We’re getting back to the basics with this one! I love exploring really simple ways to transform pantry staples, like canned beans, into a filling and satisfying meal. For these Cheesy Pinto Beans, I simply seasoned up some canned beans, puréed half to make the beans nice and creamy, then stirred in a little cheese to make it extra flavorful and satisfying. Serve them over rice and you’ve got an easy and satisfying meal for pennies.
This post contains some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
What Are Pinto Beans?
Pinto beans have been a staple ingredient in many parts of the world, including Mexico and the Southwest U.S., for generations, so if you live in those areas you’re probably very familiar with this delicious bean. But if pinto beans aren’t already part of your regular diet, this recipe will be a great introduction. Pinto beans are a small, tan-colored bean that has a speckled appearance when dried. They have a deliciously creamy texture once cooked, which makes them great for refried beans, soup, burritos, or just enjoying over rice, like I did here.
Can I Use Dry Beans?
Dry beans will always be more budget-friendly, usually lower sodium, and oftentimes have better flavor, but they can definitely a little more time and work to prepare. This Cheesy Pinto Bean recipe is designed for convenience, so we’re using canned beans this time around. If you want to use pinto beans that you’ve cooked from dry, you’ll need about three cups of cooked beans. You’ll likely need to add a little more salt to your recipe at the end, as well.
How to Serve Cheesy Pinto Beans
This deliciously simple recipe can be eaten a few different ways. I served mine over a bowl of rice, but you could also purée more of the beans and serve it as a beany chip dip! I think it would also be good served in a bowl then scooped up with some fluffy naan or pita. Or, simply serve them alone as a side dish with your favorite meal.
What Else Can I Add?
Beans are such a flexible ingredient, so there are several other ingredients you can add to these cheesy pinto beans. Here are some other ingredients that you can stir into your beans:
- Diced Hatch green chiles
- Salsa
- Diced red onion
- Diced ham or bacon
- Sour cream (makes the beans EXTRA creamy)
- Cilantro
- Green onions
Cheesy Pinto Beans
Servings 4 ⅔ cup eachIngredients
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 jalapeño (optional) ($0.08)
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)
- 2 15oz. cans pinto beans ($2.00)
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin ($0.03)
- 1/8 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 2 dashes hot sauce ($0.10)
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese ($0.50)
Instructions
- Mince the garlic and finely dice the jalapeño (remove the stem and seeds).
- Add the garlic, jalapeño, and cooking oil to a pot. Sauté the garlic and jalapeño over medium heat for about one minute, or just until the garlic is very fragrant.
- Add one can of pinto beans to a blender, with the liquid in the can, and purée until smooth.
- Add the puréed beans and the second can of beans (drained) to the saucepot with the garlic and jalapeño. Stir to combine.
- Season the beans with the smoked paprika, cumin, pepper, and hot sauce. Stir to combine, then heat through over medium, stirring occasionally.
- Finally, add the shredded cheddar and stir until it has melted smoothly into the beans. Taste the beans and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Serve over rice or with your favorite meal.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Cheesy Pinto Beans – Step by Step Photos
Mince two cloves of garlic and finely dice one jalapeño (seeds and stem removed). Add them to a pot along with one tablespoon of cooking oil. Sauté over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or just until the garlic becomes really fragrant.
Add one 15oz. can of pinto beans to a blender (with the liquid in the can) and purée until smooth. Alternately, you can use an immersion blender in the pot with the beans.
Add the puréed beans to the pot along with a second 15oz. can of pinto beans (drained). Stir to combine.
Season the beans with ¼ tsp smoked paprika, ¼ tsp ground cumin, ⅛ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, and a couple of dashes of hot sauce. Stir to combine and then allow the beans to heat through, stirring occasionally.
Once the beans are hot, add ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese.
Stir the beans until the cheese has melted smoothly into the beans.
Taste the beans and adjust the seasonings to your liking. Because canned beans and cheese contain a fair amount of salt, I did not find that I needed to add any to the beans. Serve the beans over rice, with chips, or as a side to your favorite meal!
I generally greatly dislike pinto beans , but this recipe was amazing and so easy to make in a pinch. I found it for a lunch I was making for kids , and they loved it! I decided to taste some as well , and I ended up eating the rest with an avocado and a chicken tamale. Definitely making this again!
