba beans only to find that they are very comparable to other white beans like old navy or even pinto. I figured it couldn’t hurt to try (I mean, at least they weren’t lima beans), so I tossed the bag in the cart and moved on. Little did I know how much I would come to love these little cuties!

For those who are unfamiliar, mayocoba beans are small, greenish-tinged beans from Mexico. They boast 7g of protein and 9 g of fiber per serving, with only 0.5g of fat. They are filling, versatile, and just so good – and I especially love the combination of flavors in this mayocoba beans & greens recipe!

You could serve these as-is as a main dish or a side, and they have incredible flavor the next day as well. Enjoy!

Sautéed Mayocoba Beans & Greens

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dry mayocoba beans
• water (for soaking and simmering)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion or shallots
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 10 ounces fresh or frozen spinach
• 2 tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• grated parmesan (optional)

Directions:

• First, place the mayocoba beans in a large bowl and cover with water to soak overnight. Alternatively, you can cover with water, bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then cover and soak for one hour.
• When the soaking is done, whichever process you choose, drain the beans. Add to a large saucepan and cover with water.
• Bring to a boil and simmer for 30-40 minutes until fully cooked and creamy.
• Gently drain and set aside.
• In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil.
• Add the onions and garlic and saute for 5-8 minutes until they start to turn translucent.
• Add the beans and thyme, and then season with salt and pepper.
• Saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add the spinach and saute for about 5 more minutes. If you’re using frozen spinach make sure you squeeze all of the excess liquid out otherwise your beans with turn green and soupy.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the red wine vinegar.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve hot with grated parmesan cheese if desired.
• Enjoy!