I’m sure you’ve read about my love for dried white beans. But I hold plenty of room in my heart for the canned variety, too. They’re my secret weapon on nights when dinner time catches up with me before I catch my breath from the day. Give me one 15-ounce can of Navy Beans, Great Northern, or Cannellini plus a few other pantry items, and I can make something out of nothing in a matter of minutes.
All of these preparations will serve you in the goal of getting dinner on the table ASAP, when you’re cooking on a time limit and relying on your pantry to pull things together. They’re also designed to add flavor, complexity, and work with the starchy, mush-prone texture that canned beans sometimes have, by nature of how they’re stored.
To get started, drain a 15 ounce can of any white bean (or not! Choose any bean you like!), rinse off that bubbly, starchy liquid with cool water, and pat dry. Then proceed with one of the following:
Five Ways to Jazz Up Canned Beans
- Easy salad: Toss with arugula, any raw/jarred/canned veg you have around (artichokes? pickled fennel?), and a quick vinaigrette.
- Quick side: Warm olive oil in a pan over low-medium heat. Add two cloves of garlic, minced or grated on a microplane, and saute until fragrant (about a minute). Add beans, season with salt and pepper, and saute gently until warmed through. Finish with a big squeeze of lemon. Adjust seasoning as needed.
- Wintery side: Warm olive oil in a pan over low-medium heat. Add two cloves of garlic, minced or grated on a microplane, and saute until fragrant (about a minute). Add beans and three sprigs of fresh thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Saute gently until warmed through. Finish with a big squeeze of lemon or a drizzle of red wine vinegar. Pull out thyme stems. Adjust seasoning as needed.
- Beans on toast: drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over a thick piece of crusty bread and toast. Rub toast with a garlic clove and top with any of the previous three ideas (2-4). Top with a poached egg, burrata, or a dollop of ricotta. Season with salt and pepper. Add any chopped herbs, dressing, or vinaigrette that appeals to you. Salsa verde, pesto, or chimichurri would all be great here.
- Boost your leftover pasta: Prep the beans according to idea no. 2 above. Warm a separate pan with a glug of extra virgin olive oil. Add pasta leftovers, tossing until warmed through. Add water or chicken broth to rehydrate. Add beans and toss until incorporated. Adjust seasoning as needed. Add parmesan as desired. This works especially well if you have some pasta prepped with simple tomato sauce or pesto.
