15 Quick Meals That Start With a Can of Black Beans

By Vanessa Greaves

March 16, 2020

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Credit: Cristi

That humble can of black beans stashed away in your pantry is a great meal waiting to happen. For one thing, you don't have to take the time to soak and cook the beans before you even get started in on adding all the flavorings. And those shiny little beans pack a powerhouse of nutrition: Besides being an inexpensive source of high-quality protein and fiber, they're loaded with potassium, iron, folic acid, magnesium, and antioxidants. Here are 15 quick and easy meals you can make with canned black beans.

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Black Bean and Salsa Soup

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Ready in 20 minutes. You'll need only 6 ingredients to make this top-rated soup. "This is a fantastic recipe! Now I know why there are so many glowing reviews. Upon other reviewers' suggestions, I saved one cup of beans to add whole." —BANSREEPARIKH

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Mexican Pasta

Credit: Tonya Milam

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Ready in 20 minutes. "Everyone loved this recipe! I doubled everything except the beans. I used Rotel in place of plain stewed tomatoes. It had just the right amount of zing!" raves April T. Jones

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Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas

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Ready in 40 minutes (or less). "Cooking in the oven helps when you want to have them all done at once instead of one at a time. Baked at 350 for 10 minutes, then broiled the tops until browned." —SPRING1ONU

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Black Bean Huevos Rancheros

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Ready in 50 minutes (or less). Get this breakfast-for-dinner on the table faster by using store-bought salsa instead of homemade. "This was great," says George. "I used pre-made fresh salsa to cut down time. My only other changes were using 2 eggs/plate and I topped each dish with 1/2 sliced avocado, a dollop of sour cream, and freshly chopped cilantro."

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Black Bean Tacos

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Ready in 25 minutes. "WOW! Amazingly delicious and so easy to make. I sauteed onions and peppers for extra flavor." —brandi.wilson

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Black Bean Breakfast Bowl

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Ready in 15 minutes. "Fast and tasty," says Chocokide. "Cooked the black beans for five minutes on the stove and added in fresh cilantro. This would make a great breakfast, but I think it made an even better lunch."

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Quinoa and Black Beans

Credit: Dianne

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Ready in 50 minutes. Packed full of protein and fiber, this vegan-friendly dish is easy to make as a main dish or side dish.

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Delicious Black Bean Burritos

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Ready in 25 minutes. "This a great recipe for our family. I have made it several times. I usually have the ingredients on hand and it's easy and quick to put together. Not to mention very tasty." —Janet Clue

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Six Can Chicken Tortilla Soup

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Ready in 20 minutes. "Delicious and EASY zesty soup recipe that uses only 6 canned ingredients! Serve over tortilla chips, and top with shredded Cheddar cheese. Throw away the cans and no one will know that it is not from scratch!" —Terryn

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Homemade Black Bean Veggie Burgers

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Ready in 35 minutes. "I love these burgers," says Kelly. "Let me tell you how to keep them from falling apart, though. First, you must rinse the black beans and dry them off before mashing them. Second, you must strain the onion, garlic and pepper mixture through a fine strainer to remove any excess water. Third, if you add 50% more bread crumbs, it will hold much better. Also, I freeze mine and grill them frozen. Doing this has keep my burgers intact and my mouth happy!"

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Vegan Black Bean Soup

Credit: Michelle V

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Ready in 45 minutes. "Made this over the weekend, and my husband actually told me it is probably one of the best soups I have ever made - and we are soup people, I make a lot of soup! I kind of thought he was overreacting, but I am sitting here right now enjoying my second day of having this soup for lunch, and he is right. It is really, really good." —cookinformygang

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Black and White Pizza

Credit: Kelcie Cashel

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Ready in 30 minutes. "This recipe is one that my boyfriend and I recreated from a dish at our favorite restaurant. White chicken pizza with black beans and jalapenos. This pizza is made using already prepared ingredients which makes a fast, simple gourmet meal for two. Adjust the amount of each topping to your liking." —TIFFANYJEAN

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Vegan Bean Taco Filling

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Ready in 30 minutes. "This was very good. I served these on hard taco shells for a change of texture. I didn't have any cayenne pepper, so I added some crushed red pepper flakes instead. I also added about a cup and a half of cooked rice and about 2/3 cup of frozen corn. Terrific topped with avocado, tomato, and lettuce. It made a lot and the leftovers were great too." —LORLOR80

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Southwest-Style Egg Rolls

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Ready in 20 minutes. Try this east-meets-west appetizer featuring black beans, corn, onion, spinach, and cheese stuffed into eggroll wrappers and fried until crispy and golden. Instead of frying, you could bake them in the oven or pull give them a go in your air fryer.

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Black Bean Chili

Credit: Cristi

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Ready in 40 minutes. "This was so delicious. I used vegetable stock and a teaspoon of garlic powder. Spooned on top of quinoa and garnished with shredded Cheddar, cilantro, and tortilla chips." — Anne Marie Natal

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Beans, beans...(you know the rest)

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By Vanessa Greaves