Bean recipes

A growing collection of our favorite recipes to enrich your bean palate

Chicken Basquaise with Primary Beans Flageolet beans

Chicken basquaise with Flageolet

Inspired by Chicken Basquaise – a chicken and pepper stew from the Basque-Pyrenees in southwest France – this one-pan dinner gets the very French addition of Flageolet beans.

Beans au gratin

Beans au gratin

This one pot dish – inspired by the classic potatoes au gratin – hits all the marks: it's creamy, luscious, and delicious; takes no time at all to prepare, and is great for both dinner parties or weeknights.

Classic beef stew (with

Classic beef stew (with "beefy" beans)

We love a good hearty beef stew – so thought, why not add some large, beefy Ayocote Morados to complement the tender beef, soak up all those flavors, and pare down the amount of meat?

Frijoles colorados

Frijoles colorados

While recipes vary slightly, the fundamentals of this hearty Cuban stew are the same: red beans, a few different smoky meats, sazón, and veggies like squash and potatoes.

holiday bean confit with Primary Beans Organic Ayocote Blanco

Holiday bean confit

A showstopping holiday recipe to cook for loved ones. While not technically confit by definition, we love this idea of slowly roasting already cooked beans in lots of oil and with festive aromatics.

Fall harvest crostata recipe with Primary Beans Cannellini beans

Fall harvest crostata

This savory crostata features a tasty filling of white beans, cheese, herbs, and fall vegetables. Remember the best crostatas have a certain charm from their imperfect appearance!

Brothy beans with sauteed mushrooms and sage pesto with Primary Beans Cranberry beans

Brothy beans with sautéed mushrooms and sage pesto

We developed this recipe to highlight fall’s bounty: creamy beans are topped with earthy sauteed cremini mushrooms and nutty sage pesto. Don’t forget the crusty bread! 

Matos Family Black Beans with Primary Beans Organic Negro beans

Matos Family Black Beans

Dani Dillon adapted this recipe from her Puerto Rican grandma, Adeline Matos (or "Mom Mom"), who played a huge role in Dani’s upbringing and her earliest memories in the kitchen.

Malaysian bean curry featuring Primary beans Organic Ayocote Morado beans

Malaysian bean curry

Created in partnership with Homiah, this minimal ingredient recipe showcases the magic of combining wholesome, thoughtfully sourced pantry ingredients with distinct origins. 

Pizza beans with Primary Beans Cannellini beans

Pizza beans!

Created by real-life parents seeking easy veggie-loaded dinners that everyone can enjoy. Gather the kiddos in the kitchen for a dish that's not only fun to make but fun to eat!

Bean pate recipe with Primary Beans Cranberry beans

Bean pâté

Beans, walnuts, herbs, and spices come together into a savory, thick spread for your next grazing board that'll please vegetarians and omnivores alike. 

Clams with Alubia beans and Spanish Chorizo with Primary Beans Organic Alubia beans

Clams with Alubia beans and Spanish chorizo

I really love beans and seafood together and this recipe is a dinner party favorite. Here, clams and beans are cooked with a savory mixture of aromatics, Spanish chorizo, lemon, white wine, and broth.

Easy weeknight bean tostadas

Easy weeknight bean tostadas

I love the textural contrasts of the creamy refried beans and crispy tortilla, and it's fun to play around with different toppings based on what you have on hand.

Coconut rice and red beans recipe with Primary Beans Sangre de Toro beans

Coconut rice and red beans

This classic Caribbean-inspired rice and beans dish has stood the test of time. We first tried it while visiting the Caribbean coast in Costa Rica and fell in love with its simplicity, subtle richness, and versatility. 

Tamales de frijol, calabaza, y epazote with Primary Beans x Tamoa Parraleno beans

Tamales de frijol, calabaza, y epazote

Eaten widely across Mexico but with many regional variations, tamales are both a celebratory and convenience food. While lard is traditionally used, this version can also be made entirely vegan.

Frijoles con salsa macha with Primary Beans x Tamoa Ayocote Arcoiris beans

Frijoles con salsa macha

This recipe was designed exclusively for our Primary Beans x Tamoa collaboration by Bolita founder, Emmanuel Galván. Salsa macha is a toasty, nutty, spicy condiment.

Herby marinated white beans by Annie Lucey with Primary Beans Ayocote Blanco beans

Herby marinated white beans

This recipe by Annie Lucey is low maintenance and big on flavor, which makes it perfect for summer dinner parties or even Sunday meal prep. Serve immediately or pop into the fridge.

Vegan frijoles Zacatecanos with Primary Beans Organic Flor de Junio beans

Vegan frijoles Zacatecanos

Designed exclusively for our Toda la Familia kit by Todo Verde founder and NYT Cooking contributor, Jocelyn Ramirez. You can typically find avocado leaves at Mexican grocery stores or online.

Molletes with tofu al pastor with Primary Beans Organic Ojo de Cabra beans

Molletes with tofu al pastor

Designed exclusively for our Toda la Familia kit by Todo Verde founder, Jocelyn Ramirez. "The best thing about molletes is the combination of crunchy toasted bolillo or birote with luscious smooth beans."

Jocelyn's frijoles de la olla with Primary Beans Organic Bayo beans

Jocelyn’s frijoles de la olla

Designed exclusively for our Toda la Familia kit by Todo Verde founder and NYT Cooking contributor, Jocelyn Ramirez. You can typically find avocado leaves at Mexican grocery stores or online.

Brothy beans with gremolata and Greek yogurt

Brothy beans with gremolata and Greek yogurt

Herby gremolata (chopped, never blended) adds color, zippy flavor, and texture, and stirring in Greek yogurt brings a tangy brightness to the broth.

Primary Beans hummus recipe with Organic chickpeas

Best hummus

High-quality chickpeas and tahini, which blend together to make the creamiest version of this classic dip, make all the difference. You can play with the toppings depending on what’s in your pantry.

Rustic Bakery's Meyer lemon chickpea spread

Rustic Bakery's Meyer lemon chickpea spread

Our friends at Rustic Bakery adapted the recipe for home cooks. Bright and citrusy from 2 whole Meyer lemons and lots of cilantro, this recipe makes the most of California’s winter citrus season.

Venezuelan-style arepas with secret sauce

Venezuelan-style arepas with secret sauce

While living on the East Coast we became obsessed with the stuffed cornmeal cakes, known as arepas, from NYC's Caracas Arepas Bar. We still dream about the signature tangy, bright-yellow sauce.

Kenyan kunde-inspired beans in a peanut-tomato sauce with Primary Beans

Kenyan kunde-inspired beans in a peanut-tomato sauce

Kunde is a Kenyan dish featuring black-eyed peas cooked in a peanut-tomato sauce. This recipe swaps out the black-eyed peas for cranberry beans and comes together in a snap. 

Mediterranean-inspired tomato and bean salad with Primary Beans

Mediterranean-inspired tomato and bean salad

I love the bright, refreshing flavors of a Mediterranean, Greek-style salad. This is a loosely inspired dish, featuring tomatoes, salty feta, and lots of fresh herbs. 

Mexican-inspired refried beans with pickled onions with Primary Beans

Mexican-inspired refried beans with pickled onions

I love refried beans, and though I typically see them made with pinto beans, cranberry beans act as an excellent substitute. Cranberry beans are slightly milder in flavor but still yield a delicious result.

Indian-inspired bean tadka with Primary Beans

Indian-inspired bean tadka

Creamy cranberry beans pair nicely with fat and spice, ideal for Indian cooking. Tadka is a South Asian technique used to bloom spices in oil to extract their essential flavor compounds.

Blog posts Italian-inspired brothy beans with Primary Beans

Italian-inspired brothy beans

A good bowl of brothy beans is simple to put together, but oh-so-comforting! The ingredients here are inspired by Italian cooking, like anchovies, garlic, and lemon.

Abra Berens' cranberry bean salad with roasted carrots and mojo de ajo

Abra Berens' cranberry bean salad w/ roasted carrots + mojo de ajo

I came to know cranberry beans in the kitchen at Petersham Nurseries under the tutelage of Skye Gyngell. She called them by their Italian name, borlotti beans.

Abra Berens' tomato and parsnip stew with wilted kale

Abra Berens' tomato + parsnip stew w/ wilted kale

I like to finish these stews in the oven to slowly evaporate the liquid while creating a bit of a crust on top. It takes a little longer but requires less attention than the stovetop...

Abra Berens' greens + bean pot licker

Abra Berens' greens + bean pot licker

My friend Erin Stanley turned me on to cooking broccolini with some pasta cooking water until it is just about to fall apart. Swap pot liquor for pasta water and here we are. 

Cheesy baked beans in tomato sauce recipe with Primary Beans Organic Ayocote Blanco beans

Cheesy baked beans in tomato sauce

An easy and comforting dinner that comes together quickly during the week. The anchovies dissolve and add a savory complexity. For a complete meal, serve over a pile of orzo or with crusty bread.

Spicy bean cakes recipe with Primary Beans organic Flor de Junio beans

Spicy bean cakes with cilantro-yogurt sauce

These spicy bean cakes are a fun cross between bean patties and my mom’s pakoras. Their crisp exterior and warm, flavorful interior pair beautifully with a dollop of cooling cilantro-yogurt sauce. 

