Oh I do love a bean or two and this recipe/cookbook is a wonderful way to get more beans on your menu. There are so many great recipes and ideas on using beans and I have and will be trying quite a few of these great recipes. I also love all the information of the different types of beans to buy and use and the information on cooking.

So many great ways of using beans will get you excited and interested in beans and how good they are for you and how good they taste in these great recipes. This is the book I have always wanted about beans and I will use it often and I highly recommend it. Yum!

Thank you NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Perfect for cozy and delicious meals! I have tried a few of the recipes and they are easy to follow and turn out great!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher of providing me with an e-arc of this book. My opinions are my own.

Typically I am on here to review fantasy and sci-fi novels. But the beans caught my attention, so I requested a cookbook thinking - yeh I could do with some more ideas on how to cook with beans,

This is actually the bible of beans.
A bean bible if you will. Perhaps an alternate title?
It informs you of the history of the beans, their origins, their uses and qualities. Then how to prepare them and store them etc....And then we get to the quintessential and wholesome recipes where beans are the absolute super stars in every dish.
And I should not be writing this before having breakfast, because now I am starving and I think a bean and egg dish is going to suffice.
Well done Mr. Sando, I would be proud to have such a stunning book amongst my cookbook collection. I will be gifting this to many people this Christmas and I can't wait to try this rendition of Pasta E. Fagiolo - see if tops the Nonnas.

I’m obsessed with The Bean Book. The photos are beautiful and I love the recipes which includes recipes from different regions and cultures. Even some bean desserts, which I have yet to try!

Get this book! You won’t regret it.


I received this book early from NetGalley for free. This did not affect my review in anyway.

I need to state right out that I am a longtime fan of Rancho Gordo beans. As a practiced home cook (and avid reader/collector of cookbooks), I have for years seen chefs reference the quality and taste of these beans. About eight years ago, I took the plunge and placed an order myself. I was not disappointed. Like so many, I spent a long time on the waiting list for the Rancho Gordo Bean Club, and just a few weeks ago, I got the nod. My first shipment arrived last week. And my family is celebrating, because these are the best beans we’ve found anywhere.

And the exceptional care Steve Sando takes with his Rancho Gordo beans translates into an exceptional cookbook in The Bean Book. It is written like a casual conversation with a friend, yet is very informative. Most importantly, every recipe I’ve tried (so far) is delicious and a hit with my family and friends. And it’s more than just recipes. The book includes: the history of beans and of Rancho Gordo, identification of 50 bean varieties, and a detailed recipe of cooking a basic pot with multiple heat sources. I’ve been using the pressure cooker version of that recipe for years now, and it works every time. On top of that, the book is beautiful – laid out by dish type with stunning photography.

Some recipes included were already family favorites, from Smitten Kitchen’s Pizza Beans to versions of Simple Hummus, Pan-Fried Garbanzos with Spices, and New Orleans Red Beans and Rice. We have fallen in love with the Italian-Style White Beans on Toast, Midnight Black Bean Soup, and Sarah Scott’s Napa Valley Cassoulet. And we have so many more on our list to try!

It is, of course, not necessary to purchase Rancho Gordo beans for these recipes. And the book makes that clear on every page. The reader simply benefits from the extensive knowledge of Steve and his team here. In summary, if you love to cook and eat beans, this book is absolutely one you’ll want on your shelf.

Many thanks to Ten Speed Press and NetGalley for providing this copy for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Steve Sando and his Rancho Gordo bean company are legendary and known for the highest quality beans on the market. This is a gorgeous cookbook and will inspire you to use beans not just as a side dish, but also as the focus of your meal. I'm a longtime fan and member of the Rancho Gordo bean club - this book will find a special spot on my kitchen shelf. A must have for vegetarians and meat lover alike!

Thank you to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Another slam dunk from Steve Sando from Rancho Gordo beans. I love his beans, and was THRILLED to get this ARC to learn even more about them from him - he does such a lovely job describing them, what makes them special, and their history. I cannot wait to try these recipes - based on prior books, they are phenomenal - and heartily recommend this to any bean fan!

Must love beans....

Seriously. I learned so much about beans in this book.
Heritage, beans of all types.
Then how to cook 'em.
Recommend.

I never thought I would know so much about beans, let alone learn different ways to eat them. Everything about this cookbook is phenomenal, from the recipes to the wonderful photos and tips on growing multiple varieties of heirloom beans. The Bean Book by Steve Sando is the only cookbook you will ever find when it comes to cooking almost any heirloom bean from seed to plate.

