bean recipes

20 Cheap, Delicious, and Healthy Black Bean Recipes

Jennifer Holder — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 10:36:33 +0000

Black beans are my favorite food. They’re cheap and can be used for a variety of dishes, but more importantly? They’re nutritious. They provide special support for the digestive tract (even better than lentils or chickpeas). In fact, lowered cancer risk is associated with black bean intake. They also can regulate blood sugar and improve cardiovascular health. It probably helps that the beans are usually paired with corn or spinach, as you’ll see in many of the recipes below, but black beans alone are very good for you! (See also: Make-Ahead Food: 10 Things to Cook on a Sunday)

As for canned versus dry? I usually go straight for the cans of black beans because I’m lazy and don’t like waiting 14 hours to eat, but if you’d like to make them the old fashioned way, this recipe for black beans from scratch works well. And of course, you can always cook them in a crockpot. Some people believe that made-from-scratch is better than canned, while others believe they lack flavor. It’s really up to you.

I’ve put together 20 recipes that show the versatility of black beans (OK, they are used a lot in typical Latin dishes and dips, but still). You’ll notice that cumin is your best friend for most of these recipes.

1. Chicken Tortilla Soup

One of the best soups ever, this tortilla soup is not for the faint of heart. Make sure you have lots of sour cream to go with your ancho chiles. Or at least milk.

2. Taco Pie

I grew up eating taco pie (which is basically meat on bottom, cornbread on top), but never with black beans. Once I found this taco pie recipe, I was hooked. It’s quick and lasts for a quite a few leftover lunches. Adding jalapenos to the cornbread crust makes for a nice, spicy addition.

3. Burgers

Black bean burgers are the best. I don’t always eat veggie burgers, but if I know they have black beans, I usually prefer them over beef. This recipe is a flavorful choice, including garlic and onion in the patty.

4. Quinoa Taco Salad

Oh, quinoa. The grain that I sometimes completely screw up although it’s a cinch to make (please don’t judge me!). This yummy taco salad includes peppers, spinach, feta cheese, avocados, diced tomatoes, and every spice you have in your pantry.

5. Sweet Potato Chili

As with most of the other recipes here, this black bean and sweet potato chili includes cumin as well chili powder, crushed tomatoes, peppers, salsa. The kicker here is the sweet potato, adding a, well, sweet flavor and some beta-carotene to the mix.

6. Salsa

Using all the basic ingredients of salsa, but subbing tomatoes with corn and black beans, this black bean salsa is sure to be a hit at any party or on top of some fresh tacos.

7. Dip

Using some black beans in a food processor and grated carrots, lime juice, green onions, cilantro, and garlic, this lime-spiked black bean dip is sure to turn some heads. The only letdown is you have to wait 30 minutes before serving. If you can last that long.

8. Jamaican Jerk Salmon With Mango Pineapple Salsa

The omega-3 packed salmon is perfect with Jamaican jerk seasoning for some spice and topped with a mango pineapple and black bean salsa for some sweet.

9. Chicken Enchiladas in Sour Cream Sauce

Enchiladas are a seemingly obvious choice for black beans, but the selling point here is the "sour cream sauce." (Unless you hate sour cream, then it wouldn’t be.) I personally love it, so adding butter, flour, and chicken broth sounds delicious to me. So forgo the typical enchilada sauce just once, and try this one out!

10. Refried Black Beans

Pinto beans are usually the go-to refried option, but black beans can carry more of a punch. You can opt to use dry beans or beans in a can, and with a little oomph and some time, you come out with perfect homemade refried black beans!

11. Vegan Gluten-Free Brownies

Yes, who would have thought any of those words could go together, let alone be associated with black beans? But I can attest to the yummy-ness of these black bean brownies. The most expensive part of this recipe is probably the coconut oil, but as the recipe says, this can be replaced with another oil. If you don’t particularly care if the brownies are vegan or gluten-free, but still want to use black beans, you can also try this recipe.

12. Pizza

Just so everyone is aware — I will eat anything on a pizza. I’m basically a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. So when I found this recipe for a corn and black bean pizza, I was sold. Using those two staples and some barbeque sauce, and now there’s another pizza on my list to try.

13. Croquettes

I mean, can you really go wrong with croquettes? These black bean croquettes can easily be slapped together with some typical ingredients — corn, cumin, breadcrumbs, chili powder — and baked (much healthier than fried!). Serve with salsa and a salad, and you’ve got a meal.

