Heart-Healthy Bean Recipes

Find delicious heart-healthy bean recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Vegetable Weight-Loss Soup

Rating: Unrated
21
A big bowl of this veggie-packed minestrone will leave you satisfied for hours without consuming a lot of calories--plus it's an easy way to boost your vegetable servings for the day. Top with a dollop of pesto before devouring this delicious skinny vegetable soup.
By Hilary Meyer

White Bean & Veggie Salad

Rating: Unrated
5
This meatless main-dish salad combines creamy, satisfying white beans and avocado. Try mixing it up with different seasonal vegetables.
By Katie Webster

Bean & Barley Soup

Rating: Unrated
9
This hearty bean and barley soup tastes like it has simmered for hours, but actually it's quite quick to throw together. Plus this recipe for healthy bean and barley soup freezes beautifully. If you have cooked barley on hand, omit the quick-cooking barley and stir in 1 1/2 cups cooked barley along with the broth in Step 2.
By David Bonom

Slow-Cooker Vegetable Soup

Rating: Unrated
13
Make a big batch of low-calorie veggie-packed soup with ease in this load-and-go crock pot recipe. After simmering away in the slow cooker, portion it into individual serving containers and store in the fridge or freezer for fast, healthy lunches or an easy, satisfying snack. This weight-loss vegetable soup fills you up without a lot of calories, plus it's an easy way to eat more vegetables.
By Hilary Meyer

Tuscan White Bean Soup

Rating: Unrated
2
A pound of dried beans is the inexpensive foundation for this simple, hearty meal. Serve it with slices of whole-wheat bread or a side salad for a complete and satisfying lunch or dinner.
By Lauren Grant

Slow-Cooker Southwestern Bean Soup

Rating: Unrated
3
Get dinner on the table on a busy day with ease with this load-&-go crock pot recipe. This zesty soup can simmer in the crock pot for an entire workday, making it perfect for a busy weekday meal. Bump up the Southwest flavors with a garnished of chopped fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime, if desired.
By Carolyn Malcoun

White Bean-Sausage Soup

Rating: Unrated
2
Make this heart-healthy main-dish white bean and sausage soup with fresh onions. If you're really pressed for time, look for frozen chopped onions, which can be added to soups and stews in seconds.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

No-Cook Black Bean Salad

Rating: Unrated
3
A classic black bean salad is a must for picnics and potlucks. This vegan version gets its creaminess from blended avocado. Any mix of salad greens will work well, but try arugula if you want to give this hearty salad a peppery kick.
By Hilary Meyer

Spinach Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes, White Beans & Basil

Rating: Unrated
1
Roasted sweet potatoes are paired with spinach, cabbage and white beans and tossed together with a bright basil dressing in this healthy main dish salad.
By Carolyn Casner

White Bean Soup with Tomato & Shrimp

Rating: Unrated
3
With capers and olives, this heart-healthy soup draws inspiration from Italian puttanesca sauce. Serve with crusty whole-grain bread to soak up the broth.
By Adam Dolge

Falafel Burgers

Rating: Unrated
2
Pureed chickpeas, seasoned with the characteristic flavors of falafel, make excellent veggie burgers. We use a two-stage method for cooking the patties, first browning them in a skillet and then finishing them in the oven. Garnish the burgers with tzatziki or tahini sauce (see associated recipes), pickled red onions, lettuce and tomatoes.
By Sylvia Fountaine

Ribollita Soup

Rating: Unrated
9
Ribollita, a traditional hearty Tuscan soup, typically uses day-old bread to add body and thicken the broth. This ribollita recipe uses a bean mash, which keeps the soup gluten-free and adds fiber. Garnish with extra-virgin olive oil or pepper and grated Parmesan.
By Eataly and Lidia Bastianich