Easy and delicious! I cooked my beans from dry in the instant pot and used the cooking water to blend. I added a cup of cottage cheese to the blended beans for a little more protein and reserved the shredded cheddar for topping.
Excellent! Wouldn’t change a thing!
Very good I doubled the spices and hot sauce.
I didn’t have jalapenos so I subbed it with a couple tablespoons of hatch chilies and omitted the hot sauce. Super delicious and in regular rotation for dinner.
This recipe has no business being this delicious. It’s so easy. I have used picked jalapeños before in place of fresh in a pinch and that works great also.
Do you think I can skip blending the beans? Would I drain them only? Looks great :)
You could, I would drain and still mash them well with a fork with about 1/2 cup of broth to get a similar effect. I will say that part of what makes these so good is the sauciness that blending the beans brings to the dish so I can’t guarantee that it will be AS good.
Easy and tasty! I made this tonight and my kids wanted seconds of the beans.
Love this recipe! I make this on the regular for quick meal prep lunches.
This is comfort food. It is so good. Yum. It is very easy and quick to make. I will be making this regularly. Thank you for this!
Love this! I used one can cannellini and one can pinto because that’s what I had. I eat without an additional carb but with toppings like tomatoes and Greek yogurt
Can you freeze leftovers?
I’m not sure how well they would come back together once you unthawed, the texture might be a little grainy, but you can definitely try!
Delicious, filling, and most importantly quick! I will be making again. I subbed a sprinkle of cayenne pepper in for the jalapeno but I would use more of a tabasco or frank’s hot sauce next time instead of Cholula. I just mashed my beans with a potato masher and it turned out fine.
This is a great recipe! Thank you so much!
Making this for a second time tonight. So quick and easy to put together! Delicious. Thank you!
I absolutely love these beans! I prefer my beans a little less thick and more saucy though. One little adjustment solves this for me and makes it even easier. I don’t blend my beans and rinse them all instead. I throw them in with a little water (maybe 1/4 cup, eyeball it) to make a sauce. The cheese will thicken it. But this is such a delicious and quick weeknight meal. I love them with rice or over a baked potato.
Honestly delicious! I’ve even subbed black beans once and slightly increased the hot sauce and it was a huge hit. Even my young kids devoured it!
This was so delicious and filling. I served it over rice. My husband asked if the next time I made it, it could be more brothy with the rice, so I added 1 1/3 c broth to make the serving size 1 cup. Very good!
Have made this twice now. First time as is and my 18yo son and I both loved it. So good and filling.
Today I made it again and added half a diced onion and 2 handfuls of shredded kale. Still delicious!!!!! :)
Really easy and filling recipe. I used pepper jack cheese instead of cheddar and found it really delicious with some green onions scattered on top!
So simple but so good. Every time I make it I can’t stop eating it…I think I’m about to have leftovers with an egg and call it breakfast.
The liquid in the can, is there a way to get it using dry beans?
You can try using water or broth instead, but it won’t have quite the same texture. :) There’s usually about 1/2 cup of liquid in a can of beans. You may need to add a pinch of salt as well depending on if you use broth or water.
Use the liquid the beans were cooked in. I usually make a pound at a time and store with the cooking liquid.
My family is trying to eat less meat so this recipe is perfect. Just made these, using a can of refried beans because we have so many and to skip the puree step> I also used a regular can of pinto beans. I used monterey jack cheese slices since we were out of cheddar and doubled the spices. I served this in a rice bowl, added the beans and then an over easy egg on top. My husband and son both asked for seconds! Thank you for another great recipe.
I’ve made these a few times now because I LOVE them. I add cilantro and serve over a bed of rice, along with roasted peppers to make this the protein in a fajita bowl. Topped with guac is perfect too.
one of my favorite quick dinners!!
Love everything about this recipe! This will be on repeat at my house.
This was so quick and easy. I ate it like a dip with some tortilla chips as a snacky meal. It’s definitely a keeper. Thank you!
I’ve made this recipe before, and it’s amazing! This time I subbed canned red kidney beans and it was just as good!
Stupid easy and stupid good. I topped it with avocado, tomato and sour cream/salsa. So good and filling.
