Make me like black beans...

Add some cannelloni beans to the dish:

Two-Bean Soup with Kale
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/two-bean-soup-with-kale

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
7 cups stemmed, chopped kale (about 1 bunch)
2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed, drained,
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed, drained

if you don't like beans then don't eat beans....

that said, legumes in general are pretty nutritious...I make a big batch pretty much every sunday using dried beans from bulk...they are a staple of my diet and very cheap...I usually do pinto beans. I live in New Mexico so beans are pretty much a staple...

This content has been removed.

ashliefisch wrote: »

Honestly... my lunch at work is usually 1/2 of some frozen veggie steamer bag (birdseye, I'm obsessed), 4oz of ground turkey, and like 1/2 cup of seasoned black beans. Been eating this for weeks.

This actually sounds like a good, easy meal. I'm going to try it out (except with way more ground turkey).

I love black beans, but probably don't eat them a much as I should after seeing all these great ideas. I love them on a taco salad. Actually love them at Chili's with the fajitas. Love them but canned usually don't have any seasonings on them. I will have to try some of these ideas on seasoning them. Black bean salsa is awesome. The paul newman black bean and corn salsa is super good. I am sure the home made is great, I will have to try that. I put some in quesadillas with a little chicken and salsa, side dish for tacos. I will have to try them with eggs since so many have suggested it. Thanks for the ideas.

One of my favorite, super-simple ways to make black beans is this:

Drain and rinse one can of black beans.
Add to a small pot with some water (maybe about 1/4 cup).
Add a couple tablespoons of taco seasoning. (I mix my own and always have a container of it on hand.)
Simmer the beans until they are heated through and the water/taco seasoning create a nice coating on the beans. (Of course, you can always leave them saucy.)
You can adjust the water and taco seasoning quantities to your taste/desire.

I use this as meat substitute in many dishes - I add it to salads, use it in tacos, make it into quesadillas, top nachos with it, eat it with veggies and brown rice or quinoa. It's very versatile and it seriously takes about 10 minutes, total, to put together.

If I buy dried beans, I bake them in the oven. No soaking required. Just cover with water, put a lid on the casserole, and bake at 325 degrees for an hour and a half. Check them once in a while and add more water if they are looking dry. Cook a little longer if they aren't tender - sometimes older beans need a bit longer to soften up.

For black beans and rice, I generally use canned beans for convenience, as we can whip up this meal quickly. Goya black beans cost a bit more, but I like them much better than other brands. Goya makes a seasoning mix called Sazon. I always use the con culantro y achiote kind. I saute onion, garlic, and green pepper, then add the rinsed and drained beans and Sazon. I learned this recipe in college and was told this is a Puerto Rican preparation.

Goya also makes two seasonings that come in jars or frozen - recaito (green cilantro based seasoning) and sofrito (red tomato based seasoning). Either one is good either mixed in the black beans or mixed in with the rice. To reduce the calorie density of the meal, I often add a can or more of diced tomatoes. I especially like to add cans with jalepeno or diced green chilies. I am happy with a 50/50 mix of beans and tomatoes. My husband likes to mix in a bag of frozen corn when he is cooking, which is fine for variety but can be a bit rough on the digestive system.