If you take a look at the Rancho Gordo website, it is an amazing source for beans, and this book is a great companion to the products offered. So many types of beans and great recipes for all of them. This book is a valuable resource for any bean eater! Recommended.

This book is very aesthetically pleasing and has lots of great information on beans and what to do with them. With lots of great recipes, some personal information on how Steve got into the bean business, and background on the different types of heirloom beans, this book offers a lot of bean lovers and also for people who have just never eaten beans that didn't come from a can. The pictures are beautiful and eye catching and the recipes are simple enough for anyone who wants to try one.

Thank you Ten Speed Press and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a huge fan of Rancho Gordo. beans and couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book. It’s absolutely fantastic! It’s filled with beautiful photos of all the beans and recipes. I especially like the section devoted to many different types of beans complete with photos and recommended recipes to cook from the recipe section. This is a must buy for the bean lover in your life!

The Bean Book was an excellent introduction to cooking whole beans. I recently got more interested in using high quality sources of plant protein in recipes. My partner loves to cook and is a huge fan of heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo. When I came across a cookbook from the founder of Rancho Gordo, I had to check it out!

At first, I was put off by eating beans due to the association with bloating and bland, canned bean flavors but they are truly a magical superfood. Studies involving centenarians show that beans are a key ingredient in their diet. “Beans are the cornerstone of every Blue Zones diet in the world: black beans in Nicoya; lentils, garbanzo, and white beans in the Mediterranean; and soybeans in Okinawa.” -from the bluezone.com website.

This gorgeous book introduces a variety of cooking methods, equipments (from a clay pot to a slow cooker), and highlights 50 varieties of heirloom beans, there is a recipe for each variety. Heirloom means that the genetic makeup of the plant is the original, unmodified version. With the onslaught of GMOs in American farms, it is refreshing to have access to heirloom varieties. When the quantity of a crop becomes more important than the quality, it comes at a cost: flavor.
Also, heirloom means that the seeds have been preserved so that they’ll produce the same crop every time.

There is a section that outlines pantry basics to go along with your beans. It lists herbs, spices, chiles, etc.
This book includes a wide variety of recipes including Persian, Spanish, Italian, North African, Jewish, Indian, and Latin American influences. There are dips, salads, soups, stews, baked beans (with meat, in a casserole, or ) and even sweets. I even saw a recipe for cornbread. corn is a bean? Didn’t seem right so I looked it up and beans and corn are seeds, however corn is a fruit, not a legume. Maize is a grass but because corn comes from the flowering part of the plant, it is considered a fruit.

More Fun Facts:
-the majority of heirloom beans used within 2 years of harvest don’t need to be soaked prior to cooking.
-bean broth can be used to make bread, it’s highly nutritious and safe for babies to eat as a first food meal.
-beans fed civilization: appears they were domesticated in Mexico and Peru.

I cannot wait to make some warm savory stews and pies from The Bean Book this Fall. I will be purchasing multiple copies. I know some folks who’d love this as a gift.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ten Speed Press for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! From the very beginning you can tell Steve is very passionate about beans. Beans being one of those humble foods & plants many don’t think much about but the author has invested a lot of time & energy into knowing as much as possible about this humble but delicious & healthy little food.

His passion for heritage & heirloom beans is shown on every page of this cookbook. The introduction includes information on the history & cultivation both at home & commercially. He highlights the different flavors in various varieties & the type of dishes they work best in.

While Steve does highlight his farm, Rancho Gordo’s, heirloom beans in the recipes he also includes more readily accessible & less expensive grocery store varieties as well. There are some rare recipes where he notes, that the grocery store varieties are not likely to achieve the same depth of flavor, ie “proceed at your own risk” but most seem to be delicious even if obtaining the heirlooms isn’t accessible for you.

Steve does like some luxury or harder to source ingredients in some of the dishes & in his pantry. Banana & pineapple vinegars, come to mind. They also sound delicious! He does suggest alternates in the actual recipes if you can’t source those.

I’ve been cooking with dried beans all of my adult life. This book introduces ideas & dishes I’ve never thought of let alone heard of. The dishes origins span much of the globe. With the exception of the dishes that feature seafood (my personal ick) there are precious few recipes in this that I’m not eager to try. Even the seafood recipes look intriguing, so if seafood *is* your thing, you likely won’t be disappointed. He may have even convinced me that anchovies in the fridge & in my cooking might be an excellent idea. My mother has been trying to do that for decades!

