As gorgeously (and tantalizingly) demonstrated in Rancho Gordo’s new cookbook, “The Bean Book: 100 Recipes for Cooking with All Kinds of Beans” (Ten Speed, $35), beans are indeed a magical fruit, though not in the way you heard as a kid.

Classified as both a vegetable and a plant-based protein in the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans, beans and other legumes can be the ingredient you build an entire vegetarian or veggie-forward meal around. Or, they can help an economical cook stretch a dish twice as far with nutritious calories.

A healthful and shelf-staple plant food — they last for years when dried — beans have been among a home cook’s most reliable pantry items for a very long time.

It wasn’t until Rancho Gordo, a California-based bean company, trotted out its branded packages of colorful heirloom beans that the plant began to take on cult status among some shoppers.

Unlike the bean varieties commonly found in even the smallest grocery stores, heirloom beans are mostly forgotten varieties that were developed on a small scale for certain characteristics, with seeds from the best crops passed down through the generations.

The result is beans that are fresher and more colorful than mass-produced beans, and come in different shapes and sizes. They also have a more complex and intense flavor, fans say.

“The Bean Book” dishes up dozens of different ways to cook Rancho Gordo’s 50 heirloom bean varieties, which include red-streaked cranberry beans, mint-green flageolets, black and classic garbanzos and (my favorite) vaquero — which wear the same black-and-white spots as a Holstein cow.

Check out these bean recipes:

This light and creamy vegetarian soup benefits from a surprising garnish, roasted shiitake mushrooms, which taste exactly like bacon.

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White Bean Soup with Shiitake Bacon

INGREDIENTS

For soup

1/4 cup olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 medium carrot, scrubbed and chopped

6 garlic cloves, finely grated or pressed

2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for garnish

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

4 cups vegetable broth

2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

For bacon

8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, caps cut into 1/8 -inch slices

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt

To finish

Plant-based milk

Chili oil, for drizzling

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Make soup: In large pot, heat oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add onion, celery, carrot, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are fragrant and tender, 8-10 minutes.

Add vegetable stock and beans, increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until thickened, 12-14 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the bacon: Spread shiitake mushrooms into a single layer on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Bake until browned and crispy, 18-20 minutes, rotating pan front to back and tossing mushrooms with a spatula halfway through. Let cool in pan; mushrooms will continue to crisp as they cool.

To finish, add some milk to the soup and use an immersion blender to puree it in the pot, or puree in a blender. (Cover lid with a clean kitchen towel.) Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.

Divide soup among bowls and top with shiitake bacon. Garnish with thyme sprigs and a drizzle of chili oil. Serves 4-6.
— “Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking” by Joe Yonan

Velvety cranberry beans simmered with tomato and the punch of red wine vinegar are a perfect match for a soft bed of cheesy polenta. This is a filling, stick-to-your-ribs dish perfect for fall.

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Polenta with Cranberry Beans and Tomato Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups canned chopped tomatoes, juice reserved

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

4 fresh sage leaves

Salt and pepper

4 cups cooked Lamon or cranberry beans

2 cups uncooked polenta

6 ounces pancetta, diced

Chopped fresh basil or parsley, for garnish

Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

DIRECTIONS

In large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes and red wine vinegar.

In a small bowl, dissolve tomato paste in the broth and add to pan. Stir in sage and season with salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, 15-20 minutes.

Add beans to tomato sauce. Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare polenta according to package instructions.

Place pancetta in a small saucepan over low heat.

Cook, stirring frequently, until the pancetta is brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer pancetta to a paper towel to drain.

To serve, spoon polenta into serving dishes. Ladle the beans over the polenta and top with the pancetta. Garnish with fresh basil and serve with grated Parmesan. Serves 6.

— “The Bean Book: 100 Recipes for Cooking with All Kinds of Beans” by Steve Sando

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White Bean Dip

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups cooked cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

1 small garlic clove, minced

Generous pinch of salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 or 3 tablespoons water, if needed

2 fresh basil leaves, chopped, optional

1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves chopped, optional

DIRECTIONS

In a food processor, pulse cannellini beans, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, salt and several grinds of pepper until combined.

If it’s too thick, slowly add the water with the food processor running until it is smooth and creamy. Blend in the basil and/or rosemary, if using

Serve with veggies, pita or bruschetta. Makes 1 1/2 cups
— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

Tribune News Service

This vegetarian bean soup gets a salty crunch from shiitake mushroom “bacon” strips.(Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS)
Kissed with lemon, this white bean dip comes together in a blender in about 60 seconds. (Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS)