One Vibrant Ingredient Livens Up Bland Canned Beans
Canned beans are an easy and convenient way to enjoy some legumes when you don't have the time — or patience — to soak dry ones overnight. Canned beans are the secret to a creamy sauce with no dairy, but while keeping your pantry stocked with a selection is super convenient, one downside is that they tend to be a little on the bland side. To combat that, there are tons of ingredients that you can add to help bring some flavor to the entire dish. One of our favorites is an herb that you may already have stored in your refrigerator: cilantro.
An aromatic with a pungent citrus and peppery taste, cilantro is popular in Indian, Asian, and Latin American cuisines. Thanks to its bold flavor, it works brilliantly to bring some much-needed life to canned beans. All you have to do is finely chop a few sprigs (stems and all!) and toss them into your simmering beans. They'll work their herby magic to brighten up your dish so that your guests will think you've been cooking them for hours.
Other ways to add more flavor to canned beans
If you don't want to stop the flavor party at cilantro, adding more aromatics to canned beans will elevate them even further. Some of our favorite ones that complement this herb include bell peppers, onion, and garlic thanks to them traditionally being used in various versions of sofrito. When using these, you can finely chop them up and saute them in a bit of oil until they've softened (similar to how you would make a mirepoix, aka a French aromatic base of chopped onions, garlic, and carrots).
To take canned beans from boring to brilliant, add various spices, including cumin, dried basil, or oregano. These will help impart even more flavor that works well with cilantro. You can also brighten up your beans by adding a bit of acid, like citrus juice or red wine vinegar, to help balance everything out.
When serving these beans, you want to go with dishes that they'll naturally pair with. For example, other Latin dishes, like ropa vieja (a Cuban dish of shredded beef), pollo guisado (a Dominican and Salvadorian stewed chicken), classic tacos, or even in slow-cooked curried chickpeas.