Primary Beans Cranberry beans with radicchio recipe

Cranberry beans with grilled radicchio and mushrooms

Our ideal fall salad comes together in a pinch with distinctly bitter radicchio, nutty cranberry beans, and a bright vinaigrette. Applying high heat to the chicories brings out their natural sweetness.

Primary Beans Organic Chickpeas with chicories recipe

Fall chickpea salad with charred chicories

Lemony marinated chickpeas, salty crumbled feta, and a silky spicy dressing round out the charred chicories. Best of all, it’s satisfying enough as a standalone dish.  

Baked beans with Primary Beans Organic Alubia beans

No-ketchup sticky baked beans

I grew up in New England, and few things remind me of fall more than a big pot of baked beans served on a crisp day. The baked beans of my childhood are, to my now grown-up palate, a little too sweet, so...

Taco salad recipe with Primary Beans Bayo beans

Summer taco salad

This recipe is fresh, tangy, flavorful, and hearty enough to be a meal. The dressing gets its creamy consistency from Greek yogurt, jazzed up with lime juice and chipotles in adobo. 

Panzanella recipe with Primary Beans Ayocote Blanco beans

Peak-summer panzanella

The best combination of two of our favorite “heirlooms”: tomatoes and beans! We’ve loved panzanella ever since we discovered this pure genius of a salad. The beans marinate in the salty vinaigrette.

Enfrijoladas recipe by Primary Beans

Sofia and Francisco's enfrijoladas

Enfrijoladas are a go-to weeknight dinner throughout Mexico and we get why: tortillas smothered in a smooth, rich bean sauce makes for a super simple, yet comforting dish.

Refried beans recipe by Primary Beans

No-fail refried beans

Once you’ve made a pot of beans using our guide, you’ve allllmost made refried beans. All you need is a little more fat to fry everything up. If you can find quality, pasture-raised lard, use it for the best flavor...

Turkish bean salad (piyaz) recipe with Primary Beans Cannellini beans

Turkish bean salad (piyaz)

A traditional Turkish salad recipe developed in partnership with New York Shuk that comes together quickly to make your summer easy and delicious. We love how the zingy preserved lemon paste and sumac...

Persian-style herby beans with yogurt and caramelized onions with Primary Beans Chickpeas

Persian-style herby beans with yogurt and caramelized onions

This recipe is adapted from the herbaceous bean and noodle soup known as ash reshteh. Our version is heavy on the beans, and features the traditional yogurt and caramelized onion topping.

Veggie burger recipe by Primary Beans

*Actual* veggie burgers

You make a veggie burger because you want an actual veggie burger, not a plant-based burger that tastes exactly like meat. This recipe celebrates beans and veggies...

Frijoles charros, oaxaqueños, and puercos by Primary Beans

Mexican beans 3 ways: Frijoles charros, oaxaqueños, and puercos

We're sharing 3 ways to transform your next batch of Mexican-style beans into dishes representing regional favorites across Mexico. Each of these preparations starts with a batch of frijoles de la olla.

Carrot-bean soup with miso and dill with Primary Beans Mayocoba beans

Carrot-bean soup with miso and dill

Here's a simple, nourishing carrot-bean soup with miso, lemon zest, and dill for a flavor punch. We love the rustic nature that’s achieved by keeping vegetable chunks whole rather than pureeing. 

Shakshuka recipe with Primary Beans Chickpeas

Favorite shakshuka with chickpeas and harissa

Shakshuka is at the top of our list of eggs-for-dinner recipes, though in Israel it’s brunch fare above all. It’s a one-pan dish of eggs baked in a spice-laden tomato sauce, and served with a pile of warm pita bread. 

Beans on toast recipe with Primary Beans Cannellini beans

Creamy beans on toast

A no-recipe recipe that is a must-have for your back pocket. Never forget: good, crusty bread is the perfect vessel for creamy beans. Which beans to use? Creamy beans with delicate skins...

Pasta e fagioli recipe with Primary Beans Cranberry beans

Pasta e fagioli

With as many variations as there are bean varieties, this Italian favorite is the perfect way to show off brothy beans in all their glory. Literally "pasta and beans," the only other ingredients you need are...

Baked beans with greens, dill, and yogurt recipe with Primary Beans Alubia beans

Baked beans with greens, dill, and yogurt

For those of you who love one-dish dinners that don't compromise on complexity of flavor, this one’s for you. Inspired by Greece’s way with beans, this recipe uses a traditional technique...