Legumes & Nuts Category

Legumes & Nuts
Includes peas, lentils, beans, nuts, and nut butters
soy mayonnaise, soya mayonnaise, tofu mayonnaise
soy mayonnaise
This is made from soy milk, and it's a very convincing substitute for those who wish to avoid egg-based mayonnaise. Nayonaise is a well-respected brand.
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soy yogurt
soy yogurt
This is made from soy milk, and it's a good alternative for those who wish to avoid dairy products.
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soybean, soy bean, soya bean
soybean
This nutritional powerhouse is extremely versatile--it's used to make salad oil, tofu, soy sauce, meat analogs, soy milk and cheese, and many other ingredients. The actual beans need to be soaked a long time and are somewhat hard to digest, but they're extremely nutritious.
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soybean paper
These colorful sheets can be used to wrap sushi. Look for them in Asian markets.
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soynut butter, soy nut butter
soynut butter
This peanut butter substitute is made from roasted soynuts. It's got a bit less fat than peanut butter, and much less flavor.
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soynuts, roasted soybeans, soy nuts
soynuts
These are roasted soybeans that you eat like peanuts. They're about the shape of corn kernels, and sometimes coated with flavorings. Baked soynuts are lower in fat than fried.
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Steuben yellow bean, butterscotch calypso bean, Maine yellow eye
Steuben yellow bean
This heirloom bean is sometimes used to make Boston baked beans.
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sugar snap, mangetout, snap pea, sugar pea, sugar snap pea
sugar snap
This cross between an English pea and a snow pea is sweet and crisp, and is eaten whole, pod and all. Sugar snaps can be served raw, briefly stir-fried, pickled, or steamed as a side dish.
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Swedish brown bean
Swedish brown bean
These pretty brown beans are especially good in soups.
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tempeh, tempe
tempeh
This Indonesian meat substitute is made from soybeans and other grains that have been injected with a mold and allowed to ferment. It's rich in protein and fiber and has a chewy texture and salty, nutty flavor. Before using it, steam or simmer it for about twenty minutes. Then use it just like tofu or meat--either by marinating it and grilling or by crumbling it into pieces and frying them. Look for tempeh among the frozen foods in supermarkets or in health food stores. It will keep in the freezer for a few months, or in the refrigerator for about a week.
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tepary bean, moth dal, tapary bean
tepary bean
This was a staple of Native Americans in the Southwest. It's good for making refried beans and chili. Look for it in health food stores.
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textured soy protein, plant protein, protein crumbles
textured soy protein
This is a healthy ground meat substitute made from defatted soy flour. It comes as dried or frozen flakes, granules, or chunks, and it has a chewy, meaty texture when it's cooked. The flavor's a bit bland, so it works best in well-seasoned dishes like chili and sloppy joes. Some brands are beef or chicken-flavored. Look for it in health food stores.
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tofu, bean curd, doufu, soya cheese, soybean curd
tofu
Tofu is cheap, high in protein, low in fat, and very versatile. You can eat it raw or cooked, but it's bland by itself and tastes best if it's allowed to absorb other flavors. There are several varieties of raw tofu, each with different moisture contents. Silken and soft tofu are relatively moist, and best suited for making shakes, dips, and dressings. Regular tofu has some of the moisture drained away, and it's best for scrambling or using like cheese in casseroles. Firm, extra-firm, and pressed tofus are even drier, so they absorb other flavors better and hold their shape in stir-fries and on the grill. Tofu is also available smoked, pickled, flavored, baked, and deep-fat fried.
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tofu sour cream
This made with tofu, and it's lower in fat and more nutritious than ordinary sour cream. Look for it in health food stores.
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tofurky
tofurky
A tofu and seitan substitute.
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Tolosana bean, Prince bean, Spanish Tolosana bean
Tolosana bean
These beans are especially good in seafood dishes.
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tongues of fire bean
tongues of fire bean
This bean is a close relative of the cranberry bean. Despite its name, it's not hot at all.