Inspiration and Ideas

Healthy Black Bean Soup Recipes & Black Bean Chili Recipes

Healthy Black Bean Soup Recipes & Black Bean Chili Recipes

Delicious recipes for black bean soup and black bean chili.Download a Free Healthy Recipe Cookbook for Chili, Soups and Stews!Watch Video
Tomato, Cucumber & White-Bean Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

Tomato, Cucumber & White-Bean Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

Rating: Unrated
3
This no-cook bean salad is a delicious way to use summer's best cherry or grape tomatoes and juicy cucumbers for a light dinner or lunch. Fresh basil elevates an easy vinaigrette recipe that dresses up this simple salad into something extraordinary.
Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Dressing

Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Dressing

Black Bean Soup

Black Bean Soup

Rating: Unrated
12
Soup Beans

Soup Beans

Rating: Unrated
2
Portuguese Kale & Red Bean Soup

Portuguese Kale & Red Bean Soup

Rating: Unrated
3

Broccoli, Chickpea & Pomegranate Salad

Rating: Unrated
2

Simple steps give this broccoli salad recipe a more nuanced flavor: soaking the onion tempers its bite and toasting the cumin enhances its aroma. Serve alongside grilled chicken, pork or fish.

All Heart-Healthy Bean Recipes

Cauliflower & White Bean Soup with Herb Croutons

Pureed cauliflower lends a creamy, silky texture to this vegetarian white bean soup without using a drop of dairy.
By Adam Dolge

Chicken & White Bean Salad

Rating: Unrated
7
Zucchini and celery give this chicken-and-bean salad a nice crunch. We like serving it over a bed of slightly bitter escarole and radicchio, but any type of salad greens will work. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Super-Green Edamame Salad

Rating: Unrated
2
Avocado, fresh chives and spinach are blended right into the creamy, bright-green dressing in this healthy edamame salad recipe. Pink beans are popular in the Caribbean, but you can substitute pinto beans or light red kidney beans if you can't find them.
By Katie Webster

Couscous & Chickpea Salad

Cooked couscous and canned chickpeas come together in this quick lunch salad. The basil vinaigrette makes it taste anything but basic! When in season, we recommend adding fresh chopped tomatoes for a spin on tabbouleh.
By Katie Webster

Pasta e Fagioli

This is the classic Italian soup recipe (pasta and beans in a tomato base), though we've reduced the sodium and swapped in whole-grain pasta. Tailor it to your taste with anchovy and crushed red pepper as desired.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Sopa Tarasca

This famous soup from the state of Michoacán in Western Mexico is often made with a base of pureed beans along with tomatoes and dried chiles, which bring a lot of the character to the dish. Here we use ancho chiles, which are sweet, earthy and relatively mild. You could also use pasillas, which have a heat level similar to anchos--or, if you like it hot, gaujillos, which also bring some smoky notes to the pot.
By Lisa Holderness Brown

Green Beans with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

A much healthier take on the old-fashioned green bean casserole, this version thankfully skips the canned soup and fried onions! Fresh green beans are cooked until crisp-tender and topped with a garlicky-thyme mushroom sauce, shallots and crumbled chèvre.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Crunchy Mexican Salad with Spicy Cilantro Vinaigrette

A spicy cilantro vinaigrette gives this black bean salad Mexican flair. We used the beans for protein, but if you have cooked chicken on hand, you can use that instead. Also, if you have it, finish the salad with a quarter of an avocado for a boost of healthy fats.
By Lauren Grant

Edamame Falafel with Lemon Aioli

A twist on the classic chickpea falafel, these tasty edamame falafels will not disappoint!
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Charro Beans with Chorizo & Kale Slaw

This dish gets its name from the Mexican cowboys (charros) who cooked these soupy beans over campfires as they traveled the open range. The kale slaw is a bright foil for this earthy dish. Enjoy a bowl as is or scoop it up with warm tortillas. Look for Mexican-style chorizo near other sausage in well-stocked supermarkets or Latin American markets.
By Liana Krissoff

