Ayocote Morado Bean

This thick-skinned runner bean is pretty and very large. It's starchy but goes from dense to creamy with continued cooking.

The staff here often refers to Ayocote Morado as a "gateway bean." Once you start, you get hooked. Its big, beefy texture is a good fit for those trying to cut out meat and eat a more plant-based diet, or for vegetarians looking for a hearty meal. Ayocote Morados provide a deep, bouillon-flavored bean broth, making them ideal for soups.

Originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, the Ayocote family was one of the first cultivated crops of the Americas. They are grown all over central and northern Mexico. If you plant them, you can enjoy the flowers, eat the pods as a broad bean, or shell them fresh for shelling beans.

Pot beans, soups, salads, chilis, casseroles

We like to cook Ayocote Morados with garlic, onion, and our Oregano Indio; if you're patient, the texture will go from starchy to creamy with a long, slow simmer. Their firm texture and rich broth makes them ideal for soups and they'd be great as a side dish for a classic steak! We also love them in simple salads.

Check beans for debris, and rinse thoroughly. In a large pot, sauté aromatic vegetables (onions, garlic, celery, carrot, etc.) in olive oil. Add beans and enough water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a full boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, using a lid to help regulate the heat, and gently cook until done, 1 to 3 hours. Salt when the beans start to soften. A pre-soak of 2 to 6 hours will lessen the cooking time.