While some recipes are naturally vegetarian (some even vegan) he does provide suggestions on how to make at least some of them vegetarian. Who knew Kalamata olives & garlic could sub in for anchovies? Not me, that’s who. Other recipes it would be easy enough to do by swapping broths. However, if you’re looking for a strictly vegetarian bean book…this is not it.

Some dishes do use stock & salted meats to layer in flavor, but others rely on the bean’s natural flavor and the complementary ingredients. Steve definitely believes beans without stock & ham can be just as flavorful & should be tried. I concur. There’s nothing like a nice pot of beans to fill you up, especially in the autumn.

This is a cookbook that could easily double as a coffee table book. The dishes & beans are photographed as glamorously as any supermodel in a fashion magazine thanks to photographer, Ed Anderson. Really, this is the glow up that beans needed but we didn’t know they needed it.

Thank you to NetGalley & Ten Speed Press for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book on beans. Tasty recipes and amazing photos, with information on types of beans. It's a unique and much needed book and offers a myriad of recipes to enjoy this amazing food.

A creative approach to what's often considered poor man's food - the beans. Contains recipes from around the world, from Asia to South America, for a variety of dishes - from cold salads to hot soups and stews. Old and new, some with meat, some suitable for vegetarians. Who knew you can utilize beans in so many ways, from baking in a casserole to making pastes for sauces and dips. Truly, everyone will find something for themselves here.

The only downside is I expected photos of every dish, but instead they showcase only every second or third dish featured in the book.

Thank you Netgalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for the ARC.

This is THE bean cookbook. It has earned the name "The Bean Book". Sando goes over all the different ways to cook beans, and has a list of FIFTY different bean varieties. Then you get to the recipes. All look delicious!
I will definitely be grabbing this on release to add to my cookbook collection!

4.5 stars, rated up

As a vegan, I love beans, love them. From oven roasted spiced garbanzo beans, northern white bean dip with home baked bread, to a non-tahini garlic hummus like dip (severe allergies), three bean chili, and soups galore, beans are a giant staple of my diet and I was so excited to see a new bean cookbook, and am so thankful to have received an early copy.

This book is laid out cleanly, with an easy to read font, and extremely appealing photos.

Recipes I’m particularly interested in - it’s currently still too hot for soup but I am awaiting the cooler months so I can make a bunch of these.
*Summertime White Bean and Tomato Panzanella - making this over the upcoming weekend to nosh on with sourdough.
*Red Beans tossed with Wilted Arugula and Pumpkin Seeds (no eggs)
*Fennel, Potato, and White Bean Soup with Saffron (with vegan butter)
*Poggio Etrusco’s Classic Tuscan Vegetable-Bread Soup
*Jeremy Fox’s Yellow Eye Soup
*Midnight Black Bean Soup
*Staffan Terje’s Royal Corona, Swiss Chard, and Mushroom Stew (with vegan parm)
*Lalabi
*Arnab Chakladar’s Chana Masala
*Italian Pasta E Fagioli (minus pancetta, with vegan parm)

I could go on with my list, but I’ll leave it the current ten.

This isn’t a fully vegan cookbook, or even a vegetarian one, but a vast number of the recipes are vegan, or easily veganizable, and, to go by the photos, the end results look absolutely amazing and delicious.

My one issue with this cookbook that didn’t work was most of the recipes measurements were in cups, not metric.

Issue aside, this is one I’ll be getting for my ‘frequent-use cookbooks’ collection.




Thank you to Ten Speed Press and NetGalley for the PDF

We have dried beans from local farms (including Rancho Gordo!) and are always looking for more bean recipes to include our beans in. This book has lovely photos, accessible recipes, and love how affordable and well-rounded beans can be. Many thanks for the advance readers copy -- can't wait to make more beans!

“The Bean Book” showcases the versatility of beans with a range of flavorful recipes and beautiful photography.
However, as someone who discovered Rancho Gordo through vegan communities, I was disappointed to see that many recipes rely heavily on animal products. The addition of allergy information or icons for dietary considerations would make the book more accessible to those with specific dietary needs. Even the recipes that have vegan substitutions fail to offer specific suggestions just generically mention that it a vegan substitute can be used (specifically for eggs which are trickier to sub in than say cheese or butter).
Additionally, some recipes call for specialty ingredients that might not be easily available to all readers, with several ingredients only accessible through Rancho Gordo. Between the ingredients and significant time commitment for many of these recipes, in our family, this is more of a special occasion cookbook or a coffee table book than a practical, every day cookbook.
Overall, while this cookbook offers stunning images and recipes that will offer you new and exciting ways to incorporate beans into your diet, I do think it could have benefited significantly from some standard icons throughout the book to help clarify dietary information.