Improve canned beans with these easy bean recipes

Canned beans are one of the easiest pantry items you can bulk buy and store, while being a super affordable source of protein. According to HuffPost, while it is true that dried beans are even cheaper than canned beans, they need many hours to be soaked and even longer to be cooked.

Therefore, canned beans offer a great alternative by saving you time, energy and effort while being healthy. As per Healthline, canned beans are an excellent source of fibre, protein as well as folate and potassium. On the flip side, one downside of canned beans is that they might contain too much sodium or salt. So do keep that in mind before adding them to your daily diet.

Here are some easy ways to elevate canned beans:

Hummus

While chickpeas are usually used to make hummus, white beans are also a great way to get the same texture and flavour as the original recipe. Hummus is perfect for eating with pita bread or even as a salad dressing, or even in a sandwich.

New York Times's white bean hummus adds coriander and lemon juice to make a deliciously tangy and herby white bean hummus.

Bean salad

Beans are a great addition to any salad. Just add whatever kind of canned beans you have to any kind of salad and you will see how it instantly blends with whatever the flavour at hand might be. They can also be used in lieu of chicken or eggs in salads if you want to eat plant-based.

Add some fresh herbs and one of these easy 3-ingredient salad dressings and enjoy your fibre and protein-rich salad. Beans are especially delicious in vegan pasta salads.

Bean chilli

Bean chilli, whether vegan or with meat, is the ultimate comfort food for the colder months of the year. Of course, there are many among us who love to eat it all year round. Canned beans make it very easy to whip up a wholesome bowl of bean chilli at home. Adding some tomatoes, spices and herbs can transform the humble canned chilli into a delicious meal that would have people asking for more.

This recipe for vegetarian bean chilli by Jamie Oliver can be cooked in under 1 hour and can be adapted to suit your dietary needs.

Read more:

⋙ Here are 5 ways to easily replace butter in your recipes

⋙ Tasty pasta recipe: Try Gordon Ramsay's 15-minute tagliatelle recipe

⋙ Fun watermelon recipes you should be trying this summer