This has been on my meal plan for a couple of weeks, but I’ve been putting it off because bean dishes are always 50/50 for me. But I finally made it for lunch today before my jalapeno went bad and it was delicious! Very quick, too–I served it over boil-in-a-bag brown rice, and the beans were done long before the rice. I, unfortunately, was out of smoked paprika, so I used regular paprika and added some chili powder to round out the flavors. Cheap, easy, filling. I will definitely be making again.
Good flavor and very easy to put together.
Unfortunately, was extremely dry upon reheating and yogurt only helped so much.
This recipe should probably have some broth added to thin it out.
I’ve made this recipe 4 times and I just can’t get over how good it is. For sure one of my favorite recipes!
My two year old and I LOVE this recipe! I serve it over brown rice with zucchini and she literally says yum yum yum while eating! Today i made them with black beans as I was out of pinto, and very good as well. I skip the blender step and just use a submersion blender to blend and squash them a little. Thank you!
Delicious, fast, cheap. Thank you!
Is there another liquid besides the can liquid? Or skip it?
The can liquid is nice and starchy, which helps thicken the beans. You can try using water instead, but it won’t have quite the same texture. :)
I kid you not when I say this has to be the easiest and cheapest recipe in my arsenal. From start to finish it took less than 10 minutes, making it perfect for evenings after work when you’re too tired to preheat the oven. The texture is lovely and the dish is very warming.
I’ve made this many times now and everyone in the house loves it. I more often have either canned green chili’s or pickled jalapeños on hand over fresh jalapeño, so I often end up using one of those two pantry items in its place. Still turns out very tasty, even though the fresh jalapeño is superior. Great recipe to have in one’s arsenal .
This was really good! I used Monterey Jack instead of cheddar and I only had jarred jalapeños. I agree with not adding salt. It was perfect! I’ll definitely make it again.
Wow!!! A simple cheap healthy meal… thank you Beth! I pressure cooked dried pinto beans, then followed the directions but didn’t do the blender part because of toddler running around. I used the resulting bean dish in tortillas, with guacamole and cheese. It reminds me of the Amy’s frozen burritos!!! Except 1/10 of the cost. Plan to batch make this and freeze my own again. Thank you!
Oh my goodness. These were so easy and so good. I followed another commenter’s advice and used one can of refried beans with the pinto beans, which made it even quicker and with fewer dirty dishes. I will probably add another dash or two of hot sauce next time.
I had them as my Ash Wednesday meal, but they were so tasty that I felt guilty. :-)
Did you just do 1 can refried beans and 1 can pinto beans? I just bought an immersion blender for this and now I’m like nooo.
Congrats on getting an immersion blender! It’s a great tool to have around and will be of great use for this recipe (and tons of other ones)! No sweat! ~ Marion :)
nice start for a quick pantry meal. i actually used a can of refried beans bc i had one on hand and then a can (liquid and all) of pinto beans–no blender needed for that! i used half a small can of chopped green chilies instead of the jalapeño, and used jarred minced garlic. quick, easy, and just the right spice when combined with leftover almost-too-spicy seasoned rice i dug out of the freezer. feeling inspired by the people talking about eggs!!
Simple & Satisfying! I like it as written, or with a fried egg on top.
Delicious, simple and flexible. I added a half an onion I had to eat up. I want to try it with other kinds of peppers.
I halved the recipe, and simply mashed one can beans “halfway”, right in the pot using a potato masher, until they more or less looked like the beans in the picture. Served them over 50/50 white rice and cauliflower rice, because I had leftovers of both to use. And I topped my bowl with a few drops of hot sauce and an egg. It made a fine breakfast!
Okay, I’ve made this recipe an embarrassing amount of times since it’s been posted because it’s so simple and beans + rice is just a comforting combo. I up the spice amount and serve it with yellow rice. My partner and I just love this meal.
Really easy and yummy! I almost always have these ingredients on hand. Used pickled jalapeño since that’s what I had and it was super good! Thanks!
Fast for a quick meal and very good. I will be making this again.
You did it again! This recipe was amazing for our meatless Monday. Can I give it more than 5 stars?
When you say 15oz cans do you mean 15 fluid ounces? I can only find 19oz cans that say 19 fluid ounces.
If you want to follow the recipe to a T, just reserve a quarter cup for a different preparation. I’d use the entire can though. Taste taste taste as you cook and adjust for seasoning. XOXO -Monti
Thanks, should I use 2 cans or just the one? Trying to be accurate to the original recipe so I don’t mess up serving sizes/portions.
