27 Best Bean Recipes

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Taco Soup — The Spruce

Whether you're on a budget, trying to eat more meatless meals, or need a delightful new appetizer for your New Year's party, there's a delicious way to incorporate beans. Dried and canned beans are not only inexpensive and filling, they are versatile enough to be a favored ingredient in many cuisines, including Mexican, Italian, French, and Middle Eastern. These recipes for soups, salads, mains, and even breakfasts will inspire you to cook more with legumes.

Black Beans: Selection, Storage, and Preparation

01 of 27

Vegan and Vegetarian Bean and Rice Burrito

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Make fresh, filling, healthy bean and rice burritos for your next meatless Monday, or a quick vegan dinner the rest of the week. Spruce up leftover cooked rice with lime juice and cilantro, saute canned black or pinto beans with onion, garlic, and Mexican spices, and stuff it all into warmed flour tortillas. Feel free to add vegan cheese, avocado slices, or any other of your favorite toppings.
02 of 27

Caribbean Yellow Rice and Pink Beans

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Rice and beans are staples in Caribbean cuisine, where they are often enjoyed as an inexpensive meal on their own. Serve them for an easy vegetarian dinner or as a hearty side dish for chicken, with this colorful recipe that flavors canned pink beans and yellow rice with sofrito, a strong, highly-seasoned sauce.
03 of 27

Copycat Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli

The Spruce/Jennifer Perillo

Pasta e fagioli is a delicious, Italian-American soup that makes an inexpensive meal for families on a budget. This restaurant-style recipe adds ground sausage to transform this humble soup of canned tomatoes, canned beans, aromatics, and herbs into a meaty, filling main course in one bowl.
04 of 27

French Chicken and Sausage Cassoulet With White Beans

The Spruce Eats / Nita West

This chicken and sausage cassoulet with white beans is a modern update on the classic French country recipe. Cook the ingredients separately at first, and then together, for a complex, hearty stew with bold, distinct flavors. It takes some time to make, but the delicious results are well worth the effort.

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05 of 27

Instant Pot Refried Beans

The Spruce

Make this your go-to recipe for refried beans to use in tacos, burritos, and quesadillas. The instant pot cooks up Mexican restaurant-style refried beans in a fraction of the time they would take on the stove-top, with no presoaking required.
06 of 27

Classic American Senate Bean Soup

The Spruce/Cara Cormack

Classic bean soup with ham has been on the menu in the U.S. Senate dining room for over 100 years. It uses inexpensive ingredients, is hearty enough to make a meal, and while it needs a long cooking time, there isn't much work to do. The original recipe included a cup of mashed potatoes, but this one calls for instant mashed potato flakes, making your job easier.
07 of 27

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Taco Soup

The Spruce

Fully loaded, Mexican vegetarian taco soup with three kinds of beans is a filling, healthy meatless meal that's delicious as all get-out. Just add ingredients into the slow cooker and leave to cook for hours for a winning game day food. Top bowls with tortilla chips, grated cheese, or any other taco toppings you like.
08 of 27

Black Bean Hummus

The Spruce

Add Southwestern flair to a buffet table with this rich-tasting hummus dip that uses canned black beans instead of chickpeas. Whip it up in just 10 minutes in your food processor, and serve with flat breads, crackers, or raw veggie sticks.

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09 of 27

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

The Spruce

Win your next potluck with this tasty vegan black bean and sweet potato chili. It's hearty and flavorful enough to please even meat-eaters, with sweet potatoes, black beans, carrots, canned diced tomatoes, and classic chili spices. If you use water, instead of stock, it is gluten-free, too.
10 of 27

Black Bean and Mango Salad

The Spruce/Emily Hawkes

Hearty black beans and sweet, juicy mangoes mingle with crunchy bell pepper, jalapenoes, fresh cilantro, and a zippy lime vinaigrette dressing in this simply delicious vegetarian, vegan, high-protein, low-calorie, and gluten-free bean salad.
11 of 27

Carolina Barbecue Beans

Sabrina S. Baksh/Regarding BBQ Inc

Carolina-style barbecue beans are a popular side dish for pulled pork and other cookout foods. This tasty recipe uses canned pork and beans, kidney beans, and lima beans, baking them in an ultra-tangy barbecue sauce that includes cider vinegar, ketchup, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.
12 of 27

Easy Black Bean Salad

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Make a winning dish for potlucks and picnics with this quick and easy, Southern-style black bean salad. Black beans and fresh or frozen corn are the starring ingredients, with fresh tomatoes, red onion, avocado, cilantro, jalapenos, and a zesty lime vinaigrette dressing adding plenty of extra texture and flavor.

