20 Delicious Dinners That Start with Canned Beans

If you ask me, canned beans are one of the very best staples to keep stocked in the pantry. They’re my ultimate convenience food. Not only do these inexpensive cans keep for a long time, but they’re quick cooking, can often be used interchangeably, and transformed into so many easy and delicious meals. From filling bowls of pasta to quick-cooking soups and chili, protein-packed tacos, and of course hearty veggie burgers, here are 20 ways to turn a can of beans into dinner tonight.

Beans are the foundation of many vegetarian burgers for good reason, since they can add moisture and act as a binder to hold the other ingredients together. Just blend canned beans with some onion and seasonings for an easy meatless burger. Frozen bean patties also freeze really well!

• Easy 5-Ingredient Black Bean Veggie Burgers
• Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers
• Beef-Free Bean Burger
• Green Curry Veggie Burgers with Black Beans & Walnuts

As much as I love pasta, I’m trying to eat more vegetables and proteins instead. My favorite dinner lately is to only cook half a pound of a pasta but add in a can of beans to the sauce to take the place of the other half pound of pasta. The beans add a nice creamy texture and still add enough bulk to make the finished dish of pasta really satisfying.

• One-Pot Tomato Chickpeas and Orzo
• Cold Noodles with Salsa Verde and White Beans
• Creamy One-Pot Butternut Squash Pasta with White Beans and Kale
• Rapini With Orecchiette And White Beans

While of course stews and chilis made from dried beans have unparalleled flavor and texture, it’s still possible to make a delicious version from canned beans on a weeknight. Vegetarian chilis are great with canned beans since they don’t need to cook for very long and you don’t risk the beans turning too mushy. Canned beans also work well in quick-cooking chicken stews.

• Chicken Stew with Kale and Cannellini Beans
• Vegetarian Black Bean Espresso Chili
• Pumpkin Chili
• Chicken Tagine with Apricots, Almonds & Chickpeas

Bulk up any soup with a can of beans, or cook it with some broth and vegetables and blend into a smooth and satisfying dinner. Make a big batch so you can bring the leftovers for a healthy lunch or freeze for a convenient future dinner.

• Easy Cabbage & White Bean Soup
• Mediterranean White Bean Soup
• White Bean and Roasted Squash Soup with Pistou
• Quick and Easy Black Bean Soup

Beans are tortillas are a classic combination and there are endless ways to eat them together. Mash and stuff them into tortillas, then either pan fry them into crunchy tacos or roll them into burritos. You can also simmer beans, salsa, and tortilla chips together into Mexican chilaquiles — it’s a bit like tortilla soup meets nachos!

• Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos
• Chickpea and Cheddar Quesadillas
• Bean Chilaquiles with Avocado & Queso Fresco
• Crunchy Black Bean Tacos