If one can is 19 ounces and the recipe calls for 15 ounces, I would just use one can and be over by 4 ounces. XOXO -Monti
Despite all the seasonings, I found it rather flavorless. Adding a bunch of salt and more hot sauce made it edible, but would never make it again. Also very soupy.
Super simple to make and absolutely delicious. I enjoyed the beans over rice as well as in burritos. I replaced the jalapenos with a small can of green chiles, and it turned out great.
Really good, especially for something so inexpensive and easy to prepare. We ate it as a side with Mexican food, and leftovers were great as a dip with tortilla chips that we toasted in the air fryer. Will be making this one often!
This is a great recipe base! I used what I had (garlic powder rather than garlic cloves, chipotle powder rather than jalapeño), tripled all the spices and used kidney beans. We ate the entire pot practically in silence because it was so good. And it was very easy to make.
My five-year-old son and I love these. Love your blog too, thank you!
These beans were so simple and delicious. I do something similar but somehow never thought to add cheese to it – how crazy is that!?!
These beans were great, as pictured, with rice (I added a pinch of saffron) and garnished with scallions. My daughter had hers in a burrito, I ate mine as pictured, and my husband added some leftover cubed pork from chili to his bowl for a feast. Super easy, super fast, super tasty, and no grocery shopping involved! We’ll definitely be making this again and again.
So fast, easy and delicious!! Another winning recipe by Beth.
Just finished making a pot of these. Incredibly easy, I did have to use salt because I used dried beans and forgot about the salt. I also added a bit more acid with a lime since I ran out of hot sauce in the making.
Excellent, simple dish I plan on having for lunches during the week
These are fantastic! My 4yr old son loves these!! I make brown rice and serve over. I’ve also used the Greenwise cilantro jalapeno chicken sausage from Publix and added to top it off. It does make it high in sodium but I use no salt added canned beans. Filling and nutritious! I was a bit skeptical these would be good but man, they really are. I took some with me to work for dinner at the hospital and they were quick to heat and eat between admissions. Thank you Beth! I recommend this blog to everyone I know! If only I knew about it sooner! It is ALWAYS recommended on my “large family” groups on Facebook and also on foodie pages. Keep it up!!
Thank you so much for this recipe. This is now a comfort food of mine.
This is so quick and easy and can be edited in so many ways. I don’t feel so well so I didn’t bother chopping garlic so I just used garlic powder along with everything else. It’s so easy and so comforting. I added siratcha instead of hot sauce (don’t have any lol)
I had some pinto beans in my freezer that I needed to use up and I’d had my eye on this recipe for awhile so I decided to give it a try. It did not disappoint! Soooo yummy, the cheese really made it something special. I paired it with Tomato Rice, Chipotle Peach Salsa with corn chips and a salad and it was a perfect meatless dinner.
Yum yum yum! We have made this soooo many times since finding this recipe a month or so ago! When I made it tonight, I sauteed onions and poblanos peppers and blended then with the beans. Perfect DIY Mexican pizza filling cuz my daughter’s having withdrawal 😂
What specific brand of hot sauce would you recommend.?
Tapatio is great. XOXO -Monti
So I’m going to be honest – I thought these sounded good but I didn’t have terribly high expectations just because they are beans after all.
But wow, these are SO SO good. The only thing I did differently was add a few pieces of already cooked bacon that I cut up into smaller pieces because I had some sitting in the fridge. Thank you so much for the phenomenal and very filling recipe!! I have been eating this for dinner and doubling the serving size. Keeps me so full.
P.S. I started making your recipes when I first started learning to cook about 8 years ago. So with that being said, Beth had a hand in teaching me how to cook and I will be forever grateful!
Love this delicious and simple recipe!!
This recipe is so good. I’ve made it twice so far. So much better than the refried beans you buy in a can. Much more like restaurant style. Thank you!!!
I’ve made these a few times now and love them. I have been making frozen meals getting ready for a new baby and was wondering if these could take the place of the black beans in the frozen burritos you make?
Absolutely! Congrats on the new baby! -XOXO Monti
I made these for meal prep last week and I didn’t have the highest expectations, but they were delicious. I swapped a raw jalapeño for a can of diced chilis (because something in raw peppers makes me itch) and it worked really well. I do recommend topping then with some sort of pickle. I made the quick pickled red peppers also from Budget Bytes and they were perfect.
