We all know beans are good for your heart. The more you eat them, the more you… eat carbs? (I tried). Jokes aside, beans are seriously good for your health. Plus they are super versatile, appearing standalone as refried beans and also great additions to soup, salads, dips and more. Today, we’re going to show you how you can make refried beans on keto.
Another thing they are full of? Carbs. (Bummer).
So how are we going to eat beans on keto? It’s very possible and this post shows you exactly which beans you can eat while on a keto diet.
Let’s start by figuring out just how many carbs are we talking about in normal beans.
Taking a look at the popular Bush’s Black Beans (canned), we calculate 19g total carbs and 5g of fiber, so 14g net carbs per serving (1/3 of the can). That means a single can of black beans is going to add up to around 52g net carbs.
Holy frijole. In any recipe, that’s going to add a huge chunk of net carbs to a meal.
Beans on Keto: Soybean Saves the Day
Wait, those soybeans? Nope, these are black soybeans. While they sound very similar, they are distinctively different in one major way: They contain way less carbs. We’re talking 1g net carb per serving and only 3 net carbs per can. That’s around 15-20x less than standard black beans. That’s what makes black soybeans keto friendly.
But, what are black soybeans
like?
No surprises. They behave like you’d expect beans to behave. You can cook them down and smash them up or use them in your soup and chili recipes. And they don’t have any strong or unpleasant flavor. You don’t want them to taste or smell anything and that’s exactly how they are.
In short, black soybeans are a great keto bean substitute.
Black soybeans stay out of the way in dishes like keto chili, hummus, keto baked beans, Mexican charro beans, salads, bean dip… The possibilities are endless!
So, what’s our favorite use of black soy beans on keto?
Keto Low Carb Refried beans!
Classic refried beans are included as a side with pretty much every single dish you order at a Mexican restaurant. When cooking Mexican dishes at home for the keto diet, the low carb tacos and enchiladas were easy to figure out (hint: low carb tortillas). But we were still missing out on those oh-so-good beans.
We’ve pulled off a good amount of keto recipe hacks before, but is it possible? Is there such a thing as low carb refried beans?
The good news is that traditional Mexican refried beans can be made simply with beans, salt and water. Still, when using pinto beans, the net carbs in refried beans is still in the 50-60g range per can. That’s where black soybeans come in.
But, how do you get any real flavor with soybeans for your keto refried beans? That’s where embracing fat on the keto diet really pays off. Welcome into your life pork fat (aka lard).
Lard is an ingredient that doesn’t normally get a lot of positive attention. It’s supposed to be unhealthy and sounds kind of gross. However, at the end of the day, it is simply rendered down pork fat. And, it is absolutely the key to low carb refried beans. It injects all the flavor into the beans and of course lard (and tallow) are great sources of fat for the keto diet.
Our favorite pork fat / lard is Epic Pork Fat. Small batch, no additives– it is simple and is Paleo-friendly as well.
Eden Organic Black Soy Beans
The best value for the Eden Black Soy Beans is in 12-pack cases, but they last a while and are super versatile, so we always keep some stocked in the pantry. However, you can opt for 2-packs or 4-packs at a higher price per unit.
Okay, now that you have all the tools, here is our tried and true black soybean keto refried beans recipe. Enjoy!
Keto Refried Beans
3 cans black soybeans
1/2 cup Epic Pork Fat
1 Cup HOT Chicken Stock
1 Tablespoon Cumin
2 Cloves Garlic (or more if you love garlic)
Salt to taste (Start in 1/4 teaspoon increments)
Melt the lard in a deep, heavy pot over medium heat; when the lard is hot, add the beans.
Stir constantly while cooking until the beans start softening and breaking apart.
Put in the cumin and garlic.
Reduce heat to low and stir HOT chicken stock in slowly little by little. Mash with potato masher as you go.
Start adding in salt slowly to taste.
Enjoy!
**They reheat nicely in the microwave the next day!
Hey! Love your site, I’ve found so much useful nutritional info through your blog.
Just wanted to point out, your link above for “black soy beans” correlates with Douchi…when in fact, the black soy beans you chose to use- Eden black soy beans (while delicious in their own right) are not the same as fermented Douchi…rather, just canned black soy beans.
Douchi has the very important distinction of being fermented and rather salty too, thus whole other “food creature” entirely.
Thanks again for a great blog and best wishes in your health. 🙂
Been doing this for a while now. Love them!
Why are soy beans ok on keto and soybean oil is not?
Keep working ,remarkable job!
naturally like your web site but you have to take a look at the spelling on quite a few of your posts. Many of them are rife with spelling issues and I find it very troublesome to inform the truth then again I will definitely come back again.
Attractive section of content. I just stumbled upon your blog and in accession capital to assert that I acquire in fact enjoyed account your blog posts. Any way I’ll be subscribing for your augment and even I fulfillment you get admission to consistently rapidly.
I simply could not leave your web site prior to suggesting that I extremely loved the standard info a person provide for your guests? Is gonna be again regularly in order to inspect new posts.