RYAN LIEBE
Recipes

26 Ways to Eat More Beans

Because they’re chock full of protein, endlessly versatile, and most importantly: delicious

By SAVEUR Editors


Published on January 21, 2016

Slow-cook them with ham for a hearty stew or simply throw a handful on toast with broccoli rabe—beans can transform anything from a cold salad to a chunky soup to nachos. Here are our 26 favorite ways to eat black beans, white beans, kidney beans, fava beans—basically any legume except for chickpeas and lentils, which have cooking methods all their own.

Pasta e Fagioli
Pasta e Fagioli

This version of the soup bean and pasta dish reverses the order of its stars turning it into a pasta dish laden with creamy beans and a creamy sauce. Get the recipe for Pasta e Fagioli »

Dominique Ansel's Cassoulet
Dominique Ansel's Cassoulet

Made with confit duck legs, pork belly, and two kinds of sausage, this meaty, resplendently rich cassoulet is worth treasuring all winter. Get the recipe for Dominique Ansel’s Cassoulet »

Lima Bean Gratin with Herbed Bread Crumbs

These are savory baked beans, but they have no Boston sweetness. Think of this gratin as a meatless cassoulet meant to accompany a roast or salad.

Refried Black Beans
Refried Black Beans

This easy 4-ingredient side dish practically takes care of itself.

Cannellini Bean Salad with Radicchio and Celery
Cannellini Bean Salad with Radicchio and Celery

Cannellini Bean Salad with Radicchio and Cele

White Bean Soup with Fennel Seeds and Broccoli Rabe
Barbecued Baked Beans
Barbecued Baked Beans

These classic baked beans are a barbecue side-dish staple.

Fatback and Heirloom Bean Soup
Fatback and Heirloom Bean Soup

You can serve this soup the day you prepare it, but after an overnight rest on the refrigerator, the beans will have absorbed some of the broth and the soup will have a deeper flavor. Get the recipe for Fatback and Heirloom Bean Soup »

Bread Crumb Dumplings and Bean Stew with Parsley-Speck Pesto
Bread Crumb Dumplings and Bean Stew with Parsley-Speck Pesto

In Emilia-Romagna, chef Carla Rebecchi taught Jenn Louis to make this borlotti bean stew with shell-like gnocchi called pisarei. A fresh herb sauce laced with speck tops it off. Get the recipe for Bread Crumb Dumplings and Bean Stew with Parsley-Speck Pesto »

Tuscan Bean Soup

Author Nancy Harmon Jenkins uses olive oil three ways in this version of the venerable Italian soup: for sautéing garlic, rubbing on the toasts that accompany the dish, and finishing the soup.

Broccoli Rabe, Cannellini Bean, and Ricotta Crostini
Broccoli Rabe, Cannellini Bean, and Ricotta Crostini

Broccoli Rabe, Cannellini Bean, and Ricotta Crostini

Navy Bean Pie
Navy Bean Pie

The silky, custardlike base of this autumnal pie is made from sweetened navy bean purée spiced with nutmeg, vanilla, and cinnamon. Get the recipe for Navy Bean Pie »

Frijolles de Olla (Stewed "Pot" Beans)
Frijolles de Olla (Stewed "Pot" Beans)

These stewed pinto beans can be eaten with tortillas for a light meal, or as a side dish for many roasted or grilled meats.

Ham and White Bean Soup
Ham and White Bean Soup

Finely ground ham infuses this simple soup with smoky richness.

Sausage with Broccoli Rabe and Cranberry Beans
Sausage with Broccoli Rabe and Cranberry Beans

In autumn, markets in Italy begin to fill with such staple winter vegetables as broccoli rabe. This pungent, bitter flower is not broccoli at all but comes from a variety of turnip.

New England-Style Baked Beans
New England-Style Baked Beans

Flavored with molasses, maple syrup, and rum, the classic New England bean dish is simple to prepare; all it takes is time. Serve it with hearty brown bread to mop up its flavorful sauce.

White Bean and Sardine Stew
White Bean and Sardine Stew

With their delicate tenderness, canned sardines are ideal for this robust Mediterranean stew.

Coconut Rice and Red Beans
Coconut Rice and Red Beans

If you prefer, you can use canned red kidney beans in this satisfying side dish, served alongside Braised Oxtail with Butter Beans. Simply skip the first step and rinse one 15-oz. can of beans before adding them to the pan in step two.

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