Lupini Beans and Olives (How to Cook & Eat Lupini)
Lupini beans are not very well known in the US, but they really should be. I predict they’ll soon be one of the hot new “health foods” here; it’s only a matter of time. Not only are they a deliciously addictive snack or appetizer, but are incredibly nutritious and high in protein.
Originally published December 8, 2012.
In this article, I’m going to show you how to cook and eat lupini beans, assuming that most of you reading this have never seen or maybe even heard of lupini beans*.
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What Are Lupini Beans?
Lupini are a very unique type of bean which are popular in Italy, especially at Christmastime.
Lupini beans are also common in Spain where they are known as altramuces, and Portugal as tremoços. They do not have the taste or texture of any other bean I’ve ever had, and they also eaten differently (see below). Lupini beans are extremely bitter before being prepared, and must be soaked overnight, cooked the next day, then rinsed several times a day for the next 5 or 6 days.
Lupini are not the same as other beans which can be cooked and ready to eat right away.
I’ve always wondered who the person was who discovered that if you just keep rinsing these beans that they would actually taste delicious, let alone edible! I can tell you, it’s no one that would get any sort of patent as lupini were eaten by ancient Egyptians! Please don’t let the process dissuade you as the end result is well worth it!
Interesting Fact: Have you ever seen lupin flowers? They are related to lupini beans.
You can just eat lupini beans as a healthy snack, antipasto or also after a meal, as they do in Italy.
With an Italian style preparation, olives are mixed with the lupini at the end of the process, which lend their salty flavor to the beans. It’s a fabulous combination. You can find lupini beans at most Italian markets/delis and middle eastern shops. If you want a large bag of them, on (I would absolutely buy the 3 lb bag on Amazon and make them three different times).
I repeat: don’t let the process of making these intimidate you because there’s really nothing to it. The only caveat is remembering to start about six days before you want to eat them.
If you can boil beans and rinse them, you can prepare lupini.
Of course, these are great to eat as a snack because they’re so healthy and nutritious. Don’t just limit them to the Christmas season, you can eat them year-round. I will warn you though, once you start eating lupini, it’s very difficult to stop; they are very addictive.
*WARNING: Peanut allergy sufferers, please make sure you are not also allergic to lupini beans.
How to Cook Lupini Beans
Ingredients
- one bag of dry lupini beans, look for beans without blemishes (I used one 14 oz bag)
- salt
- olives, green (like these, with pits are traditionally used in Italy) or black, with the liquid
Rinse and sort (take out any bad looking beans) the lupini, then soak them overnight, a minimum of 12 hours. Make sure to put a few inches of water above the beans so they don’t dry out when you’re trying to rehydrate them.
Cook the beans
Rinse the beans, then put them into a large pot with fresh water, covering the beans with at least a couple inches of water above them.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45-50 minutes, occasionally stirring with a wooden spoon.
Remove from heat, drain, and place into a large bowl and fill to cover with water.
Rinse the beans for about 5 days
At this point, just keep rinsing the lupini for about 30 seconds at a time, 3 to 4 times a day, for about 5 days (fewer, if you change the water more often.)
The bowl can be kept on the counter; it does not need to be refrigerated.
I kept track of how many times I changed the water over 5 days, and the total count was 18. Yes, this is necessary or you will have bitter beans. Note: do not eat bitter beans, they must lose all their bitter flavor before ingesting them.
At the end of the fifth day, taste a bean, or part of one, to check for bitterness. The bean will not taste good/sweet yet, but you are only checking for bitterness, nothing else. If the lupini beans are still bitter, continue to change the water until they are no longer bitter.
Add salt and olives
Next in the process is to add some salt (about one teaspoon of Kosher salt) to the lupini in the water (do not drain the beans after this). You can also add a can of black or green olives, liquid and all (not under oil). Stir well and taste after about three hours. If it needs more salt, add some. If you make the lupini too salty, just add a little more water.
DO NOT CHANGE THE WATER AFTER THIS and refrigerate, once the salt has been added.
Now the lupini are ready to eat! Use a mini sieve or slotted spoon to put some lupini and olives into a serving bowl, keeping the main bowl in the fridge. The lupini must be kept in water in the fridge, but are best served at room temperature.
How to Eat Lupini Beans
There are three steps. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to put away a dozen in under 15 seconds (don’t ask me how I know this). 🤔
- Take a lupini bean in your fingers and bite part way through the top part of the bean (where the little white part is) to break open the skin, but don’t bite the bean inside.
- Now, just squeeze gently while holding the bean in front of your mouth, and POP the bean in! I told you lupini were cooked and eaten differently than any other bean. 😁
- Discard the skin.
Can You Eat the Skin of a Lupini Bean?
Yes, the skin is edible. I can tell you that my brother and son just pop the whole bean into their mouths. However, I don’t like the texture of the skins, so I don’t eat them.
Once you get started, you won’t be able to stop, but remember, they are beans, so you probably don’t want to eat too many in one sitting. Now you know how to cook and eat lupini beans. Enjoy!
Interested in other traditional Italian dishes for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? Just click the following photo or this link.
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Lupini Beans and Olives, An Italian Christmas Tradition (How to Cook & Eat Lupini)
A super nutritious, healthy and addictive traditional Italian snack. Lupini beans and olives are usually served at Christmastime in Italy.
