Canned beans are a cheap and healthy food sitting in almost every kitchen pantry. We reached out to five top chefs to find out how they turn this basic ingredient into amazing meals. Their creative recipes will definitely change the way you look at a simple can of beans forever.
The Ultimate Cheat Code Ingredient
You know how you look in the pantry and think you have nothing to eat but there are like four cans of beans staring back at you. Well it turns out with the right little tricks you can take that boring can and make it taste like something you would actually pay for at a restaurant.
Pati Jinich Does a Fresh Pantry Salad
Chef Pati says we all get Mexican food twisted thinking it is always super heavy and covered in cheese. She takes black beans and garbanzo beans and mixes them with corn and peppers before hitting it with this crazy fresh cilantro vinaigrette that just wakes everything up.
Erick Williams Warms It Up
Chef Erick is out in Chicago so he knows all about those freezing Midwest winters where you just need something hearty. He takes regular cannellini beans and simmers them with chicken broth and veggies then throws in some fennel seeds and Aleppo chili pepper for that sneaky background heat.
Tim Hontzas Brings the Greek Comfort
This one blew my mind because Chef Tim takes garbanzo beans and spinach and completely transforms them. He cooks the shallots down until they are caramelized and uses a heavy hand with the olive oil which he says is where all the real flavor lives.
The Secret Is in the Citrus
The craziest part about Chef Tim’s dish is that he hits it with fresh lemon juice right at the end. That little pop of citrus mixed with Greek seasoning completely changes the whole vibe and cuts through all that rich olive oil perfectly.
Helene Henderson Blurs the Lines
Chef Helene is out in Malibu mixing things up by tossing white beans with fresh arugula and shaved celery. The absolute game changer here is her dressing which uses yellow miso paste and honey to give those basic beans an insane sweet and savory flavor combo.
Katsuji Tanabe Flexes on a Childhood Favorite
Chef Katsuji takes canned refried beans and turns them into something called enfrijoladas which is basically the cousin to enchiladas. He blends the beans up with jalapeno and shallots until it becomes this super smooth rich sauce that you pour all over crispy chicken tortillas.
The Secret Umami Ingredient
The real magic trick Chef Katsuji uses is adding dashi powder straight into the bean sauce while it simmers. Dashi is normally used in Japanese cooking but he says it adds this massive umami flavor that makes the beans taste like they cooked all day long.
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