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13 of 27

Chicken and Red Bean Chili

Diana Rattray

Chicken and red bean chili is a fabulous alternative to beef or pork chili, and this tasty version with canned white beans and extra vegetables is healthier, too. Use a combination of chicken thighs and chicken breasts for maximum flavor. This recipe makes a big batch of chili, perfect for a game day party or tailgating.
14 of 27

Falafel With Fava Beans

PhotoStock-Israel/Flickr

A popular Middle Eastern restaurant dish gets a fresh makeover with this fava bean and chickpea falafel recipe. Soak the beans overnight, before combining in a food processor with onion, parsley, baking powder, and spices. Form into balls and pan-fry until golden brown and then top with tahini sauce.
15 of 27

Crockpot Stuffed Peppers With Black Beans and Rice

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Stuffed peppers with a savory filling of cooked rice, black beans, sweet corn kernels, and diced fresh tomatoes are a tasty, meat-free alternative to the classic peppers stuffed with ground beef. Use your crockpot to make them for a delicious and fuss-free vegetarian family meal.
16 of 27

Vegetarian Chili and Cornbread Casserole

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You already know that chili and cornbread taste great together, so why not combine them into one delicious dish? This genius recipe does just that, using an easy vegan chili with kidney beans, mock meat, tomatoes, and Mexican spices as the filling for a savory, dairy-free, baked cornbread casserole.

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17 of 27

Vegan Spicy Black Bean Burger

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Delight vegetarians at summer barbecues with tasty vegan and vegetarian black bean burgers. You only need a handful of ingredients, including beans, salsa, cornmeal, flour, and spices, to form the patties in the food processor. Serve on toasted hamburger buns with your favorite toppings.
18 of 27

Cheesy Salsa Verde Rice and Beans Breakfast Bowl

The Spruce / Stephanie Kirkos

Warm up on cold winter mornings, and put pep in your step, with a hearty Mexican-style breakfast bowl. Make it in minutes, layering cooked brown rice with warmed kidney beans, onion, garlic, salsa verde, and sharp cheddar cheese. Top with a perfectly-fried egg, and optional hot sauce.
19 of 27

Brunswick Stew With Potatoes, Corn, and Lima Beans

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

While every Southern family has its own version of Brunswick stew, most include a tomato-based broth with corn, lima beans, and potatoes. This tasty recipe uses chicken and calls for flavoring the savory broth with ground red pepper and dried oregano.
20 of 27

Spicy Black-Eyed Peas With Tomatoes and Peppers

The Spruce/Diana Rattray

Make a plant-based side dish for your holiday table by combining black-eyed peas with tomatoes, bacon, onions, celery, and a variety of fresh peppers (including spicy jalepenos). Simmer together in a Dutch oven on your stovetop, until tender and heated through.

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21 of 27

Texas Bean Bake With Ground Beef

The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

Tasty Texas-style baked beans with ground beef make a hearty barbecue side dish, or a satisfying family meal with cornbread. Brown ground beef in bacon drippings, then add to a casserole dish with three kinds of canned beans and barbecue sauce. Top with crumbled bacon, and bake until hot and bubbling.
22 of 27

Vegetarian Three Bean and Grape Salad

The Spruce / Jolinda Hackett

Add grapes to a classic three-bean salad for a light and cooling lunch or barbecue side dish. Assemble it in minutes with juicy green grapes, refreshing cucumber, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, and white cannellini beans, all tossed in a tangy honey-mustard vinaigrette.
23 of 27

Oven-Baked Refried Bean and Cheese Vegetarian Taquitos

The Spruce / Jolinda Hackett

Traditional Mexican taquitos are rolled, stuffed corn tortillas that are fried until crispy, transforming them into crunchy tubes of deliciousness. These amazing vegetarian taquitos include canned refried beans and cheddar cheese, can be baked or fried, and are always a popular appetizer at parties.
24 of 27

Sicilian Fava Bean and Fennel Soup

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Velvety, pureed fava bean soup with a unique licorice note from fennel is a rustic Sicilian dish with an Ancient Roman history. To make it, simmer beans and vegetables on the stove-top until tender, then puree until smooth. Top bowls with a drizzle of olive oil, and optional grated Parmesan cheese.

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25 of 27

Tex-Mex Meatloaf With Black Beans

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Kids will love this tasty, Tex-Mex meatloaf that boosts the usual ground beef filling with a generous helping of black beans, mouth-watering spices, and shredded Mexican cheeses. Make it for family dinners, slice for sandwiches, or bake it in muffin tins for cute mini-meatloaves.
26 of 27

Turkish Navy Bean Salad

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Enjoy legumes for lunch, with this Turkish-style recipe that seasons navy beans with vinegar, and combines them with chopped fresh vegetables and parsley. Garnish with optional black olives, sliced hard-boiled egg, and lemon wedges.
27 of 27

Molasses Baked Beans With Salt Pork

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Rustle up a pot of molasses baked beans for serving with burgers and hot dogs. Soak beans overnight, before combining in a baking dish with molasses, mustard, brown sugar, salt pork, and some of the bean soaking liquid. Leave to cook low and slow for several hours, then enjoy.

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