14. Lasagna

Good news: the pantry staple can be used for Italian food too. Add some traditional lasagna ingredients like ricotta cheese and spinach, with some spicier ingredients like black beans, cumin, cilantro, and pepper jack cheese, and you walk to the table with a new twist on an old classic.

15. Quesadillas With Goat Cheese

The particular quesadillas recipe has three of my favorite foods in it: goat cheese, black beans, and red peppers. It seems boring and perhaps obvious, but combine the three between two layers of corn tortillas and boom — taste explosion.

16. Chicken or Sardine Sandwich

The mixture of ingredients on this sandwich makes it stand out. Start with the basics: avocado, black beans, tomato, lettuce, and chicken or sardines; and then add chipotle chile and vinegar, and you’ll have a sandwich that is unbelievably tasty.

17. Zucchini and Rice Skillet

This super easy and reasonably priced recipe is perfect for a quick meal using ingredients from your pantry (or leftover veggies or cheese). Simply dice it up, fry it up, and eat it up.

18. El Pollo Loco BBQ Black Beans

This “top secret” recipe isn’t a meal, but it could certainly fill you up when combined with tacos, burritos or barbeque. This gives you the perfect chance to go a little crazy, especially if you don’t have an El Pollo Loco nearby.

19. Hummus

Hummus with black beans is one of my all time favorites. The main hummus ingredients are still there — tahini, garlic, and olive oil; basically, you’re just substituting chickpeas for black beans. Add some Sriracha (my how I love thee) and go!

20. Edamame

Edamame shouldn’t always just be covered in salt. Throw some ginger, garlic, shallots, mirin, soy, sesame oil, and chili sauce together with some orange peel and black beans, and you’ve got a scrumptious covering for some black bean orange peel edamame.

What is your favorite black bean recipe?

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This article is from Jennifer Holder of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

25+ Delicious, Healthy, and Cheap Bean Recipes

Meg Favreau — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 11:36:17 +0000

As foods go, beans are one of the healthiest, cheapest options out there. High in protein and fiber and costing just pennies per serving, beans can be dressed up or down, served along with meat or as a protein source all their own, and kept on your pantry shelf for months.

I love beans. I also know, though, that if you aren’t already a big bean fan, beans can seem pretty boring. Suggestions like “just toss them in a salad!” often aren’t all that helpful. So instead, here is a big collection of recipes that you can use beans in, from dips to main dishes and more. (See also: 25 Things to Do With Rotisserie Chicken)

Also, it's a point of contention it's better to use dry or canned beans. Personally, I use dry — they're cheaper and don't have extra sodium in them. Canned beans, however, are a great convenience. Use what works for you.

Dips and Spreads

Dips and spreads are a great way to use beans. They're also the main reason why I try to keep at least one can of beans around — if I have unexpected guests, it's easy to whip up a bowl of hummus or black bean dip from ingredients in the pantry.

1. Hummus

All right, yeah, you probably expected to see hummus on this list. But it deserves to be here. It's gosh darn good, and it's easy to make yourself. The paprika-topped hummus recipe from Zahav, one of my favorite restaurants in Philadelphia, is fantastic.

2. Hummusy Baba Ganoush

If you want a change from the normal hummus, try this baba ganoush recipe — while it isn't typical, this particular version of the eggplant dip includes chickpeas as well.

3. Balsamic Bean Dip

Chickpeas aren't the only beans that lend themselves to a good blended bean dip or spread — this balsamic bean dip uses cannellini beans and balsamic vinegar for a different twist.

4. Black Bean Dip

Oh man, looking at black bean dip recipes makes me want to go to some sort of sports-watching gathering so badly. I must confess, I have kind of an addiction to tortilla chips.

5. White Bean Spread With Garlic and Rosemary

Garlic and rosemary are two of my favorite flavors, which means I couldn't resist this white bean spread that, according to the recipe, can be refrigerated for up to two weeks.

Soups

In the winter, there isn't much that's better than a warm bowl of soup — and protein-filled beans can help make soup a complete meal.

6. Artichoke and White Bean Soup

This artichoke and white bean soup from EatingWell comes together super fast when you have canned beans and artichokes. Even though it's not your traditional brothy soup, I ate this the last time I was sick. I loved being able to throw it together so fast.

7. African Chickpea Stew

This African chickpea stew recipe is very similar to one I used to make for work lunches. With chickpeas, brown rice, sweet potatoes, and kale, it makes a warm and filling one-pot meal.

8. Quick Minestrone

If you need a fast dinner, this quick minestrone from Epicurious can help you out.

