A can of beans is your ticket to affordable, delicious, and satisfying meals. These healthy bean recipes are easy to make, and packed with Mediterranean flavor you’ll love!
Healthy bean recipes are nothing new in the Mediterranean. Where I grew up in Egypt—and my neighbors all across the sea—people have been turning humble beans into delicious meals for centuries!
Now the rest of the world is catching on, especially as more people look for ways to boost their protein and fiber intake. Canned beans are budget-friendly, versatile, packed with nutrients, and make it easy to get dinner on the table in less than an hour.
In my house, that’s often the difference between a wholesome meal and ordering takeout! What’s not to love? And you can use beans all sorts of ways, from salads, to dips, to soups and beyond. Scroll below for ideas!
Healthy Bean Soups and Dinners
From stuffed veggies, to pastas, to cozy soups, these healthy bean recipes will keep you excited to eat more legumes!
Vegan Chili with Quinoa
With black beans, kidney beans, and quinoa, this hearty vegan stew is It’s a plant-based protein powerhouse! Serve with fresh pita chips for scooping.
Gigantes Plaki (Greek Baked Beans)
These tender canned butter beans are baked in a Greek-style tomato sauce with olive oil, garlic, and herbs. Enjoy warm as a cozy meal or at room temperature with crusty olive bread for dipping.
Ground Turkey Skillet Dinner with Veggies, Beans, and Homemade Croutons
This one-skillet ground turkey dinner is a weeknight lifesaver! Packed with protein-rich turkey and cannellini beans, colorful veggies, and crispy homemade croutons.
Simple Vegetarian Minestrone Soup
With veggies, kidney beans, and pasta simmered in a flavorful tomato broth, this is Italian comfort in a bowl! It’s also flexible–perfect for using up seasonal produce. It’s filling enough on its own, but homemade focaccia is a special treat.
Fregola Sarda with Broccolini, Lemon, and Basil
This vibrant vegetarian main combines nutty fregola sarda pasta with cannellini beans, roasted broccolini, and fresh basil. You can find fregola sarda—a round semolina pasta—at your local Italian market, in the international aisle of some grocery stores, or online. For a dinner party, serve with Limoncello Spritzes!
Butter Beans with Garlic, Lemon and Herbs
This Mediterranean twist on the southern favorite combines creamy butter beans with garlic, lemon, and warming Mediterranean spices like cumin and smoked paprika. It’s ready in just 15 minutes! Serve over basmati rice or with crusty bread.
Vegan Spanakopita
This vegan twist on classic Greek spanakopita layers creamy white beans, spinach, and a golden phyllo crust for a cozy plant-based dinner. Make a fresh Mediterranean salad while it bakes!
Mediterranean White Bean Stew
This cozy stew combines creamy cannellini beans with sweet carrots, warming Mediterranean spices, and canned tomatoes. Finished with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon, it’s a simple, nourishing meal that’s perfect for any night of the week!
Pasta Fagioli
With pasta, two types of beans, smoky fire-roasted tomatoes, and fresh veggies, this easy recipe is a perfect weeknight dinner! You just need about 30 minutes and simple pantry staples. Serve with a big easy Italian salad.
Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Chickpeas and Avocado Crema
I’m known to love a cold roast sweet potato from the fridge for breakfast, so I need little convincing to make these beauties on repeat! Filled with garlicky chickpeas, tangy sun-dried tomatoes, fresh spinach, and a squeeze of lime, then topped with a creamy avocado crema, they’re next level delicious!
Mediterranean-Style White Chicken Chili with Chermoula
A spoonful of zesty homemade chermoula adds a Mediterranean twist to this white bean chili, bringing a burst of fresh, herby brightness. Everything is ready in just 40 minutes! If you’d like an even easier option, use store-bought red chermoula.
Chickpea Marinara
The whole family will love this healthy bean recipe, with tender chickpeas simmered in a garlicky tomato sauce with melty mozzarella cheese. Serve with crusty French bread for dipping.
