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Open your cupboard, and you\u2019ll likely spot a can of beans\u2014or two or three\u2014hanging out on the shelf. And for good reason: They\u2019re inexpensive, last (practically) forever, and are healthy\u2014packing an impressive amount of protein, fiber, iron, and more essential nutrients.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
They\u2019re also easy to doctor up\u2014or in this case, \u201cchef up\u201d\u2014with the right mix of seasonings and ingredient accouterments. Whether in a salad, soup, dip, side, or main, beans can shine as the star of almost any dish\u2014and they\u2019re celebrated in just about every cuisine around the globe.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
We asked five of the country\u2019s best chefs for their favorite way to elevate the often unsung legume, from a creative spin on cannellini to a reimagined use for refried frijoles. Try one or all of their go-to dishes for a fresh spin on canned beans that will give your recipe repertoire new life.\n<\/p>\n Allrecipes \/ Courtesy of Pati Jinich<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \u201cOne of the biggest misconceptions [about] Mexican food is that it\u2019s greasy, fatty, cheesy, and overloaded in heavy amounts of condiments,\u201d says Pati Jinich, host of Pati\u2019s Mexican Table<\/em><\/a> on PBS and author of Treasures of the Mexican Table<\/em><\/a>. \u201cOne thing that surprises people who delve a bit more into the Mexican culinary world is how crazy we are about salads.\u201d This satisfying recipe starts with a simple mix of pantry staples enhanced with fresh vegetables and drizzled with a bright, flavorful cilantro vinaigrette. \u201cIt has so many textures, so many flavors, so many colors, and is so very playful,\u201d she says. \u201cIt can be your main dish any time of the year with some crusty bread on the side. It can also be a great side salad for your barbecues and picnics in the summertime.\u201d\n<\/p>\n By Pati Jinich\n<\/p>\n Serves 6-8\n<\/p>\n For the salad:\u00a0<\/em>\n<\/p>\n For the vinaigrette:<\/em>\n<\/p>\n Allrecipes \/ Gary Adcock<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \u201cI love this recipe and using beans in particular this time of year because it\u2019s versatile, filling, and flavorful,” says Erick Williams, James Beard Award-winning chef and owner of Virtue Restaurant<\/a>, Mustard Seed Kitchen<\/a>, Daisy\u2019s Po-Boy and Tavern<\/a>, and Top This Mac and Cheese<\/a> in Chicago. Williams is known for his approach to Southern cuisine and his incorporation of seasonal and local ingredients. \u201cThe addition of the vegetables gives it texture and adds color as well, which helps during the Midwest winters,\u201d he says. The addition of fennel seed and Aleppo chili pepper add depth and warmth to the dish.\n<\/p>\n By Erick Williams\n<\/p>\n Serves 6\n<\/p>\n Allrecipes \/ Beth Hontzas Photography<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n One of the most popular sides at James Beard Award-nominated chef Tim Hontzas\u2019 Johnny\u2019s Restaurant<\/a>, a \u201cGreek and three\u201d in Homewood, Alabama, is an unassuming combination of chickpeas and spinach. \u201cThis recipe is special, because it\u2019s not like I saw it in a Greek cookbook and tweaked it,\u201d Hontzas says. \u201cI\u2019d never heard of it, never seen it. I was just thinking about Greek, Israeli, and Syrian flavors and what I could do with chickpeas. It\u2019s got that citrus on the back of your palette at the end, and then you get Greek seasoning and garlic.\u201c Hontzas, who comes from a rich tradition of Greek restaurateurs in Birmingham, acknowledges that the amount of olive oil required in the recipe is hefty, but \u201cthe Greeks love olive oil, and that\u2019s flavor, not a pool of butter or beef fat.\u201d\n<\/p>\n By Tim Hontzas\n<\/p>\n Serves 8-10\n<\/p>\n Chef Notes:<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n Allrecipes \/ Courtesy of Helene Henderson<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n \u201cMy favorite thing is to blur the line between sides, salads, and vegetables,\u201d says Helene Henderson, founder of Malibu Farm Restaurant and Cafe<\/a> in Malibu, California, along with a forthcoming Malibu Farm outpost in Tiburon and a new pizza restaurant concept in Newport Beach. With a son who\u2019s been a vegetarian since age 5, beans and lentils are a major staple in Henderson\u2019s recipe arsenal. \u201cI often add beans, lentils, quinoa, or farro to my vegetables and toss them with herbs or greens and simple variations of a lemon dressing,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen I am in a rush, basically every day, the pantry is my friend and my savior as it turns dull into delicious but also slightly different than whatever I made before.\u201d\n<\/p>\n By Helene Henderson\n<\/p>\n Serves 2-4\n<\/p>\n For the salad:<\/em>\n<\/p>\n For the dressing:<\/em>\n<\/p>\n Allrecipes \/ Forrest Mason<\/p>\n <\/span> <\/p>\n Chef Katsuji Tanabe of Top Chef<\/em> and Chopped<\/em> fame was born to Mexican and Japanese parents, raised in Mexico City, and now helms a\u2019Verde Cocina + Tequila Library<\/a> in Cary, North Carolina. His recipe for enfrijoladas is a play on his favorite childhood dish, enchiladas. It\u2019s also versatile. \u201cEnfrijoladas can be topped with anything from cheese to meat to fried eggs, and it\u2019s good for breakfast, lunch, or dinner,\u201d Tanabe says. It\u2019s also a great dish for all ages. \u201cWhen you\u2019re a kid in Mexico, enchiladas seem spicy, so enfrijoladas are a good way to get your kids to eat spicier food.\u201d The recipe calls for ingredients from heritages of both of his parents, including epazote<\/a>, a regional herb from Mexico that lends a nice aromatic flavor. Dashi powder is another significant element in the dish. \u201cIn my house, dashi is as important as chicken broth. It adds umami and saltiness and is a quick and easy way to turn beans into a different dish.\u201d\n<\/p>\n By Katsuji Tanabe\n<\/p>\n Serves 4\n<\/p>\n For the Garnish:<\/em>\n<\/p>\n Chef Notes:<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n Open your cupboard, and you\u2019ll likely spot a can of beans\u2014or two or three\u2014hanging out on the shelf. And for good reason: They\u2019re inexpensive, last (practically) forever, and are healthy\u2014packing an impressive amount of protein, fiber, iron, and more essential nutrients.\u00a0 They\u2019re also easy to doctor up\u2014or in this case, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":510,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-509","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kitchen-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/509","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=509"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/509\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/510"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=509"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=509"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=509"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Pati Jinich\u2019s Fresh Pantry Salad <\/span> <\/h2>\n
Hearty Bean & Corn Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette <\/span> <\/h3>\n
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\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Erick Williams\u2019 Warming Winter Stew <\/span> <\/h2>\n
Winter Bean Stew <\/span> <\/h3>\n
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\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Tim Hontzas\u2019 Homage to Greek Comfort Food <\/span> <\/h2>\n
Chickpeas and Spinach <\/span> <\/h3>\n
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\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Helene Henderson\u2019s California-fresh Salad\/Side Mash-up <\/span> <\/h2>\n
Sliced Celery, Walnut, Parmesan, Arugula, and White Beans in a Miso Lemon Dressing <\/span> <\/h3>\n
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\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Katsuji Tanabe\u2019s Flex on a Childhood Favorite <\/span> <\/h2>\n
Enfrijoladas <\/span> <\/h3>\n
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