It seems like chickpeas get all the love as a pantry powerhouse, but the reality is, black beans can be just as versatile—not to mention as affordable and nutritious too.
These little legumes might not get as much acclaim on social media, but they’re equally deserving of a spot in your cabinet. Just like chickpeas, black beans bring a neutral flavor that melds with a whole lot of ingredients and a strong nutritional profile rich in things like fiber and protein. And thanks to their darker hue, they contain an abundance of anthocyanins, a type of antioxidant that may have some anti-inflammatory properties, Cara Harbstreet, MS, RD, of Street Smart Nutrition, tells SELF.
But if you’re hard-pressed to think up ways to cook with them that go beyond chili, you might shy away from including them in your regular rotation. You don’t have to! If you’re stumped on how to use a can of black beans, these 12 expert-approved tips will help you turn them into everything from soup to salads and even sweets.
1. Crack open a can for breakfast.
Adding beans in general to your a.m. routine is an easy, plant-based way to get a little more fiber and protein into your morning. And black beans in particular are an exceptionally good addition to breakfast classics like avocado toast, Mumtaz Mustafa, co-author of the forthcoming cookbook Gather and Graze: Globally Inspired Small Bites and Gorgeous Tablescapes for Every Occasion, tells SELF.
She likes to make a black bean purée, smear it on toast, and then top it with the rest of her fixings (avocado, queso fresco, and cilantro in this case), but you could also just as easily smash the beans directly into avocado for a guac-like spread for bread.
2. Stuff them into other foods.
Petite and compact, black beans were practically invented to be stuffed into other things, Harbstreet says. That could be in anything from quesadillas to burritos or something a little more unique—like her favorite, inside of a baked sweet potato.
She’s a big fan of that combo because the earthiness in both ingredients complements each other well. Before putting it all together, she’ll dress up the black beans Tex-Mex style—adding ingredients like canned chipotle chilis in adobo, corn, red onions, cilantro, and sour cream—but you could try a sweet and savory version with maple syrup, roasted zucchini, and cumin. For extra protein, you can mix in some shredded rotisserie chicken.
3. Whip up a creamy, hummus-like dip.
Chickpeas definitely aren’t the only bean you can puree into a silky dip or spread like hummus. Black beans are right at home in these recipes too—and they add a lustrous, royal purple hue to boot. Tahini is the key feature of hummus, so as long as you use that in your black bean mix, it’ll still have essentially the same taste and texture as what you already know, Harbstreet says.
Or you can skip the tahini and let the black beans shine on their own in a totally different dip, Roya Shariat, Brooklyn-based writer, home cook, and coauthor of the forthcoming cookbook Maman and Me: Recipes from Our Iranian American Family, tells SELF. The one she makes includes olive oil, a bit of butter, and a pinch of veggie bouillon, and she loves it so much it’s become way more than just something to dunk chips into. “I’ll use it as a spread in sandwiches, burritos, and tacos or even make an open-faced toast with it,” she says.
4. Test out a different kind of homemade veggie burger.
Black beans are a natural fit for from-scratch veggie burgers because they make for thick, easy-to-form patties that take on an ideal crispy texture when baked or air-fried, Harbstreet says. If you find your patties start to fall apart (one drawback of plant-based stuff versus regular beef), just add eggs: Combine one or two with your patty mix before molding, and they’ll make sure everything sticks together from the oven to the plate. Bonus: you’ll get a little more protein too!
5. Form some black bean “meatballs.”
Already a fan of black bean burgers but want to mix it up? Harbstreet swears by making mini versions that she calls black bean fritters or “meatballs” for an even crunchier treat. Thanks to the fact that they’re smaller, she says they crisp up all the way through and take less time to do it, especially when cooked in an air-fryer. And there are so many ways to eat them other than in between two buns, like putting them in a salad, on top of a rice bowl, or even solo with a sauce, she says.
6. Make a crispy soup or salad topper.
Crispy chickpeas are often touted as a great way to add texture and nutrients to salads, soups, pasta, and beyond—but you can give black beans a similar treatment and use them in more or less the same way, Harbstreet says. They won’t look quite as appetizing as their competitor, as the dark skins will split and peel back. “But the interior is still creamy and starchy, so they’re an interesting complement to salads and soups,” she adds.
