Besides having a striking ebony color, black beans are higher in plant-based proteins than many other types of beans, making them a healthy option for vegetarians and carnivores, alike. These black bean recipes are sure to satisfy any taste, even a sweet tooth.
"Truly original and truly delicious. This is one of the most colorful salads I have ever eaten. The glistening black beans looked great against the creamy white of the couscous, offset by the brilliant red of the pepper and the dark green of the cilantro. The yellow of the corn really stands out next to the beans. I only used one can of beans and this was a huge salad. It went quickly, and it really complements the taste of grilled meat!”
-Mirj2338
"I first found this recipe on the back label of Goya Black Beans and have used it always when black beans and rice are on the menu. A very good and simple recipe.”
-jdrichardson
"Loved it. I used a can of drained diced tomatoes, but otherwise I followed the directions exactly."
-jane49423
"Great vegetarian meal! I love the sweet potato and black bean combo. It’s balanced and hearty without being too heavy. These are a delight for the senses: the spices smell great when these are cooking, the colors of the orange sweet potato and earthy black beans are wonderful to work with before they hit the food processor, but the result is a dynamite filling. I would love to try the filling in wonton skins as little dumplings!”
-rsarahl
"Best. Chili. Ever. My significant other and I simply adore this recipe; it has definitely become a staple in our house! We add corn to it, as well (about one cup), eliminate the celery, and when we are feeling really decadent we use Green and Black's Organic Dark Chocolate (70% Cacao).”
-Miseraya
“Delicious combination of flavors! Was a hit in my house.”
-Francine K.
“I tried the recipe just as it was and the family gave it rave reviews. Every time I try to cook Mexican foods, I screw it up royally, but this was wonderful.”
-Infidoll77
"Loved it! Was very surprised how many levels of flavour there were. Easy recipe to modify. Tried it with a bit of salsa in it and that was good, too. Perfect for a picnic when you are trying to be healthy!”
-j9cowie
“Good basic recipe. If you blow it and rinse and drain the beans you can mash some beans at the end of the cooking process to thicken the liquid, if you like it that way.“
-Michelle P.
“Great, easy to fix soup. I topped with both the sour cream and cheddar and it was delicious.”
-LainieBug
"Loved it! Looked more like stew until I added the tomato paste, but that transformed it. Also used a spoonful of agave nectar instead of sugar —dissolves readily and cuts the calorie count a bit. Chunks of meat were perfectly tender.”
-Walter J.
"These are the most delightful burgers — they're a snap to make, they taste great and they're even healthy!”
-So Cal Gal
“Awesome recipe! It's delicious, colorful and picnic perfect. I used my garden veggies.”
-Dianne M.
“Wow! This was fantastic! The small can of corn was 11 ounces, and I used a jalapeño pepper, queso fresco, and omitted extra salt (there’s plenty in canned vegetables and cheese), but otherwise kept to the recipe.”
-Keith R.
“This was fantastic and super easy to make. It's certainly a good base recipe that you can customize to your liking.”
-portiaperrucci
“Everyone loved this and it's so simple to make.”
-dhg215
"Yum! I have eaten almost the whole thing in two days! I added some onions, tomatoes and cilantro into the dip. Used my food processor to mash the beans. Probably will add more chipotle next time. Tastes great with Fritos!"
-StacyMD187373
"I am going to be making this all summer! I had it with some grilled chicken, and the next morning with scrambled eggs and some aged cheddar. It would also be great over a salad. The only change I made was to use canned tomatoes and only because the ones at the store didn't look so nice.”
-Pippy
“I've made this many times and I double the recipe to feed eight. I usually add kielbasa chunks or Polish sausage chunks. You could probably add any meat. My boss used to add mussels or oysters. Great winter soup.“
-Lettie M.
“Excellent — a very tasty, well-rounded soup. Didn't change anything except added a tablespoon of smoked paprika (yummo!) with the cumin and seasoned salt at the end.”
-Chef Lanibobonnie
"This is wonderful! We had it for a light summer dinner and it 'hit the spot!' The flavors blend perfectly together — a delightful mix of sweet and spicy. Looking forward to the next time!”
-Glori-B
"Terrific way to get your beans! Made this in the morning for dinner and absolutely loved it fresh and at room temperature. I thought it was far superior to the refrigerated, marinated version I served at dinnertime.”
-sugarpea
"This is a great recipe. I've made it several times and always find that it suits most palates.”
-Mimpard
"This soup is great but the Panera Black Bean soup is vegetarian, so to get the exact flavor of Panera's I suggest using only vegetable stock. Also, Panera's soup has cilantro and tomatoes in it. I added a 16-ounce container of fresh mild salsa from the produce department and pureed it with the beans, stock and veggies. Now it tastes exactly like Panera's. No need to add lemon juice or cilantro because it is in the salsa.”
-kenoqueenjanet_1258
"Tasty beans! The seasonings in these beans were perfect. I did also add some sugar, salt and pepper. I needed these thicker because I was using them as a burrito filling along with shredded chicken and yellow rice, so I did end up draining some liquid and I made myself a note to drain off most of the beans’ liquid before adding them to the pot next time.”
-bad kitty 1116
"Very good bean dip. I used one jalapeño and the juice of three limes; left out the tomato paste, water, onion and chilies. Everyone liked it."
-grenda
“!Qué rico! This recipe is delicious and a real comfort food, too, despite being comparatively healthful. I used a blender for the beans since I'm too lazy to sieve them.”
-Chiquante
This dish is considered the national dish of Brazil. It consists of black beans slowly braised with a variety of cured meats. Serve with white rice, shredded and sautéed collard greens and orange slices for a traditional meal.
