GeorgeBMac

I would say 'not so much work as planning...'
I buy dried beans of various sorts (garbanzos, black beans, mixed beans, etc...) and when I want to make them the next day I put them in a pot before I go to bed to soak overnight. That part is easy. Then, when I get up I cook them for about 1 1/2 hours... I guess that part is pretty easy too. But, it does take time. But, once cooked they work like the canned beans and keep for several days in the fridge. Usually I make enough for 2 or 3 days rather than just enough for a single meal.

Actually, when compared to cooking with meat, legumes usually take less time and less trouble. But, when compared to our processed, convenience foods or fast-food, preparing both meat AND legumes take more time and more work.

The black beans I usually use to make black bean burgers (which then get frozen for later) or a black bean salad.

The mixed beans I use to make a pot of soup -- along with veggie's such as garlic, onion, carrots, tomato, zucchini, peppers, etc... (I will also occasionally make a split pea soup or pumpkin (or sweet potato) & lentil soup)

The garbanzos (aka chick peas or chana) I use in hummus, on salads or mixed with brown rice with a dressing for a snack. But my favorite is "chana masala" -- where the chick peas are sautéed with onion and tomato (and other stuff like spinach) with the appropriate Indian spices (that I get in a box from my local Indian store) and served over boiled potatoes or brown rice. Yummy!

But, the quickest and easiest are the various split legumes such as lentils. They do not need to be soaked and cook up in about 30 minutes -- or 5 or 10 minutes in a pressure cooker. Lentils and rice form a staple of many S.E. Asian and Indian diets -- and the people of those cultures "need" their daily ration of lentils and rice just as we Americans "need" our daily ration of red meat & fries. (But the lentils and rice won't kill you or make you fat!)

My favorite lentil dish is "Dal Curry" -- where I cook the lentils with onion and tomato (and other veggies like carrots or kale) in a pressure cooker along with (again) the appropriate spices that I get from my local Indian store. It takes about 10 minutes.

BTW, for rice I always buy Basmati Brown Rice - the flavor is far, far better than any of the standard American rices you get in the local grocery store -- and being a whole grain it is a lot healthier as well. If I plan on eating it alone I will cook it in veggie broth with some apple cider added instead of water -- delicious!

Another often overlooked 'bean' dish are the soy products: tofu, edamame, soy milk etc... I use edamame as a snack instead of potato chips -- its good hot or cold. And, soy milk instead of cow's milk provides a base level of protein. I consume a cup with my morning bowl of oatmeal (13 grams of protein) and another cup with my 10:00 snack of whole grain cereal (12 grams of protein)... And, the tofu is good with various veggies in a quick 10 minute stir fry...

Soy protein got something of a bad rap a few years ago -- but most knowledgeable people attribute that to "soy products" -- such as used in highly processed foods... But whole soy products are generally regarded as safe -- and far healthier than red meat.

In addition, there are the Mexican bean dishes -- such as refried beans (which are not actually fried at all!) used on tacos and such. I need to explore them further...

And, of course there are always the standard American peas & carrots type dishes... (although I prefer peas and corn rather than carrots...)

So:
There is a huge variety of different types of legumes as well as ways to prepare them -- and they all provide sufficient protein. And, combined with whole grains also provide sufficient "complete" proteins that westerners have been conditioned to believe they can only get from dead animals (WRONG!)

For myself, I find a nice chana masala over brown basmati rice much more tasty and pleasing than a chunk of dead cow or chicken. And, since the bean dishes are usually made with various veggie's, you are not only getting 'complete' protein, but also vitamins, minerals and antioxidants as well.

I think too many Americans believe that bean dishes are 'only poor food for poor people'. It is true that beans tend to be cheap (and easy on the environment as well). But, the implication that they are not delicious or nutritious is NOT true. Admittedly, as prepared by westerner's, bean dishes are often quite bland and boring. But that is simply from our lack of knowledge and experience and our meat-centric culture. That deficiency does not exist in the other "poor" cultures that we like to belittle.