I just made these today and they are so good! I used dried beans that I had made a few weeks ago and froze into 1 1/2 cup baggies. I bought the 32 ounce bag at Aldi for $1.99 and got the equivalent of 7 cans from it. The money saved is so worth it to me although I also use canned beans for convenience once in awhile. I will be making these again!
These are so good! The first time I made them as written, but I like my food spicier, so the next time I used only one can of beans and the same amount of other ingredients. I also added a small amount of cream cheese. It was perfect, and I like that it made a smaller amount, since I’m cooking for one. I used the leftovers in quesadillas. I don’t usually enjoy beans, but I’ll definitely be making these again!
These are tasty. I like the texture from the blended beans. I added about 1/4 tsp salt and more hot sauce to give it more flavor. I have been enjoying it in tacos with salsa and sour cream! It’s a bit runny, so I might remove the water from the very top of the blended can if I make again. Overall great, just needs a few tweaks!
Just made the cheesy pinto beans with brown rice. I added diced ham and topped with sour cream. It was delicious! As good or better than any Mexican restaurant I’ve been to. And it took no time at all. And it’s cheap to make! What a keeper!
Tried this recipe for the first time last night and it was a hit! Cost effective, tasty, and filling. I didn’t have a jalapeno, so I diced up some red bell pepper in its place. You could definitely use a serrano or poblano pepper to add some freshness. We will definitely make again!
Delicious! Made this with pinto beans I pressure canned a couple years ago. So, so good! Thanks! God bless!
I know the recipe is literally pinto beans but do you think this would also taste good with black beans??
Yep, you really can’t go wrong with seasoned beans of any type. :)
This is one of my new favorite recipes, with a few twists. I usually double the spices, add a chopped red onion at the beginning, stir in some pico de gallo, and juice from a whole lime. Made it several times and have eaten it with eggs, tortillas, rice, and as soup!
I like pinto beans but I don’t like spicy. I will make this without the jalapeno and hot sauce. I also have my druthers about the cumin and smoked paprika. Could i substitute onion for the jalapeno? Other than that I’m sure I will like it.
Yep! You can season them with whatever herbs, spices, or aromatics that you like. :)
Really good! I used cooked dry pinto beans that I had frozen and added some broth for the liquid. Instead of blending the mixture I just mashed some beans up with a spoon. Topped with pico de gallo and sour cream. Simple and delicious!
Gorgeous texture – creamy yet substantial, and very filling! For once, I regret omitting the jalapeño – I’m a major spice wimp, and I usually skip any chili peppers and drastically reduce the amount of cayenne pepper that a recipe calls for. I wish I had kept it in this time, though – it ended up being extremely creamy, and could have used the extra kick. I compensated with a little extra hot sauce (siracha, in my case) which was delicious, but next time I’ll keep the jalapeño. Beth, I’m sorry I ever doubted you!
Sour cream, red onions, and green onions all made superb toppings.
Excellent dish! Cheap, delicious, and filling. Absolutely loved it.
Not gonna lie, I hate most beans due to texture issues. I can tolerate refried, but anything with an actual bean? NOPE. Surprisingly, due to the blending on this, I can actually eat these! Quite please with this and I’ve been eating these the last couple days. Thanks for this!
I used my own homegrown and dried Tiger’s Eye beans (about 240 grams dried). I used some of the water I boiled the beans in and added a bit more salt and it was wonderful. I’m definitely growing more Tiger’s Eye beans this year just to make this recipe again.
Who doesn’t love pinto beans? I’m tempted to make this every week. We did this with grilled peppers and onions and a citrus/spicy marinated grilled chicken. Beans, beans, they’re good for your heart…and wallet!
I’ve been looking for a tasty easy bean recipe and this fit the bill perfectly! I like mine spicier and chunkier so the next time I make them I’ll probably only puree 1/2 can of the beans and add more jalapeno.
For what it’s worth, shredded vegan fake cheese works pretty well in this
I’ve made this twice already. Love it! The first time I didn’t have jalapeno so I added the last 1/3rd of a jar of salsa.
You’ve done it again, Beth! I made this for dinner and it’s going to be in the regular rotation. Like most recipes here, I just used the seasonings as a guide and found the tastiest combo for me, which included the addition of Worcestershire and way more of every spice. But I love this genius use of beans for dinner and especially love how cheap and easy it is. Brilliant!