While you might not succeed at getting them perfectly crispy on the stovetop or in your oven—because they’re so small they get mushy before crunchy if not cooked at a very high heat—an air fryer should deliver the results you’re looking for, Laura Klynstra, co-author of the forthcoming cookbook Gather and Graze: Globally Inspired Small Bites and Gorgeous Tablescapes for Every Occasion, tells SELF. She’s tried all the methods—roasting, frying, and everything in between—and has found that tossing them in an air fryer produces a consistently perfect final product. Pop them in at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for five minutes and you’ll be golden.
7. Turn them into a soup in their own right.
Chili is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the soups you can make with black beans. For starters, you can keep them whole and add them to something like Ash e Reshteh, a Persian noodle soup that’s normally packed with legumes like chickpeas and lentils, Shariat says. You can swap black beans for one of the other beans used or include them in addition to what’s already there. Either way, you’ll end up with a hearty, warming fiber-rich dish, she says.
Or go all-in: Mustafa recommends a soup that’s pure black beans, like the Cuban classic sopa de frijoles negros. To make it creamier while still maintaining some of the beans al dente, purée half and leave the other half whole. That way you get the best of both worlds.
8. Whip up an unforgettable salad.
Beans in salad is always a win (the extra fiber and protein packs some much-needed heartiness), and black beans are no exception. You’re probably most familiar with eating them in cowboy caviar—black beans with corn, chopped tomatoes, and avocado—which is a backyard BBQ favorite and tasty whether eaten by the forkful or scooped with tortilla chips, Harbstreet says. “But that’s just the starting point, as you can use black beans alone or in combination with other beans for mixed salads,” she says.
For instance, Shariat is a big fan of adding a scoop or two of black beans straight from the can to both hardy and light salad options alike. That could look like serving a roasted-root-vegetable salad with carrots and beets atop a bed of legumes or stirring them into a mix of chopped romaine lettuce with hearts of palm and avocado. “You could add tortilla chips for some crunch or edamame for even more protein,” she adds.
9. Try refried beans with black beans instead of pinto.
Classic Mexican refried beans are made with pinto beans, but you can use black beans for something similar and just as tasty, Mustafa says. While the color will be different, you can use them in all the same ways you would eat the traditional version—whether that’s as a side to a larger main dish or as a dip with chips.
10. Keep them on hand for speedy skillet dinners.
If you’re not sure what to eat for dinner, but you have a can of black beans and a skillet on hand, a quick and satisfying meal is never far away, Harbstreet says. Because the legume has such a neutral taste, it’s a natural pairing for an array of flavor profiles and can be combined with just about anything and turn out great.
That includes leftovers she doesn’t know what to do with, whether that’s a pot of rice or the remains of roasted veggies like onion and zucchini, and even protein sources like ground beef and shredded chicken. Just add whichever spices you prefer and dinner is served—Harbstreet loves using premade taco and enchilada spice mixes, for example. Not only does doing this help her cut down on food waste, but she also never gets bored because the “recipe” is constantly changing.
11. Mix them into chocolate treats.
Adding black beans to brownies to make them more protein- and fiber-rich has been an internet favorite for quite some time, but the legume actually works wonders in a whole host of chocolate-based treats, from whoopie pies to cupcakes, Klynstra says.
We had to ask: No, you won’t really notice the black beans in these desserts, since the chocolate’s rich flavor overpowers anything else, Klynstra says. Just make sure you prep them the right way. “If you want to keep this ingredient secret, I recommend processing or blending the beans until the skins have virtually disappeared,” she says.
12. Or go all out on a black-bean forward dessert.
If you’d prefer to let black beans shine—even in desserts—Harbstreet says you still have some ways to make them sweet without masking their taste or texture. Chè Đậu Đen—a Vietnamese chilled treat consisting of black beans served with coconut milk, crushed ice, and optional toppings like jelly or boba—is one that she particularly enjoys. And there are a number of other Asian-inspired desserts that use a sweetened black bean paste baked into steamed buns, she adds, so you’ll have many an option on hand if you want to go the sweet route with your canned stuff.
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