Ingredients
- one bag of dry lupini beans, look for beans without blemishes (I used one 14 oz bag)
- salt
- olives, green (like Castelvetrano, with pits are traditionally used in Italy) or black olives, with the liquid
Instructions
- Rinse and sort (take out any bad looking beans) the lupini, then soak them overnight, a minimum of 12 hours. Make sure to put a few inches of water above the beans so they don't dry out when you're trying to rehydrate them.
- Rinse the beans, then put them into a large pot with fresh water, covering the beans with at least a couple inches of water above them.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45-50 minutes, occasionally stirring with a wooden spoon.
- Remove from heat, drain, and place into a large bowl and fill to cover with water.
- At this point, just keep rinsing the lupini for about 30 seconds at a time, 3 to 4 times a day, for about 5 days (fewer, if you change the water more often.)
- The bowl can be kept on the counter; it does not need to be refrigerated.
- I kept track of how many times I changed the water over 5 days, and the total count was 18. Yes, this is necessary or you will have bitter beans.
- At the end of the fifth day, taste a bean, or part of one, to check for bitterness. The bean will not taste good/sweet yet, but you are only checking for bitterness, nothing else. If the lupini beans are still bitter, continue to change the water until they are no longer bitter.
- Next in the process is to add some salt, probably about one teaspoon of Kosher salt to the lupini in the water (do not drain the beans after this.) You can also add a can of green (this is the Italian style) or black olives, liquid and all (not under oil). Stir well and taste after about three hours. If it needs more salt, add some. If you make the lupini too salty, just add a little more water.
- DO NOT CHANGE THE WATER ANYMORE and refrigerate, once the salt has been added.
- Now the lupini are ready to eat! Use a mini sieve or slotted spoon to put some lupini and olives into a serving bowl.
Notes
Nutrition info is just for the lupini.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 18 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 25Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 84mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 2g
Nutrition information is only estimated.
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Lupini beans have been a part of our Christmas Eve tradition since I remember growing up in Italy, and now my whole family enjoys them as well.
Aren’t such traditions lovely!?
Someone in Australia is producing and selling these with flavouring. The advert came up on my social media page. It shocked me because they were selling 1.5kg packets for $50!! I jokingly told my Portuguese husband that his dad and my Nonno would be horrified if we payed that much money for lupini!! I admittedly haven’t had them since my Nonno passed away. He was the lupini maker in our family. I thought I’d get the recipe to make for my family at Easter this year. Thanks for the recipe. We never put olives with ours but I can say as a child they made good weapons to launch at your cousins across the table!! We’d bite the end off and squeeze hard and watch them launch!! I’ve enjoyed looking at your other recipes too.
Hi Diana, since I’m currently traveling in Australia, I’m less shocked than I would have been at home (almost had a heart attack yesterday at seeing $4 doughnuts)!! Goodness, prices are outrageous here, and I agree, the lupini price is insane! Glad you’re going to make them for Easter, as I’m sure your nonno would be so happy that you are doing this, too! We would try aiming and shooting them into each others’ mouths (more difficult than other foods due to the speed)! haha! Enjoy and thank you for your lovely comment! :)
and don’t forget the Pizzelle. The kids love them
Absolutely, Dino! So do adults! :)
Wow. I have never heard of these! How cool! And to know they are related to the lupine flowers? Extra cool!
Really and truly? WOW, I think you’d love them, David!!
I know I have never tried lupini beans! I think I need to now. They don’t seem hard…but like all beans they just need to be soaked, just 6x longer!
I’ll have to give you some to try! Chock full of protein and other nutrients!
Hi Christina:
I love Lupini but have never made them myself. I’m going to go up to Claro‘s today and pick up a big bag and try your recipe! Mike
Excellent! Let me know how it goes, Dr. Mike!
My mom’s family is Portuguese and we grew up eating these. It is tough to find them, my mom never made them herself, I think she needs this recipe!
Yes, has to be an Italian or middle-Eastern market to find these, mostly. I love that Amazon has them, though!
It really does make you wonder how the “edibility” (if that’s a word) of certain foods was discovered! I’m grateful that you can actually find pre-soaked lupini (skins on) around here from time to time. But it’s nice to know you can also make them at home, armed with patience and a little care.
Isn’t that incredible? The only jar I tried would have put me off lupini for life, so I’m sticking to homemade! :)
I’m embarrassed to say I haven’t even seen or cooked lupini beans. Thanks for all the tips and interesting facts. Now I want to cook them!
And thanks for including me on your holiday list (well, my books, anyway!).
Not embarrassing at all, Jill! I am assuming that they’re not a “thing” in Corsica if you’ve never had them? Your books deserve to be on every holiday shopping list!!
Great recipe and good to read all the additional comments. I am particularly interested in a recipe or some comments on how to preserve the Lupini beans for storage after the have been soaked and rinsed. I would like to have some that I prepare for a brine and eating from the fridge and others that I keep preserved out of the fridge in cellar. Does anyone have some tips or additional guidance as to the method to preserve the lupini beans for longer storage out of the fridge? How to do this and how long they will keep? II am still in the soaking and rinsing stage (no salt as yet).
Thanks!
Mardi, I would just can them as that’s how they are sold in the shops (when they are in liquid in jars). I found just the thing for you! Scroll down to the canning part. I’m not endorsing to do it like this as I don’t even have time to read it, just passing it on for you: http://www.pennmac.com/page/418/418
Thanks so much for the reply and link. I wondered if you or anyone else might know if when canning (as they are beans) if they should be jar boiled or pressure canned. The link seems to suggest jar boiled but I know many things need pressure canning to meet the high temp required for killing bacteria.
Thanks for any advice
Mardi