I’m not a psychic, but I know that there are probably canned beans in your pantry right now. Canned beans are rightfully celebrated as a shelf-stable, inexpensive, versatile source of protein. Throw them into chili! Fold ‘em into a luxuriously creamy vegan pasta sauce! Blend ‘em into hummus! Smash ‘em into sandwiches. The possibilities are just about endless. But sometimes, we do away with the theatrics and just marinate them.
Marinating—a.k.a. popping the can, rinsing the beans, and drowning them in olive oil (plus any aromatics, herbs, and spices you have on hand)—is a quick and adaptable upgrade that requires very little from you and your pantry. It also doubles as a great way to stretch any herbs and vegetables that might be on their way out: A slick of oil prevents oxidation, meaning you can keep those beans in the fridge for days, where they’ll make for a hearty and healthful work lunch, a tasty-at-room-temp picnic food, or a speedy party appetizer. They’re versatile enough to be enjoyed warmed up over toast or cold from the fridge and tossed in a sturdy salad.
While you don’t need more than a few glugs of good olive oil and vinegar to start marinating, white beans like cannellini, navy, or Great Northern can take on a wide range of assertive flavors that will only get better with time. Go ahead and improvise with what you have on hand, but keep these tenets in mind:
Bloom your spices
Start by heating your olive oil in a medium skillet. This isn’t the place to skimp on the fat, which will carry the flavor of your spices and alliums and give the beans a more luxurious mouthfeel: Aim for about ⅓ cup oil per two 15-ounce cans of beans.
Next up, add a few types of spices—try whole spices like mustard seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, chile flakes, or nigella seeds and/or ground spices or blends like coriander, smoked paprika, five spice, or za’atar—and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to pop or, in the case of ground spices, become darker and more fragrant. Whole spices will add bursts of crunchy flavor, whereas ground spices will coat each and every bean. In both instances, blooming the spices in fat not only unlocks their deepest, most aromatic flavors but also infuses the oil itself.
This is also a good time to add any woody herbs—like rosemary or thyme—as well as bay leaves, curry leaves, or large peels of citrus zest.
Then add aromatics
Once your spices are bloomed in oil, pull them off the heat and grate in garlic and citrus zest (as opposed to sizzled peel, fresh zest will provide a more direct citrus punch—the small particles disperse throughout the beans itself). Add your favorite allium, like finely chopped shallots, red onions, leeks, chives, or scallions.
Break out the beans
While you could make beans from dry for this, canned work just as well (and are a whole lot faster). Drain and rinse those canned beans (this is a scenario in which you don’t want that gloppy goop). We particularly like white beans in this application—their mild, buttery flavor means that they can accommodate a wide array of accessories—but other varieties of beans (black, pinto, cranberry, etc.) will also work well.
I’m not a psychic, but I know that there are probably canned beans in your pantry right now. Canned beans are rightfully celebrated as a shelf-stable, inexpensive, versatile source of protein. Throw them into chili! Fold ‘em into a luxuriously creamy vegan pasta sauce! Blend ‘em into hummus! Smash ‘em into sandwiches. The possibilities are just about endless. But sometimes, we do away with the theatrics and just marinate them. Marinating—a.k.a. popping the can, rinsing the beans, and drowning them in olive oil (plus any aromatics, herbs, and spices you have on hand)—is a quick and adaptable upgrade that requires very little from you and your pantry. It also doubles as a great way to stretch any herbs and vegetables that might be on their way out: A slick of oil prevents oxidation, meaning you can keep those beans in the fridge for days, where they’ll make for a hearty and healthful work lunch, a tasty-at-room-temp picnic food, or a speedy party appetizer. They’re versatile enough to be enjoyed warmed up over toast or cold from the fridge and tossed in a sturdy salad.While you don’t need more than a few glugs of good olive oil and vinegar to start marinating, white beans like cannellini, navy, or Great Northern can take on a wide range of assertive flavors that will only get better with time. Go ahead and improvise with what you have on hand, but keep these tenets in mind:Bloom your spicesStart by heating your olive oil in a medium skillet. This isn’t the place to skimp on the fat, which will carry the flavor of your spices and alliums and give the beans a more luxurious mouthfeel: Aim for about ⅓ cup oil per two 15-ounce cans of beans. Next up, add a few types of spices—try whole spices like mustard seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, chile flakes, or nigella seeds and/or ground spices or blends like coriander, smoked paprika, five spice, or za’atar—and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to pop or, in the case of ground spices, become darker and more fragrant. Whole spices will add bursts of crunchy flavor, whereas ground spices will coat each and every bean. In both instances, blooming the spices in fat not only unlocks their deepest, most aromatic flavors but also infuses the oil itself.This is also a good time to add any woody herbs—like rosemary or thyme—as well as bay leaves, curry leaves, or large peels of citrus zest.Then add aromaticsOnce your spices are bloomed in oil, pull them off the heat and grate in garlic and citrus zest (as opposed to sizzled peel, fresh zest will provide a more direct citrus punch—the small particles disperse throughout the beans itself). Add your favorite allium, like finely chopped shallots, red onions, leeks, chives, or scallions.Break out the beansWhile you could make beans from dry for this, canned work just as well (and are a whole lot faster). Drain and rinse those canned beans (this is a scenario in which you don’t want that gloppy goop). We particularly like white beans in this application—their mild, buttery flavor means that they can accommodate a wide array of accessories—but other varieties of beans (black, pinto, cranberry, etc.) will also work well.