Start With Black Beans

The Start With series continues this week with canned black beans as our focus. These shiny little beans are also called turtle beans or Frijoles Negros. And they taste great! Their mild flavor and texture remind me of fresh mushrooms. Start with black beans to make fabulous recipes of all kinds.

You can use black beans in so many ways; as an instant pasta sauce along with sauteed onions and some Parmesan cheese, heated with rice and sauteed vegetables for a quick vegetarian entree, or add them to any canned soup to increase fiber and protein content.

Make sure you rinse, drain, and rinse canned black beans before you use them to help reduce sodium content and enjoy their delicious creamy texture and nutty taste. These recipes are all healthy and easy to make and your family will love them.

Start With Black Beans Recipes

• Black Bean Wild Rice Salad
  I found some great orzo pasta I ordered from Gristede's that's different from the orzo I buy locally. It's longer and reminds me of wild rice, so I added it to this recipe. It's fabulous!
• Tex Mex Black Bean Wraps
  Mashup some black beans and use that for the base of a spicy and creamy sandwich spread.
• Quick Black Bean Soup
  Black beans, corn, tomatoes, and spices combine to make a hearty soup that tastes like it was simmered all day. But it's ready in less than 20 minutes.
• Barley Black Bean Salad
  Boy, talk about a healthy salad! And the taste and texture are so wonderful too. This salad would also be excellent as a wrap sandwich filling.
• Crock Pot Vegetarian Chili
  Canned and fresh ingredients make this slow cooker recipe a real winner. Serve it with some hot cornbread right out of the oven.
• Gazpacho Salad
  Black beans combined with celery, bell peppers, tomatoes, and a spicy dressing makes a delicious salad ready in minutes.
• Southwest Cheese Soup
  Just five ingredients make this rich and thick soup so easy. Top it with seasoned croutons or crushed blue corn tortilla chips.