18 White Bean Recipes That Will Make It Your New Favorite Ingredient

Beans are incredibly versatile, whether you're buying them by the can or simmering them in a pot all afternoon. Among the numerous varieties, white beans include a handful of subtypes, like navy, cannellini, lima (aka butter beans), and Great Northern white beans. They're pretty easy to identify since they're a pale off-white hue. Depending on the specific type, the texture can vary from soft and creamy to meatier with more of a chew. Consequently, there are countless ways to serve these delicious legumes without ever getting bored.

We looked through the Tasting Table recipe archives to find the best white bean recipes to sample these delights. From quicker salad preparations to hearty stews and a whole bunch in between, these recipes are sure to transform the way you look at the humble bean. In fact, chances are as you start experimenting with these creations you'll find white beans slowly start to become your new favorite ingredient. Read on for the white bean recipes you'll want to add to your repertoire.

Italian-style anything is bound to be packed with flavor, and this white bean and tomato skillet doesn't disappoint. It brings together alliums, roasted red peppers, fire-roasted and sun-dried tomatoes, dried thyme, oregano, and basil in a skillet, along with cannellini beans, grated Parmesan, and spinach for a hearty fix. The dish is finished off with a drizzle of rich balsamic vinegar and fresh basil for an easy weeknight dinner you'll want to make on repeat. Serve it with a crusty loaf of bread for mopping up.

Recipe: Italian-Style White Bean and Tomato Skillet

An instant pot is just one more step of convenience in this white bean and potato stew. The recipe calls for soaking dry white beans to make them easier to cook and digest. Then, the remainder of the prep work is super quick. Just add the beans, shallots, garlic, celery, potatoes, and seasonings to the pot, along with crushed tomatoes and tomato paste and pressure cook. Before serving, stir in chopped kale and fresh herbs for a vibrant green kick to liven up this stick-to-your-bones stew.

Recipe: Instant Pot White Bean and Potato Stew

If you're looking for a fresh salad with Mediterranean flavors, you can't go wrong with roasted artichokes and white beans. There's no need to steam and prep a whole artichoke either; just pop open a can of artichoke hearts and roast them to concentrate the flavor. Amp it up further by combining cannellini beans, shallot, parsley, dill, oregano, and capers. The salad really comes together with a lemon Dijon vinaigrette, which ties all the components together and soaks into the white beans just so.

Recipe: Roasted Artichoke and White Bean Salad

Beans are a staple in any chili recipe, and this white variation is a welcome diversion from the usual. Cannellini beans feature front and center, adding plenty of bulk and texture to this filling, yet surprisingly light recipe. Brown rice adds a chewy element, while tomatillos fill out the rest of the chili with citrusy flavors that keep it nice and bright. Elevate the heat with jalapeños, and don't skip out on garnishes like fresh cilantro, avocado, and sour cream to seal the deal. Once you have a taste, this might turn into your new go-to chili recipe.

Recipe: Tomatillo and White Bean Chili

Southern food doesn't shy away from flavor, and this creamy butter bean recipe highlights that with pizazz. Dried lima beans take center stage, simmered for a couple of hours with pepper, onion, celery, garlic, ham hock, Andouille sausage, and herbs. During this time they soak up plenty of flavor from the meat, veggies, and seasonings, transforming them from a simple legume to carriers of deliciousness. Served with the shredded ham hock, this dish is simple Southern comfort food at its finest, and an excellent pairing with cornbread.

Recipe: Creamy Southern-Style Butter Beans

This recipe proves a vegetarian pot pie doesn't have to leave you wanting for something more satisfying. Packed with onion, carrot, kale, and white beans simmered in stock and white wine, along with fresh thyme and parsley, the contents of this pie will delight vegetarians and meat eaters alike. Scoop the mixture into small casseroles and top each with a round of puff pastry (readymade to save you time), and this savory bite will become a new favorite that you'll want to add to your meal prep routine.

Recipe: Vegetarian White Bean Pot Pie

This recipe is a winner for those times when you don't want to commit to meat or veggie burgers. Simply blend white beans with ground beef and seasonings to whip up some flavor-packed patties that will challenge your assumptions about bean burgers. Proceed as normal by searing them in a pan and stacking your bun high with toppings. A crunchy cabbage and carrot slaw is a great start, along with mixed greens, gherkins, and barbecue sauce for good measure. Burger night will look a little different from now on!

Recipe: Blended Beef and White Bean BBQ Burgers

What better dish than soup to showcase the wonders of white beans? Dried Great Northern beans are the star here, soaked and then added to a pot with sautéed leeks, onion, garlic, celery, and ham hock. Simmer the beans for a couple of hours with all the tasty components along with dried herbs, allowing them to soften and become tender while simultaneously soaking up flavor. Shred the pork and serve it in the soup as an accompaniment to bulk up the beans. You'll be craving cooler days after you get a taste.