9. Black Bean Soup

I almost never think to make black bean soup — why not just make chili? — but whenever I have it, I'm reminded of how much I enjoy it. And it has a lot of great variations. There's this cumin and jalapeno black bean soup, a version topped with a fried egg, one that mixes black and white beans with sweet potatoes, and black bean soup with a generous flavoring of ham hock.

10. Ribollita

Adam at the Amateur Gourmet whips up Ribollita, a soup that combines beans and cheap veggies like cabbage and kale. He also throws in the rind from his Parmesean, which is a great way to flavor soup and use up ALL the cheese.

Main Dishes

Beans' high protein make them an ideal (and super-frugal) stand-in for meat in meals.

11. Baked Beans

My mother's baked beans are one of my favorite recipes of all time. With just a little bit of salt pork, molasses, onion, and garlic, a $1.29 bag of white beans becomes a warm, delicious, and filling main dish that can feed a family and leave leftovers. I serve these with coleslaw and either brown bread or corn bread.

12. Socca

Okay, so this chickpea pancake uses somewhat-more-expensive chickpea flour. But it's just too good not to include. Every time I cook it, I'm amazed by how so few ingredients can quickly turn into a delightful, crispy, filling dish. The recipe from Mark Bittman talks about serving it as an appetizer, but my favorite way to serve it is as a main dish, topped with a warm salad of your choice.

13. Bean Burritos

When I think of bean burritos, I think of two different kinds. The first is like this refried bean burritos recipe — it's similar to one my mom made growing up, except we didn't include rice, added onion, and replaced the salsa with diced tomatoes. The second kind uses whole beans and more ingredients, like this bean burrito recipe from Martha Stewart.

14. Catalan Sauteed Polenta and Butter Beans

You might also know butter beans by their less-popular name — lima beans. In this Spanish-inspired recipe, they're paired with polenta (which you can easily make from scratch instead of buying the prepared tube recommended).

15. Cuban Black Beans

I've also made this Cuban black beans recipe with red kidney beans. They work well served over rice as a main dish (and a side of fried plantains, if you feel like it), or as a side dish.

16. Bean Burgers

There are tons of bean burger recipes out there, based on all sorts of beans and cuisines. This black bean burger recipe is pretty straightforward, while Heidi at 101 Cookbooks recommends a burger with chickpeas.

17. Vegan Sloppy Joes

My friend Ashley over at (never home) maker offers up this uber-quick vegan sloppy joes recipe that uses canned vegetarian baked beans as a base, although you could easily substitute your own homemade beans.

18. Chickpea Tikka Masala

Go Indian with this spicy chickpea tikka masala. If you have an Indian grocery nearby, visit it to find garam masala (and other Indian spices) on the cheap. You might be floored by how much you've been paying for "exotic" spices at your local grocery store.

19. Baked Tostones With Lime Tequila Black Beans

The blog 30 Bucks a Week follows the adventures of a couple, uh...well, you can probably guess what they're doing. Personally, I love (good) tequila, so I'm pretty excited by this lime tequila black beans recipe.

20. Marinated White Beans and Beets

I'm obsessed with anything that features a vinegar tang (except normal pickles — I know, I know, don't yell), which is part of the reason why I'm entranced by this healthy bean and beet dish.

Meat Stretchers

All right, yeah, beans are a great stand-in for meat. But sometimes, you want meat too. In that case, use beans as a way to stretch costly meat with these recipes.

21. Beef Chili With Kidney Beans

Make a meaty chili serve more folks with the addition of kidney beans.

22. White Beans and Sausage

Make tasty (but not-quite-good-for-you) sausage go further by pairing it with white beans. Or, if you want more vegetables in there, here's a recipe with cannellini, Brussels sprouts, and sausage.

23. Shrimp and Black Bean Salad

Southwestern flavors blend in this shrimp and black bean salad dressed with cilantro, cumin, and lime.

Side Dishes

Recently, my boyfriend's brother was talking about the secret to feeling full on his new low-carb diet — beans. Use these side dishes to round out your meal, whether you're eating low-carb or not.

24. Refried Beans

In this refried beans recipe, the classic Mexican staple gets a perhaps surprising addition — beer.

25. Chickpea "Fries"

If you already bought chickpea flour for the Socca mentioned above (do it — that recipe is fantastic), use some more of it on these chickpea fries.

26. Collard Greens and Red Beans

A tart side dish, collard greens and red beans pair well with Southern fare.

And a Dessert

Because black bean brownies exist.

What are you favorite cheap bean recipes? Share in the comments!

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This article is from Meg Favreau of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: