30 convenient canned bean recipes for a complete meal

When it comes to important vitamins, canned beans could be actually helpful. We’re speaking black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, and extra — if in case you have a number of cans saved in your cabinets, you should use them to help every kind of meals, from spicy beef to fast cassoulet. Learn on for a few of our favourite, comforting recipes with canned beans.

Smoked beans and greens in tomato broth

Pictures by Jennifer Causey / Meals styling by Rayshon Hanners / Prop design by Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland

This bowl stuffed with beans and greens hits the spot on an evening when time and power are low and the fridge appears to be like slightly naked. Smoked paprika add a welcome contact of smokiness, whereas the mix of tomato paste and sun-dried tomatoes delivers an fragrant broth in file time. Be happy to make use of your favourite canned or home-cooked beans.

Cabbage and white bean stew

Diana Chesteroga


Combining two Portuguese favorites—cabbage sausage soup and bean, sausage, and tomato soup—makes for a easy and thrilling meal in a single bowl. To maintain the deal with greens, we used solely a small quantity of contemporary sausage; You’ll be able to add extra, in the event you like, or substitute dried chorizo ​​or pepperoni.

Rajma (curry bean) tacos

Pictures by Rachel Vanni / Meals styling by Judy Hubert

This creamy, spicy vegetarian bean curry is normally served over rice with roti or naan, but it surely additionally makes a surprisingly scrumptious filling for corn tortillas. You’ll be able to assemble the tacos earlier than serving, or create an enormous taco bowl with rajma, toasted tortillas, and all of the toppings, and let your visitors create their very own dish to their liking.

Chickpeas and kale in spicy pomodoro sauce

Pictures by Greg Dupree / Meals styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop design by Tom Driver

This recipe from Chef Missy Robbins of Brooklyn restaurant Lilia was named one in every of Meals & Wine’s Finest Recipes of 2018. Right here, Robbins swaps a bunch of cabbage and chickpeas for pasta on this spicy pomodoro dish. End the dish with a sprinkling of contemporary herbs and salty pecorino cheese.

Scrumptious white beans and greens on toast

Victor Protasio / Meals styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop design by Christina Dali


This mixture of canned cannellini and cranberry beans cooked with spinach, jalapeño, cumin, and citrus is a fast, comforting dinner.

Minestrone spring with shredded egg pasta

Victor Protasio / Meals styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop design by Claire Spolin


The various elements on this bountiful spring vegetable soup give it a deep, satisfying taste. The Parmigiano-Reggiano rind and vegetable umami contribute a savory, salty richness, whereas the curly spinach leaves preserve a contemporary, veggie style you may’t get from child spinach.

Mushroom and chickpea pozole

Caitlin Bensel

This fast, veggie-packed model of pozole ready by superstar chef Marcela Valladolid options child portobello and shiitake mushrooms. Canned chickpeas are used as a substitute of dried hominy.

Basic beef chili

Caitlin Bensel


This chili recipe makes use of two various kinds of canned beans – darkish crimson kidney and black kidney beans (be sure you drain and rinse them). A hearty batch is prepared in just below an hour.

Fried white beans with boiled eggs

Greg Dupree / Meals styling by Richaun Hanners / Prop design by Claire Spolin


Caramelized shallots and daring Fresno chiles add massive taste whereas thyme and contemporary mint present freshness and lemon juice brightens an in any other case heavier dish. Serve refried white beans topped with a hard-boiled egg and you will have a really satisfying breakfast, or serve them with out the eggs for a comforting aspect dish.

Cacio e pepe broccolini with crispy white beans and burrata

Victor Protasius

This dish captures the wealthy, elegant and easy flavors of basic Italian pasta and enhances them with charred broccolini and crunchy, creamy and sautéed white beans. No burrata? Recent mozzarella cheese will work right here too.

White bean and pork soup

Diana Chesteroga


When former F&W editor Grace Parisi was rising up, her mom would make white bean and escarole soup each Friday. To show the soup right into a foremost course, Parisi replaces the pork and seasoned croutons with greens.

Rooster and sausage lazy cassoulet

Allison Micksh

You need to use canned or home-cooked white beans on this fast model of cassoulet, a hearty French casserole of beans, numerous meats, sausages, and poultry.

Marinated chickpea salad with radishes, cucumbers and queso de frier

Farah Sakiki

This fast chickpea salad from pastry chef Paula Velez is full of greens and tossed with a easy, scrumptious dressing of garlic, lemon, and cumin. Crispy, melty slices of fried queso de freir — a favourite cheese from Feliz’s childhood — take the dish excessive. The salad prepares in half-hour, making it excellent for busy nights.

Gina Might Baked Beans

Pictures by Caitlin Pencil / Meals styling by Margaret Munro Dickey / Prop design by Lydia Purcell

For this excellent aspect of summer time, researcher Regina Bradley garnishes store-bought barbecue sauce and canned baked beans with further brown sugar; Apple cider vinegar cuts the sweetness of the smoke.

Black bean tlaquiyos

Victor Protasius

These tlacoyo are full of seasoned black beans and topped with nopales, cheese, cilantro, salsa, and chopped onions. No nopales readily available? No thanks crucial.

Crispy cheese burritos with chorizo ​​and eggs

Pictures by Victor Protasio / Meals styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop design by Prissy Lee

When Richard Chang was the chef and proprietor of the Tacos La Tehuanita truck in Los Angeles, he wowed crowds together with his burnt cheese wrap taco, made with cheese grilled till crispy and wrapped round numerous fillings. This model combines chorizo-studded black beans and scrambled eggs with creamy avocado for added richness.

Black bacon slices with beans and spinach

Victor Protasius

Cannellini beans are simmered with hen broth, shallots, and spinach for a flavorful aspect to accompany pork chops.

Steak Bomb Rice and Beans

© Frederica Stearni

Chef Jamie Bissonnette of Toro in Boston describes the steak bomb as a sub sandwich filled with a flavorful mixture of shredded beef, onions, peppers and cheese: “It is New England’s reply to the Philly cheesesteak.” He upgrades this pizza parlor staple by simmering thick slices of beef with black beans and contemporary tomatoes to serve over rice.

Mustard Salmon with Cannellini Bean Ragu

© Kon Paulus

The cannellini beans should not cooked very lengthy on this recipe, however they’ve a wealthy, rustic taste as they’re simmered with prosciutto and escarole.

Boiled once more

Jane Causey

This scrumptious and comforting Tuscan soup is seasoned with sofrito cooked in peppery olive oil. Rustic earthy bread. Small white beans with skinny skins.

Bean soup

Justin Chappell

Spicy, satisfying and really comforting, this bean soup will get a pleasant kick from crushed crimson pepper and brightness from slightly mustard.

Cavatappi with chorizo ​​and black beans

© Chas Plummer. Meals styling by Alison Attenborough.

The total, earthy Tex-Mex flavors of chorizo, black beans, and chili mix completely, if considerably unexpectedly, with the spiral-shaped pasta.

Mashed cucumber salad with bean butter and tarragon

Jennifer Causey

Gently crushing the cucumber for this salad releases its aroma and creates nooks and crannies for the dressing to soak up. They nonetheless retain numerous crunch, which is a superb distinction to the wealthy, creamy butter beans.

Skirt steak with pinto beans and pasilla chile sauce

© Christina Holmes

As a substitute of serving a young steak with gravy, Chef Hugh Acheson prepares a scrumptious French dressing with spicy pasilla and provides it to pinto beans as a significantly scrumptious accompaniment to the meat.

Beans and bacon on buttered toast

© Christina Holmes

This scrumptious fork and knife dish from Chef Hugh Acheson, that includes navy beans, is ideal for a fast and simple dinner for 2.

Vegetarian enchiladas with cheese and beans

© Molly Yeh

Bell peppers and two kinds of beans are the celebrities of this meat-free meal. They’re held along with melted Monterey Jack cheese.

Heat spinach salad with cannellini beans and shrimp

© Antonis Achilleos

The mixture of candy shrimp and meaty child cannellini beans right here transforms a easy heat spinach salad.

Tuna and white bean salad

© Sarah Paula

This straightforward salad has lower than 10 elements, with canned white beans (ideally cannellini) and canned tuna as the celebrities.

White Bean Huevos Rancheros

© John Kernick

Chef Neil Fraser’s huevos rancheros use boiled entire white beans. Right here, the beans are mashed with pork to type the bottom of the dish, then piled excessive with cornflakes, a fried egg and queso earlier than grilling. Heat tomato sauce tops the whole lot.

Gratin of roasted shallots and white beans

© Snow Roy

Leeks, canned cannellini beans, garlic, hen inventory, and Gruyère cheese come collectively on this comforting gratin. You probably have leftovers, you may mash them and serve them as a dip or unfold for toast.