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4.9 from 45 votes

Lupini Beans

A homemade Italian lupini beans recipe. They're high in protein, high in fiber, low in fat, and a great healthy low carb year-round snack. It's also a healthy addition to add to charcuterie or cheese boards or an appetizer table.

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs 5 mins
Additional Time
5 d
Total Time
5 d 2 hrs 35 mins
Servings: 15 Servings
Calories: 40 kcal
Course: Dessert , Snacks , Baked Goods
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds extra large dried lupini beans about 1 kilo
  • water
  • salt

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large pot or bowl, submerge the beans completely with water (at least 2 to 3 inches covered). Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel or the pot with its lid, then soak overnight or until ready to attend to them the next day.
  2. When ready to cook, rinse the beans, and remove any brown-colored ones.
  3. Place the lupini beans in a large pot and cover them again with enough water.
  4. Add 4 to 5 tablespoons of salt.
  5. Cover the pot and place it on high heat to bring the water to a boil.
  6. Then immediately lower the heat to maintain a very gentle, almost bare simmer for 2 ½ hours. The beans will be softer and brighter in color but still have a firmness to them.
  7. Drain the beans and rinse under cold running water.
  8. Place the beans in a clean pot and submerge again with water, enough to cover them completely. Add salt (optional)—one tablespoon per quart/liter of water.
  9. Cover the pot and soak the beans for 4 to 7 days, stored in a cool dark place.
  10. During those days, drain and rinse the beans twice a day, each time placing them in a clean pot, covering the beans again with new water, and adding salt.
  11. After 4 to 5 days, taste a lupini bean without swallowing. If still bitter, continue the rinsing-salting process until the bitterness is gone.
  12. Store the beans in a jar covered with lightly salted water in the refrigerator for up to two weeks..
  13. Vacuum seal the beans for a longer shelf-life.

Notes

  • How to eat lupini beans as a snack: Make a small tear in the bean's skin with your teeth. Use your fingers to pop the seed directly into your mouth. Discard the skin.
  • Salting: You can lower the amount of salt during the cooking and soaking process according to taste or dietary requirements. I recommend using about 1 tablespoon per quart or liter of water. Once the beans are ready, you can taste-test the brine by stirring the salt in the water and then taste a drop on the tip of your tongue. The water should taste slightly salty.
  • Type of lupini beans: Depending on the variety of lupini beans you're using, the soaking process might take more or fewer days. Note that larger lupin beans are more bitter than small lupini beans and require longer soaking. Lupin beans used in this recipe represent the more bitter kind.
  • Serving suggestions: Serve as an after-dinner treat (Italian way), a high protein snack, part of an antipasto spread, on a charcuterie or cheese board, or enjoy them with a glass of cold beer or rich red wine.
  • Storage: Use big mason jars or covered containers to store ready-to-eat lupini beans, leaving enough room to cover the beans with lightly salted water (brine). Drain the beans before serving. For a longer shelf-life, it is recommended to vacuum seal them.
  • Have a peanut allergy? Lupin belongs to the same plant family as peanuts. So, consult with your doctor before consuming lupini beans.
  • Important: Never eat lupini beans that have not been properly cooked and soaked as they are high in alkaloids, hence the bitterness, and therefore can cause lupin poisoning. But don't let that deter you from making them. This lupini beans recipe will turn them into a nutritious and tasty snack.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1cup Calories 40kcal (2%) Carbohydrates 8g (3%) Protein 3g (6%) Fat 0.1g (0%) Saturated Fat 0.02g (0%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0.04g Monounsaturated Fat 0.01g Sodium 2mg (0%) Potassium 205mg (6%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 1g (2%) Calcium 10mg (1%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 15Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 40

% Daily Value*

Serving 1cup
Calories 40kcal 2%
Carbohydrates 8g 3%
Protein 3g 6%
Fat 0.1g 0%
Saturated Fat 0.02g 0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.04g 0%
Monounsaturated Fat 0.01g 0%
Sodium 2mg 0%
Potassium 205mg 4%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 1g 2%
Calcium 10mg 1%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.