Health | Local and more eco-friendly legumes

Economical and packed with nutrients, legumes have it all. A young Montreal company has decided to make them even more attractive.

Founded in August 2023 by Gabrielle Daneau St-Aubin, the company Si Facile wants to simplify the lives of lovers of chickpeas, red beans and others. Better still, she hopes that her formula will attract new fans ready to add legumes to their plate.

To do this, the 27-year-old entrepreneur offers five distinct products: yellow peas, pinto beans, black beans, chickpeas and kidney beans. All are grown in Quebec, except the chickpeas which come from Western Canada.

Before Si Facile products arrived on the market, two imperfect options were available to consumers. The first: choosing legumes in bulk and having to add the soaking and cooking steps to the preparation of the dishes. “You have to have time and courage,” says the young woman. Second option: buy canned, already cooked legumes.

“However, these products come from far away and aluminum cans are not always recycled,” says Gabrielle Daneau St-Aubin.

Si Facile offers a greener solution: legumes, ready to use, sold in returnable glass jars for $1 each. “We can thus reuse the pots while the lids are sent to a recycler. I also want to shorten the supply chain, so I buy directly from producers. » The beans come from Saint-Aimé, in Montérégie, while the yellow peas are grown in Saint-Jean-Port-Joli. Suggested retail price is $3.99 (plus deposit).

Please note: Si Facile products do not include any additives or added salt. “All my products have only two ingredients: legumes and water. » Thanks to a food sterilization process where the heat reaches 115°C, legumes can be kept for more than a year and a half in their sealed jar.

“The artisanal method we use also releases more residual sugars, which makes the peas and beans easier to digest,” explains the entrepreneur.

Recipes to inspire you

Gabrielle Daneau St-Aubin has always included legumes in her diet – especially black beans, her favorite – but she is aware that some people lack inspiration when it comes to cooking these beans and peas, which have the advantage of being high in protein.

The entrepreneur also has a recipe book project in her works featuring legumes of all kinds.

Another project in development at Si Facile: adding lenses to the range of products offered. “Along with chickpeas, lentils are the most consumed legumes. However, the preparation process is not the same. I’m working on that. »

For the moment, the products developed in the immaculate kitchen – straddling Rosemont and the Plateau Mont-Royal – are sold in around forty neighborhood grocery stores and bulk stores, particularly in the greater Montreal region (but also in Val-d’Or, Gaspésie and the Îles-de-la-Madeleine). In addition, large brands have already expressed their interest in offering these Quebec legumes on their shelves. And an online sales service should be set up in the coming months.

In short, the Si Facile company has the wind in its sails, to the great pleasure of its founder, who has long searched for her professional path. “Si Facile is my very first business, if we exclude the jewelry manufacturing business that I launched at 10 years old… and I only sold one, to a friend! »

Comforting pea soup

A recipe from Gabrielle Daneau St-Aubin to warm up in the heart of winter, featuring yellow peas from Si Facile

Vegetable soup, yellow peas and soy sauce

Yield: 4 servings
Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Freezes

Ingredients

• 1 jar of 500 ml Si Facile yellow peas, well rinsed and drained
• 1 can (796 ml) diced tomatoes
• 1 diced onion
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 3 carrots, finely diced
• 3 stalks of celery, finely diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper chopped
• 3 cups of vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp. tablespoon of soy sauce
• 1 C. tablespoon of sesame oil
• 2 tbsp. tablespoon of olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. In a large saucepan, sweat the onion for a few minutes in olive oil. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
2. Add carrots, celery and jalapeno. Salt and pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add the vegetable stock, yellow peas, soy sauce and olive oil.
4. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked.
5. Adjust the seasonings, if necessary, and enjoy!