#SoybeansAreAwesome

Soybeans are awesome, and I’m here to spread the word. This past January we ran a month-long special on our black beans and soybeans to celebrate National Bean Day on January 6^th. Since that point I’ve been on a personal mission to re-familiarize myself with cooking with beans, particularly soybeans, and reflecting on why soybeans have become a staple on the farm and at home. Here are just a few reasons why soybeans are so awesome.

• They add nitrogen to the soil.

Soybeans are notably different than many other crops and vegetables that we grow, namely in their ability to create their own nitrogen. To do this, soybeans have evolved to grow together with special bacteria that help convert nitrogen from the air into plant-available nitrogen. This gives an advantage to the soybean plant by having a little extra fertilizer to grow, but arguably even more important here is the ability of soybeans to stimulate biological activity in the soil and kickstart nutrient cycling. This makes big impact on creating and sustaining healthy soils. In turn, healthy soils are better for the environment, having greater capacity to hold on to soil and nutrients, and are necessary for growing healthy food.

• Soybeans come loaded with a ton of nutrients.

Soybeans are packed with plant-based protein, dietary fiber and low in calories making them a perfect health and diet food. This means you get the nutrition you need to fuel your day without having to load up on food. Also, for the price, soybeans can’t be beat. Over the next couple weeks we will feature a whole series of recipes that come from just 2 lbs of soybeans. This is nearly enough for a whole week of organic, healthy food for two people…all for just over $12 in soybeans!

• Cooking with soybeans is SUPER fun (and easy)!

Soybeans are grown around the world which means there are a countless number of recipes out there from a variety of different cultures to experiment with. Virginia and I love eating foods and cooking with new ingredients from different parts of the world, and soybeans might as well be considered one of the best “gateway” foods for adventuring out into world cuisine. Also, it’s super easy to always have a bowl of soybeans soaking in the refrigerator just waiting to be used in a new delicious recipe.

So now that I you’re as excited as I am about soybeans, I will step out on a limb here to make a bold statement that you will love organic soybeans from Firefly Fields. To back this up we will be continuing our $5 off specials on all our beans (because we think our organic black beans are awesome too)! Enter coupon code AWESOMEBEANS at the top of the checkout page when placing your order.

Also, stay tuned later this week as we will be starting a new series of recipes highlighting organic soybeans from Firefly Fields!