18 Favorite Recipes Featuring Pulses {Beans, Lentils, Chickpeas, Dry Peas}

 A collection of my favorite reader-approved recipes featuring pulses!

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If you would have asked me a year ago what a pulse was, I would have raised an eyebrow at you and then told you it was proof that you were alive, duh. But there’s actually another meaning for the word that applies to food. It’s simply another way to describe beans, lentils, chickpeas and dry peas!

Outside of the occasional can of baked beans, I didn’t eat many pulses before becoming a vegetarian. Then as I began to research different plant-based proteins, I discovered that they are not only a fantastic source but they also offer a plethora of health benefits.

In honor of the United Nations declaring 2016 the International Year of Pulses, I’ve teamed up with USA Pulses and Pulse Canada this month to help spread awareness about these little powerful superfoods. Below you’ll find a collection of my favorite recipes featuring pulses that have all been reader-approved by vegetarians and omnivores alike.

To learn more about the benefits of pulses and to join me in taking the Pulse Pledge (a commitment to eat pulses at least once per week for 10 weeks), visit www.PulsePledge.com!

 

1. Chickpea Frittata with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

“I had saved this recipe of yours a while back, and finally made it spur-of-the-moment for dinner tonight… I loved it, and so did my husband!  I didn’t have the roasted red peppers on hand, so I’m going out tonight to pick some up so that I can make the sauce to go with the leftovers.  Thank you for creating this amazing recipe!  It was simple to make and super delicious!”

Chickpea Frittata 11

 

2. Lemony Lentil and Greens Soup

“Love this soup!!!!! Just made it –  can’t get enough. This is my new favorite!!!”

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3. Vegan Zucchini ‘Meatballs’

“I made these and they were wonderful!!! I have just one question, does the nutritional info include the pasta and sauce or is that just for the meatballs? To be honest, they were so good, I wanted to eat them all!”

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4. One Skillet Mexican Quinoa

“Made it last night-outrageously yum!!”

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5. Curried Sweet Potato Chickpea Burgers

“My husband does not love veggie burgers – but eating plant based, he puts up with them. However, he loved these. That is amazing! I have tried all kinds store bought brands, all kinds of recipes from scratch and this is the first time he said: “These are good!”.  Score! I was shocked. I loved them, but I love all veggie burgers! I did use leftover cooked sweet potatoes and they came out perfect!”

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6. Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowls

“I loved the stuffed spaghetti squash burrito bowls. They were amazing. I even made these for some co workers. They couldn’t believe how good they were. Not to mention how much they loved not having to return a dish.”

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 7. One Pot Spinach Dal

“This is one of my top 10 favorite go-to recipes; it’s savory, full of authentic flavors, healthy, and delicious! I usually pair it with whole wheat naan, or add-in some fried tofu–SO GOOD. Thanks for the awesome recipes!”

One Pot Spinach Dal

 

8. Chipotle Sweet Potato Tacos with Avocado Cream

“Hey! Just wondering if the nutritional info was for 1 taco or two? And PS made these tonight. A MASSIVE success. My husband hates black beans and you are the first person to get him to eat them!”

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9. Mushroom Lentil Loaf

“WOW!!! SOOOO amazing!!! I made this recipe for my vegetarian family for Easter dinner and it is so wonderful. I have made several different lentil loaf recipes in the past and this one is far superior! Love the glaze and minimal bread/bread crumb content. Thanks, I will enjoy making and eating this recipe for many years to come!

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10. Healing Moroccan Lentil Soup

“Made this last night and it was just what our bodies needed! So delicious ~~~ and I enjoyed making it. Thank you, Sarah.”

Healing Morrocan Lentil Soup

11. Butternut Squash Enchilada Casserole

“I was looking for “fall-themed casseroles” for brunch this past Sunday and stumbled across your site and this recipe. I made this for my whole family and everyone RAVED (including me!!). I wasn’t sure how I would like the butternut squash in a Mexican dish, but it added a yummy sweetness that was to die for.”

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12. Easy White Bean & Tomato Soup

“I’ve made your lentil and lemon soup 3-4 times over the last couple of weeks (so good!) and I decided I should move on. So I had this tonight which didn’t disappoint. It was delicious. It feels so good eating food like this after over indulging during the holidays. What I like most is that I half the recipes and then I have ready made food for a couple of days (there is just me eating it.) and the flavours get even better. I love having greens in soups and that is something new for me. I will go on to try your other soup recipes too, as they all seem like they will be very good too. Eating well does make such a difference to how I feel. Thank you once more. I totally recommend this recipe.”

White Bean Kale & Tomato Soup 3

 

13. Classic Lentil Burgers

“I subbed 2 Flax eggs instead of the eggs to make vegan and they turned out so nice! Thank you, this is my new favourite meal!!! :)”

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14. Chipotle Sweet Potato and Lentil Chili

“I recently made a lentil black bean chili and loved it, so when I was looking for more Meatless Monday ideas I came across this recipe. Wow, I loved it! The smokey flavor is so strong (in a good way!). It was easy to make and tasted delicious with a side of organic tortilla chips. Only thing I did differently was cooked the lentils for 20 minutes, then added the sweet potatoes for another 20 minutes, so I think I cut 10 minutes out of the recipe. Everything was cooked and came out wonderfully. Hubs enjoyed it, too!”

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15. Spaghetti Squash Bowls with Mushroom and Lentil Marinara

“This was OUTSTANDING! So delicious…and I would even make the mushroom/lentil marinara on its own. Absolutely delicious! THANKS!”

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16. White Bean Avocado Lime Soup

“Holy Cow this is amazing. We just made it for dinner and our 8 yr old son loved it. He said it was better than pizza and this is coming from a picky eater!”

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17. Lentil Sloppy Joes

“These are really good. I don’t overnight soak the lentils because I can never plan ahead that much. My luck I would do it and then forget!
Anyway – these are really good – I’ve made them as is with the exception of using brown sugar instead of syrup. I’ve also made variations such as skipping carrots and peppers (bf doesn’t like peppers and I can be lazy). Tonight I realized I was out of paste so they are gonna be really sloppy. I added some extra sugar and spices but otherwise made as is. This is a great recipe that my boyfriend, sister and mom all loved so thanks! I serve on toasted and vegan buttered gluten free bread :-)”

 

18. Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas

“I just made this for my family because my second child recently decided to go vegetarian, and we’re trying to be supportive even if we don’t change our eating habits entirely, and I can’t believe how truly filling and delicious these are!!!”

Sweet Potato Black Bean Spinach Enchiladas

 

This post was created in partnership with USA Pulses and Pulses Canada. All text and opinions are entirely my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who make it possible for me to bring you quality content!