27g Protein + 27g Fiber in One Lentil SaladEasy Brothy Pinto Beans

One 220 calorie serving delivers 13g of protein and nearly half your daily fiber, plus 22% of your daily iron!

These Easy Brothy Pinto Beans are creamy, lemony, and packed with flavor from sweet leeks, garlic, fresh parsley, and miso. Mashing some of the pinto beans into their cooking liquid creates a silky broth without cream or oil. This easy one-pot pinto beans recipe is nourishing, budget-friendly, and perfect with crusty bread.

🔍 Quick Look: Brothy Pinto Beans

• ⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
• 🎛️ Cook Time: 20 minutes
• 👥 Servings: 4
• 📊 Calories: ~228 kcal (based on nutrition panel)
• 👩🏽‍🍳 Flavor Profile: Brothy, savory, garlicky, and lemony, with sweet alliums, fresh parsley, a little heat, and umami from miso.
• 💪🏼 Nutrition: 13g protein, 13g fiber, ~22% DV iron, ~21% DV magnesium, and ~15% DV zinc. With optional tofu cream: 27g protein, 17g fiber per serving.
• ⭐ Difficulty: Easy. Cook the aromatics, add the beans and their cooking liquid, mash some of the beans, and simmer until creamy.

👩🏽‍⚕️ Dietitian’s Note

Pinto beans provide plant protein and soluble fiber, a combination that supports satiety, blood sugar management, and healthy cholesterol levels.

Leeks, onions, and garlic provide prebiotic fructans that feed beneficial gut microbes. Garlic and onion may also increase the bioaccessibility of iron and zinc from plant foods.

Fresh parsley and lemon add vitamin C and polyphenols, and vitamin C helps increase the absorption of non-heme iron from beans.

I add the miso after turning off the heat for its savory flavor and, when using unpasteurized miso, to potentially retain more of its live microorganisms.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

These pinto beans are delicious and easy to make. Plus, they’re:

• Creamy without cream or oil: Mashed pinto beans naturally thicken the broth.
• So flavorful: Leek, onion, lots of garlic, lemon, parsley, and miso make a simple pot of beans taste incredible.
• Easy: Everything comes together in one pot with basic ingredients.
• Rich in fiber and plant protein: Pinto beans make this a satisfying, nutrient-dense meal.
• Great for meal prep: The beans become even more flavorful as they sit.

👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients

Below, I share ingredient notes from both a nutrition expert’s and trained chef’s perspective.

• Pinto beans (frijoles pintos) are earthy, tender, and naturally creamy. They provide plant protein and fiber and become even creamier when partially mashed.
• Bean cooking water creates the flavorful broth and helps give these beans their silky consistency. Don’t discard it when cooking your beans.
• Leek becomes sweet and almost melting when gently cooked. It also provides prebiotic inulin-type fructans that feed certain beneficial gut microbes.
• Yellow onion adds sweetness and savory depth to the broth.
• Garlic brings plenty of flavor and pairs especially well with beans. Garlic and onion may also improve the bioaccessibility of iron and zinc from plant foods.
• Fresh parsley keeps the beans tasting bright and fresh and provides vitamin K, vitamin C, carotenoids, and polyphenols.
• Lemon balances the creamy beans with acidity and freshness. Both the zest and juice are used for maximum lemon flavor.
• Miso adds savory umami and depth without needing oil. Stir it in after cooking rather than boiling it.
• Red pepper flakes add a subtle kick and are completely optional.

See the printable recipe card below for quantities.

🌱 Substitutions

This recipe is versatile and easy to adapt. Below are some simple ingredient substitutions.

• Pinto beans: Cannellini, Great Northern, or butter beans also work.
• Bean cooking water: Use low-sodium vegetable broth if using canned beans.
• Leek: Use additional yellow onion or shallots.
• Parsley: Try cilantro or dill for a different flavor.
• Miso: The recipe still works without it, but you’ll lose some savory depth.

📝 How to Make Brothy Pinto Beans with Lemon and Leeks

The complete recipe with exact amounts is below. These additional tips will help you get the best results.

Chop and Wash the Leek

🌿 Variations

Add greens: Stir in chopped kale, spinach, or Swiss chard.

Make it soupier: Add more vegetable broth for a lemony pinto bean soup.

Add grains: Serve over barley, farro, amaranth, quinoa, or brown rice for a heartier meal.

Add more heat: Increase the red pepper flakes or finish with chili crisp.

🫘 What is the correct way to cook pinto beans?

Start with about 1 ¼ cups dried pinto beans to yield approximately 3 cups cooked for this recipe. Sort through the beans, discard any debris, and rinse well. Use the overnight soak or quick soak method.

Overnight soak: Cover the beans with several inches of water and soak for 8 to 12 hours. Drain and rinse before cooking.

Hot quick-soak method: Place the beans in a pot and cover with water by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse.

After either soaking method, return the beans to the pot and cover with fresh water by about 2 inches. Add 1 to 2 bay leaves (optional). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook until tender, typically about 60 to 90 minutes, adding more water if needed to keep the beans submerged.

For this recipe, do not discard the cooking liquid. Once the beans are tender, reserve at least 2 ½ cups to make the brothy base.

✔️ Storage & Meal Prep Tips

Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. The broth will thicken as the beans sit.

• Reheat gently with a splash of bean cooking water, vegetable broth, or water.
• Freeze for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
• Meal prep dried pinto beans in advance and freeze them in their cooking liquid so both are ready for this recipe.

🥣 More Bean Recipes

These Bean Tostadas are creamy, fresh, zesty, and packed with fiber and plant protein. 

This Bean Smash works with almost any beans you have on hand. Perfect for toast, wraps, bowls, baked potatoes, or easy meal prep lunches all week.

These Miso Beans are packed with high-protein white beans, low-oxalate kale, and antioxidant-rich cruciferous cabbage for an easy, nutrient-dense weeknight dinner.

My Gigantes beans recipe deserves a spot in every pantry. Their buttery texture and hearty bite make them one of the best plant-based substitutes for meat.

-> Try these meal-prep-friendly High-Protein Vegan Bean Recipes on my site

⚖️ Convert the Recipe to Metric (g & mL)

Use these AI tools to do this:

Nisha Melvani

Easy Brothy Pinto Beans are a flavorful 6-ingredient meal with fiber and plant protein. Lemony, garlicky, creamy, and ready in 30 minutes.

This information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate. Nutritional values may vary depending on factors such as product types and brands used.

Let me know how it was!

🛍️ Shop Recipe Cookware and Ingredients

Note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nisha’s Favorites

Get my tried-and-true products.