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Beans: simple, versatile, delicious

Beans are the ultimate kitchen shortcut – tasty, affordable, and endlessly adaptable. From hearty family favourites to fresh new ideas, they’re the ingredient that makes everyday cooking easier and more exciting.

Meet your new kitchen hero

However you like to cook, adding beans is an easy way to take a favourite meal to even better! Very versatile, full of fibre, and easy to use straight from the tin, beans can transform any meal in minutes. How do you want to add more beans and veg to your diet this week? The simplest start is adding beans to existing favourites, but we’ve got more inspiration for potential new winners from some incredible chefs!

30-minute meals

Fast food, done right. These recipes put beans at the heart of quick and satisfying dishes you can have on the table in half an hour.

Smokey beans

Jethro’s Smokey Beans

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 1

Jethro Carr

Afghan bean curry

Afghan Kidney Bean Curry

Effort: 2
Complexity: 1
Cost: 2

Flo Francis

photo of Chintal's chickpea curry with rice on a plate

Chintal’s Chickpea Curry

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 1

Dr Chintal Patel

photo of Chintal's lentil bolognese on a plate

Chintal’s Lentil Bolognese & Spaghetti

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 1

Dr Chintal Patel

photo of Chintal's bean burgers and chips on a plate

Chintal’s Bean Burger and Chips

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 1

Dr Chintal Patel

photo of Chintal's tinned vegetable salad on a plate

Chintal’s Tinned Vegetable Salad

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 1

Dr Chintal Patel

Photo of AJ's Mexican bean wrap

AJ’s Mexican Bean Wrap

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 1

Chef AJ

Photo of AJ's poke bowl

AJ’s Rainbow Poke Bowl

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 1

Chef AJ

Image of chickpea halloumi curry recipe

Anna’s Creamy Chickpea and Halloumi Curry

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 2

Anna Wylie

Lauren’s Tomato Butter Beans & Cabbage on Toast

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 1

Lauren Leyva

quick chana masala

Mallika’s Quick Chana Masala

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 1

Mallika Basu

Prue’s Spanish Beans on Fried Bread

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 1

Prue Leith

take a tin of beans

Shivi’s “Take a Tin of Beans” Formula

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 1

Shivi Ramoutar

Shivi’s Firecracker Quesadillas

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 1

Shivi Ramoutar

chickpea scramble

Bettina’s Chickpea Scramble

Effort: 2
Complexity: 2
Cost: 2

Bettina Campolucci Bordi

bean enchiladas

Charlotte’s Family Favourite Enchiladas

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 1

Charlotte Stirling-Reed RNutr

spaghetti butter bean bake

Zoe’s Spaghetti Bake with Butter Beans

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 1

Zoe Griffiths

Joe’s Chipolatas with Balsamic Lentils

Effort: 2
Complexity: 1
Cost: 2

Joe Wicks

Anita’s Oven-Baked Falafels with Tomato Salsa

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 2

Anita Bean

Anna’s Vegetable Tacos

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 2

Anna Redmayne-Porter

Carrot & Chickpea Burgers

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 1

Claire Wright

Sides & salads

Small plates with big personality. Whether you’re adding a punchy bean salad to a meal, or serving up a simple side, beans bring freshness and flavour to every spread.

adaptable hummus

A Very Adaptable Hummus

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 1

Claire Wright

many bean salad

Hugh’s Many Bean Salad

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 1

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Kidney bean and beet falafel

Ali’s Kidney Bean & Beet Falafels

Effort: 2
Complexity: 2
Cost: 2

Ali Honour

Tom’s Hazelnut Kale Pesto with Butter Beans

Effort: 2
Complexity: 1
Cost: 2

Tom Aikens

Burrito Salad | Veg Power

Burrito Rice Salad

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 1

Claire Wright

Smashed Carrots

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 1

Andrew Walker

Zoe’s Koose Fritters

Effort: 4
Complexity: 4
Cost: 3

Zoe Adjonyoh

David and Stephen’s Trio of Hummus

Effort: 2
Complexity: 2
Cost: 2

David & Stephen Flynn (The Happy Pear)

Thomasina’s Diced Avocado with Mango, Black Beans and Pickled Jalapeno

Effort: 1
Complexity: 2
Cost: 2

Thomasina Miers

Soups & stews

Comfort in a bowl. Beans soak up flavours beautifully, making them the perfect base for rich soups, hearty stews, and warming one-pots.

comforting bean soup

Bettina’s Comforting Bean Soup

Effort: 2
Complexity: 2
Cost: 2

Bettina Campolucci Bordi

white chicken bean chilli

Melissa’s White Chicken & Bean Chilli

Effort: 3
Complexity: 2
Cost: 2

Melissa Hemsley

ultimate chilli

BOSH! Ultimate Chilli

Effort: 2
Complexity: 3
Cost: 2

BOSH!

Sophie’s Beany Shakshuka

Effort: 2
Complexity: 2
Cost: 3

Sophie Gastman

Image of Francesco Mattana's Live to 100 minestrone soup

Francesco’s “Live to 100” Minestrone

Effort: 2
Complexity: 2
Cost: 2

Francesco Mattana

Picture of spiced lentils with crispbread

Rakesh’s Spiced Lentils with Crispbread

Effort: 3
Complexity: 2
Cost: 3

Rakesh Ravindran Nair

Tom’s Beans with Parsley Crumb

Effort: 2
Complexity: 2
Cost: 2

Tom Aikens

Jennifer’s Chicken & Leek Cassoulet

Effort: 1
Complexity: 2
Cost: 2

Jennifer John

Vic’s Carrot & Lentil Soup

Effort: 2
Complexity: 2
Cost: 1

Vic Borrill (Brighton & Hove Food Partnership)

Mel’s Spanish Chickpea & Almond Stew

Effort: 2
Complexity: 2
Cost: 2

Melissa Hemsley

Amanda’s Italian Country Soup

Effort: 2
Complexity: 2
Cost: 1

Amanda Ursell

Simple & slow

Take your time. Slow-cooked bean & lentil dishes are deeply satisfying, with layers of flavour that only get better the longer they simmer.

Spinach Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry

Zoe’s Spinach and Sweet Potato Curry with Chickpeas

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 1

Zoe Griffiths

beans and jackets

Charlotte’s Easy Beans & Jacket

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 1

Charlotte Stirling-Reed RNutr

Non-meatballz

Bettina’s Non-Meatballz

Effort: 2
Complexity: 2
Cost: 2

Bettina Campolucci Bordi

white chicken bean chilli

Melissa’s White Chicken & Bean Chilli

Effort: 3
Complexity: 2
Cost: 2

Melissa Hemsley

black bean burger

Jethro’s Black Bean Burgers

Effort: 2
Complexity: 1
Cost: 2

Jethro Carr

beans & greens soup

Niki’s Beans & Greens Soup

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 2

Niki Webster

Claire’s Bean & Egg Chimichangas

Effort: 2
Complexity: 2
Cost: 1

Claire Thomson

Picture of Irini Tzortzoglou's Giant White Baked Beans recipe

Irina’s Giant White Beans Baked with Carrots & Celery

Effort: 2
Complexity: 1
Cost: 2

Irini Tzortzoglou

Picture of Lauren Leyva's Lazy Lasagne

Lauren’s Cabbage & Bean ‘Lazy Lasagne’

Effort: 2
Complexity: 1
Cost: 1

Lauren Leyva

James’ Lentil & Aubergine Lasagne

Effort: 2
Complexity: 2
Cost: 2

James May

Joe’s Curried Cottage Pie

Effort: 1
Complexity: 1
Cost: 1

Joe Wicks

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