Customer Reviews

Westbrae Natural Vegetarian Organic Chili Beans, 15 Ounce Cans (Pack of 12)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Vegan. Organic. Kosher parve. Fat Free. High protein. Great bean mixture. Very tasty & pleasing. Great as a chili or bean soup base, add water and your favorite veggies and simmer. Or heat and serve as a bean side dish or 'dal' right from the can. Try as a topping on your favorite crispbread. Made with organic pinto beans, organic kidney beans, organic black beans, and sea salt. 300 calories, 0g fat, and 21g protein per can. Labeled "vegetarian," but is vegan also. Also really like Westbrae Natural Vegetarian Organic Soup Beans, 15 Ounce Cans (Pack of 12), Westbrae Natural Vegetarian Organic Salad Beans, 15 Ounce Cans (Pack of 12), and Westbrae Natural Vegetarian Organic Lentils, 15 Ounce Cans (Pack of 12). This review is out there for those for whom this makes a difference. See all of my reviews for more great choices. Check out "Vegan Grocery Favorites" and "Vegan Grocery Top Ten" in Listmania. Your "helpful" votes count and will be greatly appreciated to benefit the search of others. Thank you.

Great beans for making (obviously) chili. Was somewhat taken aback when I opened a can to find that the beans only take up half the can. Since the net weight includes the liquid, keep this in mind for your recipes.

Tastes great. Cans are full to the top - not sure what another reviewer was talking about.

The product is a combination of kidney, pinto, and black beans.

Pros:

1) Sodium content is relatively low, about 400 mg per can, or about a third of most other brands.

2) Organic, free of preservatives, etc.

3) Quality is good; not too soft or too firm; good taste.

4) Beans empty easily from the can, unlike some other organic brands (i.e. Eden pinto), which chelate and have to be forcibly removed.

Cons:

The main downside is the price, but this is true of any organic products.


While I don't like these as well as Eden, I like the combination of three beans. These would make a good starter for a bean salad or possibly a vegetarian/vegan chili.

I prefer the Westbrae chili bean mix to their salad bean mix for bean salads. Salad mix has garbanzos which are not my favorite - just don't have much flavor. Rinse these guys, and add tomato, plenty of fresh rosemary, small cubes of smoked mozzarella and olive oil and a little balsamic and let sit for a while. Add whatever else - chilled small pasta, bacon, mushrooms, peppers, asparagus, shrimp... Super tasty.

Westbrae Natural Vegetarian Organic Chili Beans are a delicious blend of kidney, black, and pinto beans. They make a colorful blend for chili. I used them in a coffee/cocoa vegan chili from Veg News Magazine (Our big love issue, June 2010) recipe. The beans are rich and flavorful. They're a perfect blend for meatless chilies, or whatever calls for a combination of beans. They'd be great in a vegetarian tamale pie topped with cornbread, or tucked into burritos/enchiladas. Beans are a natural source of protein. They're also superior to most meat substitutes. The World in your Kitchen: Vegetarian recipes from Africa, Asia and Latin America for Western kitchens has many bean-based dishes, as does Jamie's America: Easy Twists on Great American Classics, and More when Oliver hits the trail in Wyoming, and makes his own twist on fireside chili. Delicious, organic and nutritious!

I ordered a case of these beans. I was trying to figure out a way to get staples into the house without taking the time to go to a local store. I finally got around to using these chili beans for my home made chili recipe. I opened these cans and each of them were full of some slimey liquid, for half of the can. I had to drain off that slime before i got to the beans. I only had a half of a can of beans once the liquid was gone.

I am cooking this now. These beans have NO TASTE!!. I am going to have to add a lot of salt, pepper and chili powder to save this pot of chili. I am very disappointed. I will never use this brand again.