Mediterranean White Bean Soup with Spinach and Fresh Herbs
With creamy cannellini beans, sautéed vegetables, and fragrant Italian seasoning, this vegan white bean soup is so nourishing. Dill and parsley brings a nice freshness, but feel free to use the tender herbs you like best!
Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers With Basil Vinaigrette
These vegetarian stuffed peppers with orzo, tomato, and chickpeas are from my first cookbook. Serve them as a satisfying meatless main or filling side to simple proteins, like grilled salmon or chicken breasts.
White Bean and Kale Soup with Chicken
This is the soup to make when you’re short on time! All you need is 35 minutes, some chicken, kale, and a can of white beans. If you don’t have kale swap in spinach, watercress or Swiss chard. Feed a crowd, or the leftovers all week!
Easy Bean Salads
Beans add not heft and textural variety to these bean salad recipes, making them satisfying enough for a full meal.
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
This healthy bean recipe is packed not only with fiber and plant-based protein, but also fresh herbs, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, cucumbers, and creamy avocado. All you need is 10 minutes!
Moroccan-Style Shaved Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad
With shaved cauliflower, chickpeas, dried apricots, and pistachios in a bright, vinegar-forward dressing spiced with warming ras el hanout, this salad is crunchy, bold, and full of texture. Chill it for at least 30 minutes so for the best flavor.
Tuna White Bean Salad with Spinach, Olives, and Basil
With creamy cannellini beans, rich tuna, and a bright lemony vinaigrette, this Mediterranean bean salad is fresh, satisfying, and packed with protein! It’s perfect on its own or served over a bed of baby spinach or arugula.
Bean Dips and Snacks
Healthy bean recipes don’t stop at the main meal. You can turn to canned beans for so many occasions, from filling snacks to party appetizers to please a crowd.
Beet Hummus
This colorful twist on classic hummus blends sweet roasted red beets with chickpeas, tahini, garlic, and lemon, for flavorful–and beautiful–dip everyone will love! Serve with pita chips, crudite, or alongside a mezze platter.
Chickpea Parmesan Crisps
These savory chickpea “chips” roast chickpeas with melted Parmesan and aromatic oregano, creating a high-protein healthy snack that’s perfect for parties or game day!
Fatteh (Spiced Chickpeas with Crispy Pita and Garlicky Yogurt)
With layers of crispy pita chips, spiced chickpeas, garlicky tahini yogurt sauce, and toasted pine nuts, I consider these the Middle Eastern version of nachos! Traditionally served for breakfast or as a warm appetizer, it’s a satisfying meatless snack that comes together in about 20 minutes.
Mediterranean-Style Bean Dip with Roasted Squash
Give bean dip a Mediterranean makeover! With sweet acorn squash, caramelized shallots, and warm Mediterranean spices like cumin, coriander, and paprika, it’s delicious with warm pita or fresh veggies for scooping.
Quick Tip: Dried vs. Canned Beans?
Canned beans work great with almost all of these recipes, but you can also use dried beans if you prefer. Here is a rough idea of how to convert the measurements:
- If a recipe calls for 1 (15-ounce) can of cooked beans, start with a heaping 1/2 cup of dried beans (which you will need to soak and cook before using in the recipe).
- 1 cup dried beans = 3 cups of cooked beans
- 1 pound dried beans = up to 6 cups cooked beans
- 1 (15-ounce) can of cooked beans = 1 1/2 cups drained cooked beans
More Healthy Recipes
Recipe Roundups
10 Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes
Soups and Stews
25 Healthy Vegetarian Soup Recipes
Recipe Roundups
31 Easy, Healthy Dinner Ideas
Breakfast
55 Healthy Breakfast Ideas
Browse all Mediterranean recipes.
Visit Our Shop.
The Mediterranean Diet Starter Kit
The vibrant pantry essentials you need to start cooking the Mediterranean way.
*This post has recently been updated with new information for the readers’ benefit.
I love beans so much! Glad to use them in different tasty ways!
Me, too!! Time to get creative, eh? 🙂
I’ve made Greek White Bean Soup and it’s amazing! Everyone loved it!
Awesome! Thanks, Catalina!
