It seems that these little lupini bean superfoods are all over the place! And they’ve taken quite the hold on health conscious eaters around the world.
But, for those of us living in Italy, lupini beans aren’t news. Lupini have been a vital part of the Mediterranean diet for centuries, and today, they’re a popular aperitivo snack throughout the peninsula.
If you are new to lupini beans, let’s take a look at:
- what lupini beans are, and the different types of lupini
- the taste and appearance of lupini
- how to choose and cook lupini beans
- how to peel and eat lupini beans
- lupin flour
- lupini bean storage
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What Exactly Are Lupini Beans?
Lupini beans (sometimes referred to as lupin beans) come from the lupinus plant of the pea family and are a common legume in parts of South American and in the Mediterranean diet (Greece, Spain, Italy, etc).
Lupini beans are very bitter due to their high alkaloid content, giving them their bitter flavor. Without a proper (meaning, very long) soak, these beans can be toxic. Soaking lupini beans in water is key to removing the toxic alkaloid levels and making them delicious.
What Lupini Beans Look Like
Lupini beans are large, yellow, lima-bean shaped beans that are pale or bright yellow, depending on their state. Dehydrated lupini beans are significantly smaller than canned or pre-cooked lupini beans.
Once cooked, the beans are creamy on the inside with a thick, transparent skin that should be removed before enjoying.
What Do Lupini Beans Taste Like?
Lupini beans have a nutty flavor and firm texture, similar to other legumes. The tough skin has a chewy texture that should ideally be removed before eating, which will bring out the taste of the sweet creamy inside of the lupini beans.
Health Benefits Of Lupini Beans
There have been several health benefits linked to lupini beans because of these main factors:
- Low carb
- Low calorie
- High protein
- High levels of calcium, vitamin B and iron
Lupini Beans – Types Explained
Lupini beans can be categorized into two kinds: sweet and bitter lupini beans.
Bitter Lupini Beans
Bitter lupini beans are the ‘original’ type of lupin bean that takes around 2 weeks of pre-soaking to make them edible. These are less common these days.
Sweet Lupini Beans
Sweet lupini beans are most probably the dried varieties you find these days in stores. They may only take a couple days to soak before boiling.
How To Choose Lupini Beans
The kind of lupini beans that you choose will depend on your needs.
Canned Lupini Beans
If you are looking for a quick snack, then you should select a pickled or ‘preserved’ canned or vacuum packed variety (most common in international isles at supermarkets or in specialty Italian or South American grocery stores).
Lupini beans that are preserved in a brine (which may be just salt and water or may also have vinegar) tend to be high in sodium. If this is an issue for you, check nutritional labels before purchasing.
Dried Lupini Beans
Alternatively, if you are looking to make lupini bean recipes and/or are on a budget, consider choosing dehydrated lupini beans, which can then be soaked and cooked at home.
Lupini Bean Recipe
To rehydrate dried lupini beans, rinse the beans well in a colander under running water.
Pre-soak lupini beans according to the package. Each brand will have their own recommendations but it can be anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks, which is meant to remove all the bitter alkaloids. Generally speaking, the longer you soak them, the less bitter and more ‘creamy’ they will be in texture.
Boil the rehydrated lupini beans in a large pot of water until tender (time will depend on how long you have soaked your beans), taking up to an hour.
They should be firm and creamy on the inside but not falling apart. To test, fish out a lupin bean from the boiling water and remove the skin before tasting.
At this point, the lupini beans can be cooked further with other spices such as garlic or red pepper flakes, olive oil and other herbs.
How To Use And Eat Lupini Beans
Lupini beans are easy to incorporate into your diet, just as you would nuts and seeds. Consider eating lupini beans:
- as a snack
- in a salad for extra protein and flavor
- sauteed with garlic and other spices in olive oil
- used in stir-frys
- to substitute any other legume such as chickpeas or white beans
- enjoyed with a soft drink or cocktails for an aperitif
- as lupin flour
How To Peel Lupini Beans
Lupini beans are tender inside but have a tough skin on the outside. While you can eat the skin, it’s not very good and should be removed. You can do this by either using your teeth or finger nails to pierce the skin and then open it up with your fingers.
If you are serving lupini beans as an aperitif with a drink just like we do here in Italy, then consider putting out a small bowl for the skins, just as you would for olive pits.
What Is Lupin Flour?
Lupin flour is a low-carb wheat flour substitute made from pulverized lupin beans, making it one of the best plant-based flour substitutes. Lupin flour is gluten-free, vegan and low in fat, which is why it has gained so much popularity recently.
Lupin flour can be substituted for other flours in baking recipes and cooking but I recommend you do a bit of recipe testing first before substituting your favorite recipes with 100% lupin flour. The additional high protein content can change the texture and flavor of your recipe.
How To Store Lupini Beans
Storing dried lupini beans should be done just as any other dried good: kept in a cool, dark place in an airtight container (such as a pantry) until expiration.
Open canned or vacuum packed lupini beans can be kept for up to four days in the refrigerator. If you have purchased them in a brine, store them in the brine to prevent molding.