I made these beans for dinner tonight and they are really good! I love pinto beans but the added seasonings and cheese took them to a whole new level. I’ll be making them again.
I had a bunch of cilantro so I served with the cilantro lime rice recipe. I thought it might be a little weird with the cheese, but it was sooo good. The freshness and citrus in the rice was a perfect complement.
Filling, easy, cheap and healthy. Unfortunately, also quite bland. I tasted it, added some salt, and otherwise left it bland since my toddler was sharing dinner with me (he loved it, by the way), but if I were eating it by myself, I’d double the seasoning and maybe add some more cheese. At a minimum. Definitely going into the rotation, just with some modifications. Thanks!
This is one of those “why didn’t I think of that” recipes! So simple and satisfying. My daughter had the beans with rice and some other toppings to make a bowl. I had them in a tortilla with some chicken and corn to make a taco. This will be in the regular rotation.
These were so good and incredibly easy! I omitted the jalapeño and hot sauce because I know my kids wouldn’t touch it with a 10-foot pole. I replaced the cumin with mild chili powder. My kids said that this recipe must be made on repeat! Thank you!
I can’t eat garlic (it is the worst intolerance I could have imagined!). Would about 1 tsp onion powder be a good substitute? Or maybe .5 tsp?
Sure! I don’t know how much you’ll need exactly, but you can definitely season the beans to your liking with whatever you prefer. :)
What what be a suitable substitute for the hot sauce? Don’t have any on hand sadly
You don’t necessarily need to substitute it. You can just leave it out if needed. You can really just season the beans with whatever you like. :)
What a simple and delicious riff on red beans and rice! I’m a big fan of pinto beans myself and often use them for northern style chili instead of the kidney beans of my midwest upbringing. What can I say! I can make a great pot of Texas red, but hubs still loves the ground beef chili he was raised on.
Puree the whole batch, swirl in some sour cream and you’ll have a spectacular bean dip for your Cinco de Mayo celebration.
I love pintos precisely because of the creamy texture you mention. My supermarket frequently has BOGO sales for store brand canned beans making it easy to keep my pantry stocked with canned beans–pintos for chile, etc; navy beans for soup; kidneys for my fave bean salad; garbanzos and cannellini just because we love them. I rarely pay more than $.50 for a can of beans.
How much onion did you use? I didn’t see it in the ingredients list or in the photos, but it is mentioned in the instructions. Thank you, Beth! I’m really looking forward to trying this one!
Sorry about that! That was just a brain fart typo. It was supposed to be garlic. :P
Why so much sodium? If no additional salt added, what causes so much sodium? Thank you, Mary Stephens
Canned beans contain a decent amount of sodium, as does cheese.
If sodium sensitive, draining and rinsing canned beans can reduce sodium by ~40%. https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/011110p62.shtml
I will regularly cook up and freeze large batches of beans. I drain them and divide them up into can-size portion to use in recipes. The only drawback is the occasional recipe that wants the liquid along with the beans. What can I replace that bean liquid with?
You can freeze some of the bean liquid like you freeze broth (in icecube trays and then put them in a zip bag). You can use some chicken or vegetable broth in case you need the liquid before you freeze your next bean batch
I do the same thing, but I always add about a half cup of the liquid when I freeze. I think the beans have a better texture when defrosted that way. Maybe you could try with one or two on your next batch and see if you like it? Or just do one or two like this and mark it so you’ll have one of you need it for a specific recipe?
You could just add some water to help them blend up smoothly, then add salt at the end of the recipe to taste. :)
The liquid left after beans have cooked is precious, don’t throw it away, I call it bean broth and I always save it in a jar (usually it goes in the freezer). You can use it as broth, since it has some starch in it (depending on the type of bean and how long it was cooked) you can either leave it as is and this way it will thicken soups and stews, or strain the starch out (I do it with a handcherkief). You can definitely use it in place of the liquid in a can of beans, but it will be much tastier.
Bean broth made out of chickpeas is particularly versatile and similar to chicken broth.
Oh Yum! I came to the site today for the pickled spicy carrots recipe from a couple of days ago and found this little surprise. Yum. Family loved it. Simple, quick, inexpensive, and tasty.