This is the type of resource I hoped to find! I really want to try to use a lot of my pantry items. So many great dishes!
Thank you, Dorothy!
I am such a big fan of beans! I want to try all of these recipes. 🙂
Go for it!!! 🙂
Such a great source of protein! Thank you for so many delicious ideas.
My pleasure! Enjoy!
Beans have become somewhat of a staple in our home recently, so I am so thankful I saw your post! Adding these to my dinner line up for the week, indeed!
Awesome! Enjoy!
LOVE your dishes and so easy and healthy. Thank you. Stay safe
Thank you, Faith! Same to you!
I love cooking recipes with beans. One of my own favorite recipes is to heat a can of baked beans in a saucepan, then add a small chopped onion lightly fried plus a handful of chopped, fresh spinage. Serve on toast, and sprinkle a few drops of Tabasco or worcester sauce on top. Fantastic!
YUM! Thanks for sharing, Karen!
Not only do I enjoy your recipes I also appreciate the tips and nutrition info. Thanks for the conversion measurements for the dried and canned beans. Very helpful.
Stay healthy!
My pleasure! Same to you, Debbie!
This is a very timely post – thanks so much. I cook beans frequently, usually from dried, as we don’t have such a large variety of canned beans in Greece. These are mainly kidney beans, gigantes (sort of like large Lima beans), and sometimes foul. I will be making several of these recipes these days. The secret is in soaking the dry beans overnight.
By the way, I have pretty much solved my printing problems – I have switched to Opera browser. After pressing “Print” a print preview page comes up. It is usually easy to edit, sometimes by just printing 2 pages instead of 3.
Thanks, Betty! So glad you were able to find a solution to your printing issues! I hope you find some recipes in the round-up that you really like!
Oh, my, these all look so tasty!! I need to try them all! Thank you for the ideas!
Go for it!!! 🙂
Well now that I’m at home with hungry kids and teenagers – you’ve given me meals to cook for the next weeks. Thank you for these excellent selections. I always love your recipes everything turns out just as promised. And easy to follow! Thank you – and stay healthy and safe at this time!!
Thank you so, so much, Lisalia! Same to you!
I’m going to try the roasted chickpeas. Now that I can’t shop easily I’ve gotta make my own lol
I hope you love them, Cindy!!
So many good recipes and perfect timing to share this, thank you!
My pleasure! Hope you find some new favs!
I’m not a big bean person, however I do want to try one of these recipes, they look delish!
Very delicious, filling and healthy! Go for it!!!
Thank you for sharing all these!! I have stocked up on plenty of beans..so, I know what I’ll be making a lot of!
Us too!! Time to get creative! Take care!!
How can I get the respites for all your soups and stews. Do you have them in book we purchase. I get them on my I Pad but do not have a way to print them . Can you please mail them to me and let me know the cost.
I am 85 years old and love soups and stews. I have purchased your olive oil , spices and Refresh cook book.
Please help me
Hi Winona! Thank you so much for your kind note. I will be working on a cookbook in the near future, for the time being, there is a print button on each recipe card that allows you to print so you have a hard copy. Do you see that option on your end?
Thanks for all the great bean recipes; aside from being a good source of protein and fiber, they are inexpensive and taste so good. I have 2 crockpots. – 6 qt and a dual 1.5 quart that can be used individually or as 3 qt. I live alone and I can either cook and make portion-sized meals to put in the freezer for days I don’t want to cook or don’t have time. The dual 1.5 crockpot is handy when I want to try out recipes but don’t want to make a lot of whatever I’m trying out, among other things..
I love Mediterranean food. It was recommended years ago by Dr. Gourmet (Dr. Timothy S. Harlan) on the internet as I am on Coumadin for life. His website is full of recipes for not only people on blood thinners but also have acid reflux, and other diet concerns. The Mediterranean diet is not only healthy, it is delicious. There are certain foods I am not allowed to eat but the Mediterranean diet is easy to adjust by omitting one thing and adding something else.
Thank you for sharing your recipes and tips.
You are very welcome! Yes, the Mediterranean Diet has sooooo many benefits! Sounds like you are becoming a pro :).