These navy bean recipes couldn’t be any easier!
Whether you call them navy beans, Boston beans, pea beans, or something else, there’s no denying that navy beans are a tasty, filling treat.
If you don’t already think so, you probably will soon after trying a few of these recipes. After all, they taste great and have a wide variety of uses.
They’re pretty good for you, too. They’re an excellent source of fiber and have almost as much protein as well.
They can lower your risk of diabetes, help improve your overall digestive system, and give you better gut and heart health.
After all, “beans, beans, good for the heart, the more you eat….”
Well, we all know the rest! Now, let’s check out these navy bean recipes.
13 Easy Recipes With Navy Beans
1. Navy Bean Ham Bone Soup
Have a leftover ham bone and a pound of dry navy beans just sitting around your house? If so, use them to make this delightful, hearty ham bone soup.
It’s brothy and full of chunky ingredients and herbs and requires only 10 minutes of prep work.
If you’re looking for something warm and filling on a cold winter night, this soup is a great choice.
2. Hearty White Bean Chili
There’s just something about slow cooker chili that’s hard to beat.
Yes, it takes over 6 hours to make, but all that slow simmering makes the flavors come through in robust, wonderful ways.
This one features a pound of your favorite ground meat, chili powder, jalapenos, garlic, onions, crushed and stewed tomatoes, and three different types of beans.
Top it off with some shredded cheese, sour cream, scallions, and crumbled crackers, and you’ll have people begging for more.
3. Southwestern Navy Bean Soup
If you want a soup that’s just as filling and appetizing as the chili but doesn’t take nearly as long to make, you can have southwestern navy bean soup ready in just 45 minutes.
It has plenty of yummy ingredients like garlic, onions, bay leaves, sausage, scallions, ham hocks, and more.
It’s the kind of soup you’d find on the stove of your grandma’s kitchen, and you know anything that came off that stove was delicious!
4. White Bean Burgers With Tomato Olive Relish
Soups and chilis aren’t the only things you can make with navy beans. You can also prepare thick, juicy white bean burgers with a ton of flavor.
If you like your burgers with a bit of Italian flair, these are the way to go.
It doesn’t taste like a ground beef burger, but if you’re a vegan looking for a flavorful substitute, you’ll enjoy it.
5. Vegan White Bean Tacos With Jalapeno Cilantro Sauce
If you’re a tacos-before-burgers type of vegan, check out this recipe instead. The jalapeno cilantro sauce on these is exceptional, as is everything else.
They’re spicy and taste strongly of jalapenos, cilantro, and salsa, so if you’re in the mood for something fresh and filling, you’ll appreciate these 30-minute tacos.
6. Vegan Lemon and White Bean Pasta
If you’re in the mood for a slightly zestier pasta, give this vegan lemon and white bean pasta a try.
You can use whatever pasta you like best, but I usually stick to the tubular varieties (penne, rigatoni, or ziti).
You’ll love the contrasting flavors of the lemon juice and zest with the garlic and onions.
It’s earthy and bright, and the red pepper flakes and cashew Parmesan add their unique tastes, as well.
7. Tuscan White Bean Pasta
For the longest time, I wasn’t a bean and pasta kind of person. I just didn’t think the two things went well together.
However, I’m not ashamed to admit when I’m wrong, and I was wrong.
Maybe it’s the caramelized garlic, the buttery noodles, or one of the other bold flavors in this dish. Whatever it is, I’m here for it because this stuff is fantastic.
And despite how fancy and exotic it looks, it takes only half an hour to make, so it’s pretty awesome all around.
8. Chicken and White Bean Enchiladas With Creamy Salsa Verde
These cheesy chicken enchiladas take some time and work to get right (25 minutes of prep and an hour to cook), but they’ll taste phenomenal, and the whole family will love them.
The enchiladas themselves are relatively straightforward; you’ll use chicken, tortillas, veggies, and seasonings.
The green chile enchilada sauce is a bit more involved.
I know that buying enchilada sauce from the store is much easier, but you just won’t get the rich depth of flavor from store-bought sauce that you will from this homemade version.
Plus, you can always make extra and store it in the fridge so that it doesn’t take as long next time.
9. Kale and White Bean Pizza
Beans on pizza may seem strange, but if you enjoy spinach and mushrooms on your pizza, then you’ll love kale and white beans, too.
This pizza is so cheesy, perfectly seasoned, and not that bad for you as far as pizza goes. Give it a shot when you’re in the mood for something green.
10. Easy White Bean Salad
White bean salad is a cool, refreshing, and totally chunky salad that’s ideal for those summer barbecues with the family.
It has a light, zesty flavor (thanks mainly to the cherry tomatoes, mint, parsley, lemon, and feta cheese) but is surprisingly filling.
It makes a wonderful side dish for just about anything you want to pair it with, except maybe dessert.
11. White Bean Chili
Here’s another great recipe for white bean chili that tastes almost as good as the one above.
What can I say? I love slow-cooked meals. They’re so much more flavorful.
Still, if you’re in the mood for chili and don’t have 6 hours to spare, this recipe is an excellent backup.
12. Easy White Bean Skillet
If you’re a fan of skillet meals that allow you to throw a little bit of everything into the pot, you’ll appreciate this 20-minute white bean skillet dinner.
If I had to describe it in just one word, I’d probably say herb-flavored. However, it’s also filling and has just a hint of spice, as well.
Best of all, it takes 5 minutes of prep and another 15 to cook, and since you’ll make everything in one skillet, the clean-up is minimal.
You can’t beat that, especially on a busy weekday evening when you just don’t have the time to do “a proper” dinner.
13. Pasta Salad With White Beans and Corn
Who needs Suddenly Salad when you can whip up this light but filling pasta salad in a little over 30 minutes?
All you’ll need is pasta, navy beans, corn, sun-dried tomatoes, ripe tomatoes, scallions, basil, oregano, vinaigrette, salt, and pepper.
There’s no cooking involved other than boiling the pasta, and I don’t know anyone who doesn’t enjoy a tasty pasta salad in the summer months.
13 Simple Ways to Use Navy Beans
The simple navy bean recipes hit the spot! From soup to chili to pasta, the humble navy bean lends itself to so many comforting dishes.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Select your favorite recipe.
- Organize all the required ingredients.
- Prep a navy bean recipe in 30 minutes or less!