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toor, arhar, tur, tuvar
toor
These lentils are tan when whole, but they're usually sold skinned and split, which reveals their yellow interiors. They're popular in Southern and Western India. Look for them in Indian markets.
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toor dal, arhar dal, tur dal, tuvar dal, yellow lentils
toor dal
Whole toor lentils are yellow with tan jackets, but they're usually sold skinned and split. They have a mild, nutty flavor, and they're often cooked as a side dish or ground into flour. They're sometimes sold with an oily coating, which you should rinse off. Look for them at Indian markets.
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trout bean, forellen bean, Jacob's cattle bean
trout bean
This German heirloom bean is relatively sweet. It's especially good in soups and casseroles
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UnTurkey
A seitan-based turkey.
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urad dal, black gram, black lentil, kali dal
urad dal
These lentil-like beans have black skins covering creamy white interiors. Whole urad dal derive their strong, earthy flavor from the black skins and are often used in curries. Split urad dal retain the skins and also have a strong flavor. Skinned and split urad dal are creamy white and somewhat bland.
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urad dal, skinned and split, skinned and split black lentils, white lentils
urad dal, skinned and split
These are black lentils (or urad dal) that have been split and skinned. They're much milder than unskinned.
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urad dal, split, chilke urad, split black lentils
urad dal, split
These are black lentils (or urad dal) that have been split but not skinned. They're not as mild as white lentils, which have been split and skinned.
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val dal, split lablab beans
val dal
These are skinned and split lablab beans. They're available in Indian markets.
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walnut, English walnuts, Persian walnuts, royal walnuts
walnut
Walnuts are rich and flavorful, and cooks like to use them in everything from fudge to salads. Markets usually carry English walnuts = royal walnuts = Persian walnuts. Less common are black walnuts, which are much more flavorful but harder to shell. To roast, put shelled walnuts on a baking pan and in bake them in a 325° oven, stirring occasionally, until they're slightly golden, about ten minutes. After you remove the nuts from the oven, rub them vigorously with a towel so as to remove as much of their bitter skins as possible. Fresh walnuts are available year-round, but they're best in the fall. Since they're high in fat and therefore prone to rancidity, it's best to store them in the refrigerator or freezer.
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water caltrop, horned water chestnut, Jesuit nut, ling chio, ling jiao
water caltrop
This black nut bears an unmistakable resemblance to a bull's head. Each one is about two inches across, and has a very hard shell. After you shell water caltrops, you'll need to steam or boil them before you can eat them as they contain harmful toxins in their raw state. Or you can skip eating them altogether, and just use them to make jewelry.
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wax bean
wax bean
These are similar to green beans except for the color, which can be yellow or purple. Don't confuse these with lima beans, which are sometimes called wax beans.
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white miso, kyoto shiro miso, mellow miso, shiro miso, shiromiso, sweet miso
white miso
This pale yellow miso is the sweetest and mildest of them all. It's used to make light soups, salad dressings, desserts, and marinades for fish. It's aged only briefly and isn't as salty as other forms of miso.
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winged bean, asparagus bean, asparagus pea, cigarrillas, dragon bean
winged bean
This pods have deep ridges, and attached leaves that open up like wings. Young ones are best. Don't confuse this with the yard-long bean, which is also sometimes called an asparagus bean.
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yard-long bean, asparagus bean, bodi, boonchi, Chinese long bean, dau gok
yard-long bean
These beans usually aren't a yard long--half a yard is more typical. Asians like to cut them into smaller pieces and add them to their stir-fried dishes. You can also boil or steam them like green beans, though they're not as sweet and juicy. They don't store well, so use them within a few days of purchase.
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yellow miso, shinshu miso
yellow miso
This golden yellow miso is made of rice and aged briefly. It's salty but mild and quite versatile. It's a good choice if you only want to store one tub of miso in your refrigerator.
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yellow pea, yellow matar dal
yellow pea
These have an earthier flavor than green peas. Scandinavians like to use them in soups, while the British use them in their pease pudding. It's best to buy them split, since split peas don't need to be soaked and cook fairly quickly.
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