Slow-Cooked Baked Beans with Bacon

It's easy to purchase baked beans in a can, but making your own in the slow cooker results in a rich and deliciously flavored side dish that you'll feel better about serving to guests.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Sautéed Green Beans with Tomatoes, Mushrooms & Garlic

This versatile and easy side dish is a tasty way to showcase green beans. We boil the beans briefly before sautéing for perfectly crisp-tender vegetables that don't get mushy.
By Betsy Andrews

Vegetarian Sliders with Black Beans, Chard & Poblanos

These vegetarian sliders are filling, flavorful and make for a great protein-packed main dish. Take your time patting the beans dry: it keeps the sliders from falling apart. You can make 8 larger patties, to fit regular-size buns, but try to keep them about 1/2 inch thick so they’ll heat through under the broiler without burning. 
By Liana Krissoff

Simply French Green Beans

Thin green beans cook quickly, so rinsing them with cold water (or putting them into an ice water bath) is important if you want to keep them crisp. The beans in this side dish recipe take only 20 minutes to prepare, but taste their best after a couple hours in the fridge where they soak up the flavor of the shallot-thyme mixture.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Mashed Chickpea Salad with Dill & Capers

Rating: Unrated
1
This creamy yet light vegan salad is full of bright, herby goodness. On its own, it's great to serve alongside a sandwich or veggie burger in place of potato salad or coleslaw. You can also make it into a light lunch by adding a handful of arugula to enjoy it as a green salad. Double the recipe and refrigerate to have on hand throughout the week.
By Carolyn Casner

Roasted Buffalo Chickpea Salad

Rating: Unrated
1
Soak chickpeas in Buffalo seasoning before roasting in a hot oven for delicious tang and crunch. This crispy topping is the perfect way to add bite to a satisfying salad with celery, carrots and blue cheese.
By Hilary Meyer

Basic Black Beans

Master the technique of cooking dried beans with this basic recipe. The cooking time will vary based on the age and size of the beans, so begin to check for tenderness after 1 1/2 hours and continue cooking until the beans are tender.
By Lauren Grant

Roasted Balsamic Vegetables

These robust, seasoned vegetables pair beautifully with any quick-cooking entree. Try them with steak, chicken, pork chops, or salmon.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Peppered Shrimp & Green Bean Salad

Rating: Unrated
2
This lunch or dinner salad will tempt your tastebuds! You'll love the simple roasted green beans and fingerling potatoes combined with peppery shrimp that have been cooked in a sweet garlicky sauce.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Spring Lima Bean Soup with Crispy Bacon

Rating: Unrated
1
Not a lima bean lover? This soup could flip you. The limas get some support from baby peas and a decent amount of tarragon to deliver a definitive taste of spring.
By Julia Clancy

Bean Salad with Charred Lemons

Creamy avocado, salty feta cheese and sweet-bitter caramelized lemon slices make this vegetarian bean salad recipe a standout. Using different colors, sizes and shapes of beans makes this salad extra special. But any bean that interests you, even canned, will work.
By Nora Singley

Steamed Green Beans with Rosemary-Garlic Vinaigrette & Fried Shallots

Rating: Unrated
1
Here's a new way to delight your green-bean-loving guests. The genius of this easy green bean recipe is in the dressing, which is made with savory oil that has also been used to fry shallots and garlic.
By Breana Killeen

Southwestern Chicken & Black Bean Salad

No cooking necessary and ready in just 25 minutes, this Southwestern-inspired recipe is a great choice for a quick lunch or dinner. Don't have leftover chicken? No problem--use turkey!
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Cannellini Beans & Anchovies

This simple but delicious five-ingredient salad highlights a number of elements beloved in the Occitanie region of France--white beans, olive oil, zucchini and anchovies. Use your best olive oil here, as it's essential to the flavor. You'll need a sharp vegetable peeler to make the zucchini ribbons. Serve as a side dish next to roast chicken or grilled steak, or double the salad and enjoy as an entree with a warm baguette.
By Emily Monaco
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