Recipe: Herby Ham and Bean Soup

A warming stew is a great way to enjoy the goodness of white beans. This spicy variation combines black and cannellini beans, along with red peppers, canned tomatoes, and corn to add plenty of bulk to this filling meal. The seasonings make all the flavors pop, with a combination of cumin, paprika, and chili powder for a kick of heat. Paired with crusty bread or a bowl of rice, this spicy bean stew is a winner when you're eyeing a can of white beans and wondering what to cook.

Recipe: Warming Spicy Bean Stew

The land of TikTok recipes is vast, but you don't want to miss out on these cacio e pepe butter beans. The ingredient list and prep time are short, letting a few simple components come together and shine. As with the classic pasta recipe, Pecorino Romano and black pepper offer a big flavor boost to the creamy butter beans. Sautéed shallots add subtle sweetness to the dish, which simmers for 20 minutes or so to let everything meld together in harmony. You'll be begging for canned bean dinners once you get a taste.

Recipe: Improved TikTok-Famous Cacio e Pepe Butter Beans

Baked beans are a classic dish, but they can easily be enhanced from the simple canned version. For a true upgrade, start from scratch by soaking dry navy or cannellini beans and cooking them until tender. Then, ramp it up by simmering them with ancho chili purée, garlic, and onions, along with an array of seasonings. To transform simple white beans into a spicy baked version, you'll want to stir in tomato purée, smoked paprika, cayenne, cumin, mustard, apple cider vinegar, molasses, maple syrup, and Worcestershire sauce. Make a big batch and you'll be happily munching on white beans for days.

Recipe: Extra Spicy Baked Beans

Traditional French cassoulet features white beans, but it's the meat that does more of the heavy lifting. With this vegetarian recipe, mushrooms show off their umami essence and infuse a boost of flavor to all the components. Cremini, oyster, and porcini mushrooms all play a role, along with mushroom stock and a splash of Marsala wine for depth. Simmered with canned beans, mirepoix, and herbs, then baked with a Parmesan crumb top, this white bean and mushroom spectacle will wow your taste buds.

Recipe: Vegetarian Mixed Mushroom Cassoulet

This simple recipe combines two versatile canned ingredients, tuna and white beans. Butter beans add a smooth rich consistency to this easy salad, which requires minimal prep work. Just combine oil-packed tuna, beans, chopped parsley, red onion, and lemon juice for a bright salad that's easy to make. You can play around with vinaigrettes, but olive oil and lemon juice make both the tuna and beans sing. You'll find plenty of occasions to serve this salad, since it works well as a main or as an accompanying dish.

Recipe: Tonno e Fagioli (Italian Tuna and Bean Salad)

This white chili recipe features turkey, corn, and either cannellini or Great Northern beans as the main bulk of the dish. These components are elevated by simmering them with a multitude of seasonings, including alliums, jalapeños, cumin, coriander, chili powder, oregano, cinnamon, cayenne, and green chiles. The flavor builds in layers, setting the foundation for garnishes like fresh cilantro, avocado, jalapeño, lime juice, sour cream, and tortilla chips for scooping.

Recipe: White Turkey Chili

Plenty of hearty Italian dishes rely on the bulk of beans, and this recipe is no exception. It's the perfect choice for when you're undecided about pasta or soup and want something unfussy and filling. Mirepoix and pancetta make up the flavor base, along with rosemary and garlic for aromatics. Just toss in some soaked white beans, broth, and a Pecorino Romano rind and let the simmering do its magic. Finish it off by cooking your favorite small pasta and ladling out this nutrient-dense soup with a sprinkling of fresh sage.

Recipe: Classic Pasta e Fagioli

Making chili in an Instant Pot is a surefire way to load up on flavor. This white chicken chili recipe packs in sautéed onions, garlic, celery, green bell pepper, and jalapeño to start, along with cannellini beans, black beans, corn, canned tomatoes, cream cheese, and chicken breasts (shredded after being pressure-cooked). The whole thing is seasoned with cumin, oregano, coriander, chili powder, and cayenne pepper, transforming simple canned beans and chicken breast into something so much more enticing — and that's before you add toppings.

Recipe: Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

This nutritious stuffed mushroom recipe is bound to make you a bean lover, thanks to the savory filling that plays a starring role. It consists of a combination of sautéed garlic, shallots, sundried tomatoes, cannellini beans, spinach, Italian seasonings, and fresh parsley, scooped into oven-baked portobello mushrooms. The interplay of earthy, umami, and tangy flavors along with meaty, creamy, and chewy textures makes this recipe a winner whether you're a vegetarian or not.

Recipe: Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Comfort food at its finest, a classic beanie weenie recipe oozes nostalgia with its basic combination of baked beans and sliced hot dogs. If you're looking for a similar flavor profile with a little extra oomph, this elevated version is for you. It consists of browned pancetta and sliced hot dogs, mixed into a baked bean concoction made with navy beans, bourbon, ketchup, tomato paste, brown sugar, maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, Dijon, garlic, onion, salt, and pepper. The result is multilayered and a definite upgrade to the old-school rendition.

Recipe: Elevated Beanie Weenie