Bountiful Beans!

BEANS! Healthy, nutritious, inexpensive and EASY to make!

The recipes below are BASE RECIPES to get you started. Use them “AS IS” OR “TAILOR THEM” to your personal liking. Add more or less beans or broth – swap out some of the veggies – add leftover meat or veggies. For thicker soups decrease broth and pump up the other ingredients.

TOMATO BEAN SOUP

(3) 14.5 oz. cans of chicken broth

(1) 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes (do not drain)

(2) 15.5 oz. cans of white beans such as Cannellini (white kidney beans) or Navy beans

½ cup of frozen spinach (or a handful of fresh spinach leaves)

Season with oregano, basil and black pepper to taste

Kick it up a notch with a tablespoon or more of your favorite salsa.

Optional: minced garlic

In a large saucepan combine the above ingredients and simmer on low heat until piping hot.

Pairs well with warm crusty bread. Serves: 2-3

HEARTY BEAN SOUP:

(3) 14.5 oz. Cans of chicken broth

(2) cans of beans (kidney beans, navy beans, Cannellini, black beans, pinto beans).

Note: use two cans of the SAME bean OR mix two different beans together.

(3) tablespoons or more of red salsa (mild or hot – you choose).

(6) strips of cooked bacon, crumbled OR use leftover cooked sausage sliced into rounds or leave out the meat entirely!

Half of one Onion and half of a Green and/or Red pepper diced and sauteed in butter or olive oil

Salt, black pepper.

Optional: Hot Sauce

In a large empty sauce pot, mash approx. a third of the beans with a fork. Then add all the other ingredients. Mashing some of the beans will give the soup a thicker base. Simmer until the soup is heated through and piping hot. Pairs well with crusty warm bread. Serves 2-3.

TACO or NACHO BLACK BEANS:

Black beans go great in tacos OR as a nacho topping. Here’s an idea to give basic black beans a boost.

(1) 14 oz. Can of black beans (drained)

3 or more tablespoons of salsa verde (green salsa) or your favorite red salsa

¼ cup of water

black pepper to taste

optional: add 6 or 7 oz. of canned corn

Mix the ingredients together and simmer until thoroughly heated through (add more water if needed). Use as a taco filling. For a nacho topping: put the cooked beans on top of the nachos when you put the nachos in the oven OR serve the black beans with the nachos as a side). Serves 2-3.

GOURMET NACHOS:

Spread your favorite tortilla chips on a large tray. Top liberally with shredded cheddar cheese. Add leftover shredded chicken (or rotisserie chicken). Other topping options: sliced black olives, chopped scallions. Top nachos with hot cooked black beans (see recipe above) OR serve the heated beans on the side. Bake nachos at 350 degrees in oven until cheese melts (approx. 5+ minutes). Serve with extra salsa.

Watch this site for more bean recipes!