“I just found out I was gluten intolerant recently and have really been craving some chocolatey pastry treat. These are without a doubt the best brownies I have ever made. Way better than anything boxed. They are not your traditional brownie consistency, more like fudge, but that's the way I like them! Make sure you use canned black beans. Organic with low sodium is the best way to go."
-lhanderson86
"So tasty! My husband loved it. The lime juice is a must and serving it with additional slices of lime is a good idea. I didn't have a jalapeño, so I added Ortega diced chiles. Will definitely make this again."
-Sandy918Mom
"I didn't have rye bread so I used multi-grain. Next time I'll use more cheese and less beans but I like all the flavors together.”
-VA3212
"Good meal for my dieting hubby. We liked it a lot; next time I'd add more chili powder and perhaps some cayenne. It was a little bland for me, but I think that was the point.”
-Demandy
"I thought these were delicious beans! I used dry beans and cooked them off during the day, then made up this recipe in the evening when I was ready.”
-mommyluvs2cook
"This soup is spicy and delicious! I didn't change anything except to add two cans of diced tomatoes (I just like lots of them!) instead of one.”
-KeyWee
"Having to cook beans from scratch (with pre-soaking), since we don't get them in cans here, has always made me think twice before making a beans dish because it takes so much longer. But this recipe was absolutely worth it!”
-Anu_N
“Very easy to throw together after work — everyone liked it. The pepper flakes were not spicy at all, so if you want more kick, add a little extra. Not a big fan of celery, but I put it in anyway — it was very subtle and gave a nice bit of texture. I'll keep it in next time. Warm and comforting and hearty — just what a soup should be!”
-kls7414
“Made as directed but added about 1/4 cup of salsa before simmering. A nice quick fix and a great side for enchiladas.”
-LonghornMama
“This was very good! Really enjoyed it! The only thing I did different was add two cans of black beans.”
-LoveGoodFood
“This was a very easy and tasty recipe. The use of one pot was especially nice. I used spicy sausage, which came out delicious!”
-rgumtow
“Delicious and easy. I cut down on spices for my kids and served with salsa on the side for those that wanted it. I, too, replaced celery with corn — great idea. Will make again. No leftovers!"
-katies_email2006
"This was wonderful! We loved it! The only thing I did differently was add shredded chicken in the soup for additional protein per my hubby's request.”
-violetsareblue
"This soup was wonderful. I wasn't sure if I would like it because I'm a definite meat eater, but I loved it and so did my husband. It is very filling. I also shared it with my brother, and his family, and they loved it too.”
-lot-n-bop
"Loved this recipe. I much prefer sweet potatoes savory rather than sweet and this recipe foots that bill. It is both hearty and refreshing. I did use cayenne instead of the hot pepper flakes so that it would evenly coat the potatoes. Also I found that my potatoes were fork tender at 15 minutes and was glad I checked because I did not want them mushy.”
-BonnieZ
“I substituted olive oil for the water in the dressing. This was a great summer meal for hot days when you don't want to add heat to the house. I used my rice maker to cook the millet. My husband commented that this was a substantial meal. He expected it not to be filling, but it was all by itself."
-Miracle Miriam
"This is extremely quick and easy and delicious. Wouldn't change a thing! I do think the bean and salsa mixture would be great on boneless chicken breasts or a salmon filet cooked the same method. I am going to try that soon.”
-Outta Here
"I'm in heaven! All my favorite flavors in one heavenly combination!”
-Bev I Am
"The whole family loved this dish! I agree that it would be better to cook the meat in some sort of seasonings for more flavor, but other than that I thought it was perfect."
-Bugeah
"Perfect! These came together so quickly and was so yummy, we decided to do the ‘cha-cha" around the house! I used my own biscuit type of dough, but other then that, stayed directly to the glorious recipe. I didn't overload the dough, as I didn't want to get anything to soggy, and they came out lovely!”
-Andi Longmeadow Farm
“I just made this for lunch. It is delicious. The only thing I added was a little bit of salt. Next time I think I will put it in a tortilla.”
-Robyn
“This dish was very tasty! I used diced tomato with cilantro and lime juice. I had this with a big salad. I think next time I will try it with salsa.”
-Sharon123
"This was a great simple dinner. We had it with lime rice and whole wheat tortillas. My husband loved it."
-Selena_ski
"My non-vegetarian husband took seconds; that ranks this recipe an automatic five-star recipe. I only had panko and ended up doubling the breadcrumbs, also had to sub pickled jalapeños as there were no fresh ones around — even so, seconds!”
-Mgnbos
“The filling was nice and not overpowering in flavor, and the puff pastry baked to a ‘crusty’ texture. Wonderful! Takes a little more time, but well worth it! Will be making again.”
-kellychris
"I was looking for a chili recipe using lamb. Delicious! This recipe fit the bill.”
-Deb312
"I love this recipe. I think it is my favorite Rick Bayless recipe. Since I have a four-year-old daughter I have had to make some changes. I leave out the chorizo and chipotle.”
-mdargen
"We really did enjoy this recipe very much. Made pretty much as directed with the addition of ground turkey.”
-Jellyqueen
"This soup is excellent as written. We really enjoyed it with sour cream and some freshly chopped cilantro. Great on a cold evening."
-julkoz
“Turned out amazing! Simple and so quick to make. My roommates and kiddos loved it.”
-miss_gelli
"Very nice flavor, easy to make and so very filling! I really liked this; my roomie sampled it and loved it! This is a good change of pace from other pasta dishes, and the flavors work better than you might expect. Just be sure to use fully ripe mangos for the best flavor.”
-Lynne M
"Wow! This was really terrific! I was looking for something to make for the veggie crowd on a night when jerk chicken was on the menu, and this was great. So flavorful, and really not too difficult to put together.”
-smellyvegetarian
