our best bean

Beans on toast gets a facelift with this easy-to-make and healthy recipe.

Each serving provides 478 kcal, 17g protein, 60g carbohydrates (of which 11.5g sugars), 16.5g fat (of which 2g saturates), 12.5g fibre and 0.8g salt. 

Tuscan beans on sourdough toast

tbsp olive oil,

red onion, roughly chopped

garlic clove, crushed

tin chopped tomatoes

tin haricot beans, drained and rinsed

rosemary

x 75 grams/2¾oz (or 4 x 37.5 grams/1¼oz) slices sourdough bread

¼ garlic clove

salt and black pepper

This is a really easy chilli con carne recipe. It has loads of flavour even though it uses mostly store cupboard ingredients.You can experiment with how hot it is by leaving the seeds in the fresh chillies or adding a pinch of dried chilli flakes. 

Each serving provides  420 kcal, 43g protein, 22g carbohydrates (of which 9.5g sugars), 12g fat (of which 4g saturates), 9.5g fibre and 1g salt.

Easy chilli con carne

olive oil

onions, chopped

garlic cloves, crushed

lean beef mince

250 milliliters/9fl oz red wine (optional)

x 400 grams tins chopped tomatoes

tomato purée

red chillies, thinly sliced,

tsp cumin

tsp coriander

cinnamon cinnamon

Worcestershire sauce

beef stock cube

coriander

lime wedges, rice, guacamole, soured cream

Huevos rancheros is a popular breakfast in Mexico. This hearty dish of black beans on a fried corn tortilla, topped with a fried egg and tomato salsa is perfect for a weekend breakfast or brunch, lunch or supper.

Huevos rancheros

sunflower oil

corn tortillas

free-range eggs

garlic clove, finely chopped

tin organic black beans

salt

½ onion, finely chopped

garlic cloves, finely chopped

plum tomatoes,

jalapeño,

tsp sea salt flakes

A great way to use up all those odds and ends from the fridge. Raw root vegetables, leafy veg, cooked leftover vegetables, pasta and rice can all be thrown into the pan. Just make sure they are added in the right order, so raw vegetables that need a bit of cooking go in first, then green vegetables and finally cooked ingredients. Top the cooked soup with any cheese you have handy or spoonfuls of pesto.


Easy minestrone soup

tbsp oil (olive, sunflower

onion, finely chopped

1–2 sticks celery, trimmed and thinly sliced (optional)

tomatoes

chicken or vegetable stock cube

tsp dried mixed herbs or dried oregano

400 grams/14 ounces tin borlotti

½–1 mug cooked pasta or rice

This minestrone recipe is great for using up odds and ends of veg, reducing food waste.

Flexible minestrone soup

These delicious and zesty vegetarian tacos are a doddle to make - but even better, everything can be made in advance.

Vegetarian tacos

olive oil,

cinnamon

tsp chipotle paste

tins black beans

sea salt and black pepper

cherry tomatoes

½ red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

coriander, leaves picked

½ lime, juice only

extra virgin olive oil,

avocado,

green chilli

wheat or corn tortillas

eggs,

cheese,

radishes,

natural, sheep or coconut milk yoghurt (optional)

sweet chilli sauce

By swapping the traditional chickpeas for soybeans you almost halve the carbohydrate content in these falafels. Traditionally deep-fried falafels can be quite high in saturated fat so these are baked and served with a fat-free dip and roasted vegetables.

This meal is <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/collections/low-calorie_recipes">low calorie</a>  and if served as four portions provides 363 kcal, 25.5g protein, 30g carbohydrate (of which 10g sugars), 15.5g fat (of which 1.5g saturates), 11g fibre and 0.3g salt per portion.

Edamame falafel 

soya

red onion, finely chopped

½ small bunch coriander, leaves

ras-el-hanout,

egg,

sesame seeds

breadcrumbs

sea salt and black pepper,

olive oil cooking spray

red pepper, seeds removed, quartered

yellow pepper, seeds removed, quartered

courgettes,

aubergine, halved lengthways then sliced into half moons

tsp sweet smoked paprika

sherry vinegar, to taste

½ small bunch coriander, torn

100 grams/3½oz fat-free Greek yoghurt

leaves

Watch our low-carb falafel with roasted veg video.

Low-carb falafel with roasted veg

This quick and light chicken stew is an easy and comforting midweek meal. It's packed with vegetables and fairly low in calories, so it's healthy too. 

Each serving provides 415 kcal, 48g protein, 26.5g carbohydrates (of which 7.5g sugars), 11g fat (of which 2g saturates), 8g fibre and 0.5g salt. 

With a GI of 49 this meal is <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/diets/high_protein_low_GI_diet">high protein, low GI</a>.

Quick chicken stew

onion, roughly chopped

chicken thighs, boneless, skin removed, cut into bite-sized pieces

700 milliliters/1¼ pint chicken stock

flour

level tbsp wholegrain mustard

star anise (optional)

celery sticks, sliced

carrots,

300 grams/10½oz small new potatoes, scrubbed and halved

beans

tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon

This colourful all-in-one root vegetable traybake with sage and onion balls is a delicious veggie main course that all the family will love. Serve with a bowl of steamed green veg, if you like.

Root vegetable traybake

300 grams/10½oz carrots, left whole if slender, or cut lengthways

300 grams/10½oz celeriac,

300 grams/10½oz beetroot,

tbsp oil

red onions,

thyme

tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

butter

onion,

tsp dried sage, crumbled

lemon, grated zest

150 milliliters/5fl oz cider

Dijon mustard

tsp redcurrant or apple or herb jelly

tsp yeast extract,

150 milliliters/5fl oz vegetable stock, heated

You can make the sauce ahead of time for these chicken enchiladas, served with coriander, avocado and soured cream.


Chicken enchiladas

tsp smoked paprika

oregano

tsp chilli powder

½ tsp ground cumin

passata

brown sugar

tbsp cider vinegar

onions, sliced

I red pepper, deseeded and sliced

yellow pepper, deseeded and sliced

red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped

skinless, boneless chicken breasts,

kidney

flour tortillas

grams/3½oz cheddar, grated

spring onions, trimmed and sliced

tbsp coriander

150 milliliters/5fl oz soured cream

An easy take on the viral dish, this version is super speedy but just as tasty. Make for a group, or cook for two with plenty of leftovers for the next day.

'Marry me' chickpeas

150 grams/5½oz sun-dried tomatoes,

basil,

½–1 tsp dried red chilli flakes

200 milliliters/7fl oz vegetable stock, warm

150 grams/5½oz double cream

tin chickpeas, drained

green vegetables

crusty bread

Tinned black beans makes this batch of refried beans ready in no time! Make them for tacos, perhaps, then use the leftovers to make molletes – a Mexican version of beans on toast, with melty cheese and a refreshing spoonful of pico de gallo salsa on the side.

Top 11 our best bean recipes from across the web

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Top Tags

Tuscan beans on sourdough toast

Easy chilli con carne

Huevos rancheros

Easy minestrone soup

Vegetarian tacos

Edamame falafel

Quick chicken stew

Root vegetable traybake

Chicken enchiladas

'Marry me' chickpeas

Refried black beans

Top 11 our best bean recipes from across the web

The most viewed our best bean recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Tuscan beans on sourdough toast

Easy chilli con carne

Huevos rancheros

Easy minestrone soup

Vegetarian tacos

Edamame falafel

Quick chicken stew

Root vegetable traybake

Chicken enchiladas

'Marry me' chickpeas

Refried black beans

The most viewed our best bean recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine