It’s true that cooking dried beans may not sound that appealing—they can’t compete with canned when it comes to convenience. But for recipes where beans take centre stage, dried are well worth the extra time and effort. By adding your own seasonings from the start to the Pizza Beans, you can impart big flavor and control the salt levels. (Canned beans contain added salt, which you can partially remove by draining and rinsing them, but it’s worth keeping in mind if you are looking to reduce your sodium intake.)

Dried beans lend themselves well to batch cooking, since it’s easy to cook up a large quantity at once, and you can freeze them after cooking to add to future meals. They also yield a cheaper cost per serving than canned. Another benefit to dried is texture: Dried beans maintain their shape better during cooking, while remaining soft and creamy on the inside, whereas canned beans tend to turn mushy and break down.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS
1 lb (454 g) large lima, butter or gigantes beans soaked in cold water for 4-8 hours, or overnight in fridge
¼ cup olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ tsp fennel seed
½ tsp chili flakes, plus more for topping
4 cups water
1½ tsp kosher salt
2 dried bay leaves
1 sprig fresh oregano
1 can whole, peeled San Marzano tomatoes, liquid drained
A handful of cheese for topping (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook until translucent and beginning to brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, fennel and chili flakes and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Add drained beans, 4 cups of water, salt and bay leaves. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook, keeping at a gentle simmer until beans are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Add tomatoes, breaking up with your hands, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until liquid is thickened, tomatoes begin to break down and beans are very tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Season with more salt, if needed.

Serve beans topped with your favourite cheese, fresh oregano or basil leaves, some crusty bread and a drizzle of olive oil.

TIP
You can substitute two 15-ounce cans of lima or cannellini beans for dried. After you cook the garlic, fennel and chili flakes in Step 1, add the canned beans and move directly to Step 2.

Red Beans and Rice: So thick, so creamy and so flavorful! The beans are cooked just right – perfectly tender, served with rice and smoky andouille sausage.

Serves 6-8

damndelicious.net

INGREDIENTS
1 cup basmati rice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 12.8-ounce package smoked andouille sausage, thinly sliced
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ teaspoons Cajun seasoning, salt-free
3 15-ounce cans red beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

INSTRUCTIONS
In a large saucepan of 2 cups water, cook rice according to package instructions; set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Working in batches, add sausage, and cook, stirring frequently, until sausage is lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes; set aside.

Add onion, bell pepper and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste, garlic and Cajun seasoning until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in red beans, chicken stock, hot sauce, bay leaf and sausage; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover; continue to simmer until reduced, an additional 15 minutes.

Using a wooden spoon, mash beans until slightly thickened, if desired; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve immediately, topped with rice and garnished with parsley, if desired.

These Spanish Butter Beans with Tuna are filled with flavors, made with simple heart-healthy ingredients and all done in just 30 minutes. Serve this dish next to a crunchy baguette and a bottle of Spanish wine for a nutritious and fulfilling meal.

Serves 4

spainonafork.com

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin 
3 tomatoes
2 cans butter beans 15.5 oz each
2 cups vegetable broth 
2 cans tuna in olive oil 5 oz each
1 bay leaf
pinch sea salt
dash black pepper
handful fresh parsley

INSTRUCTIONS
Finely chop the onion, roughly chop the garlic and finely grate the tomatoes

Heat a large fry pan with a medium heat and add in the olive oil

After a couple of minutes add in the onion and garlic, mix continuously, after 3 to 4 minutes and the onion is translucent, add in the paprika and cumin, quickly mix together, then add in the grated tomato and season with sea salt & black pepper, mix together and simmer

Once the grated tomato has slightly thickened, about 3 minutes, add in the canned butter beans (drained & rinsed), the vegetable broth and the bay leaf, rasie to a high heat, when it comes to a boil place a lid on the pan and lower to a low-medium heat

Meanwhile, drain the cans of tuna into a sieve with a bowl underneath and gently shake the sieve to remove any excess oil

After simmering the beans for 10 minutes, remove from the heat, add in the drained tuna and gently mix together

Transfer into shallow bowls and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley

This Mediterranean-inspired Moroccan Bean Soup is a quick-fix but hardy meatless soup filled with beautiful, fragrant flavors. It’s a healthy one-pot meal, cooked in 20 minutes, that can be served with poached eggs or even chicken, lamb, or beef for additional protein.

Serves 4

31daily.com

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground cinnamon
4 to 5 cups water
15-ounce can tomatoes, diced
½ cup dried green lentils
15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
2 (15-ounce) cans butter or cannellini beans or Fava beans
Fresh cilantro or parsley to garnish

INSTRUCTIONS
Heat oil in a large saucepan or medium-sized Dutch oven. Sauté the onion, carrots, and celery until tender. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, and ginger; stir and cook for a few seconds or until fragrant. Then stir the water, tomatoes, dry lentils, chickpeas, and fava beans (or bean of choice). Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook for about 20 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked through. Add additional water if necessary.

To make it a heartier meal, serve with poached eggs on top or with added cooked chicken, beef, or lamb. Top with fresh cilantro or parsley.

spainonafork.com

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion
4 cloves garlic
1 carrot
1 celery stick
1 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes
15.5 oz canned white beans
15.5 oz canned red kidney beans
15.5 oz canned pinto beans
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup long grain rice
handful fresh parsley
pinch sea salt
dash black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Add 2 cups (475 ml) cold water into a sauce pan, season generously with sea salt and heat with a high heat

Meanwhile, add 1 cup long grain rice into a sieve and rinse under cold running water, until the water runs clear underneath, roughly chop the onion, carrot & garlic and thinly slice the celery stick

Once the water comes to a boil, add in the rice, give it a quick mix, place a lid on the pan and lower to a low heat

At the same time, heat a stock pot with a medium heat and add in a generous 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

After 1 minute add in the chopped vegetables, mix with the olive oil, after 3 minutes and the veggies are lightly sauteed, add in 1 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika and 1 tsp dried thyme, quickly mix together, then add in the canned diced tomatoes and season with sea salt & black pepper, mix together and simmer

Meanwhile, add the canned beans into a colander and rinse under cold water

Once the juices from the canned diced tomatoes have thickened up, about 3 minutes, add in the drained beans and 2 1/2 cups of vegetable broth, raise the heat to a high heat and bring to a boil, then place a lid on the stock pot and lower to a low heat

After simmering the rice for 15 minutes (check package instructions on the rice you are using) and all the water has been absorbed by the rice, remove the sauce pan from the heat, using a fork gently fluff the rice and then set aside

After simmering the bean stew for 18 to 20 minutes and the stew has thickened, remove from heat

Transfer some of the bean stew into a shallow bowl, add some of the rice over the stew and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley

Add sausage

Serves 2-4