16 Easy Navy Bean Recipes

Here are some simple ways to use navy beans in your diet.

1. Navy Bean Potato Onion Soup

This fragrant soup is quick and easy without compromising on taste.

• 1 cup navy beans
• 2 medium sized potatoes
• 4 spring onions
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Wash the navy beans, cut into halves. Peel the skin off the potatoes. Cut into small cubes.

Chop the spring onions and add the chopped spring onion. Cook it for about 2 minutes. 

Add and mix. Cover the pot and cook it for 10 minutes. Now put the cooked mixture in a blender along with the navy beans. Blend it till smooth. Heat and enjoy!

2. Navy Bean Sweet Bread

This bread has a delicious aroma and tastes great when served warm.

• ¾ cup navy beans
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk

Grind presoaked beans using a food processor. Transfer the ground beans to a mixing bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients except the oil and beat the batter well. Pour the batter in the prepared pan.

Bake it for 45 minutes at 350 degrees F (180 C). Cool it completely before slicing.

3. Easy Ham And Bean Soup

This easy ham and white bean soup is nutritious, and simple to make. 

Drain and rinse canned white beans. Put the beans in a large bowl. Add the ham and stir well. 

Pour in 2 cups of vegetable broth into a saucepan.  Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the stovetop.

Transfer the cooled soup to a blender. Blend on high speed for one minute.

Pour the blended soup back into the pan and bring it back to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes until cooked.

4. White Bean Burgers With Tomato Olive Relish

Rinse beans under cold water, drain and place them in a large bowl.

Add some olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Mash together well with a potato masher or fork. 

Form the mixture into four patties and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes per side. 

Combine tomatoes, olives, herbs and spices in a food processor.

Pulse several times and set aside while waiting for the burgers to finish baking. Serve each burger topped with a dollop of the tomato olive relish and a few leaves of fresh basil.

5. Vegan White Bean Tacos With Jalapeno Cilantro Sauce

You could even serve these delicious tacos up as appetisers or snacks. 

• 1/2 pound white beans, cooked and drained
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 jalapeño pepper
• 1 cup corn kernels, frozen or fresh
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 1/2 cup salsa verde
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 6 flour tortillas

Saute onions and garlic in 1 tablespoon olive oil until softened. Stir in cumin and peppers. Cook for another minute. Transfer to a bowl.

Add remaining olive oil and saute carrots until tender. Season with salt and pepper.

To assemble tacos, layer ingredients in the order listed above. Top with sour cream and enjoy.

6. Vegan Lemon And White Bean Pasta

This recipe is awesome and vegan, cook the pasta until al dente. 

• 1 lb. penne pasta
• 4 cloves garlic,
• 1/2 onion
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook.

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.

Add the broth and beans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Ladle the bean mixture into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese.

7. White Bean Chilli

The secret ingredient here is a little bit of beer. Beer adds depth of flavour and helps the spices blend together better. 

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 green and red pepper seeded and chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. chipotle chile powder
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. Onion powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup stout beer
• 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 can white kidney beans,
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can mild diced green chiles
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the bell peppers and jalapenos and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more.

Stir in the cumin, chipotle powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and oregano. 

Stir in the salt and add the beer. Bring to a boil and let reduce by half, about 4 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, beans, tomato sauce and green chiles. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the cheese. Transfer to a 13×9 baking dish and bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

8. Easy White Bean Skillet

This recipe uses ingredients that are likely already in your pantry and requires very few steps. 

• 1/2 cup dry white beans
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Rinse the beans under cold water. Drain well. Place the beans in a large skillet and cover with water.

Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain the beans and set aside.

Add the garlic and olive oil to the pan. Sauté over medium heat for about two minutes,stirring frequently.

Add the oregano and season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked beans and stir gently to combine.

9.Ham And Bean Soup

This recipe makes enough to feed a small army. We like to save the bones to make stock later in the week.

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 ham bone
• 1 lb. dry navy beans
• 1 quart chicken stock

Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until softened, about 8 minutes.

Add the garlic, carrots and celery and continue cooking another 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the broth, bay leaf,thyme and ham bone. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes.

Remove the ham bone. Strain the mixture through a strainer into a clean container.

Discard the solids left on the strainer. Rinse out the stockpot and return the strained liquid to the pot.

Add the beans and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for one hour.

10. Baked Beans 

This recipe includes just four simple ingredients – pork, salt, water and beans – plus a few spices.

They’re cooked in a slow cooker, making them perfect for busy families. 

Place the pork, salt and water in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or until the meat is tender.

Remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred using 2 forks. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker.

Stir in the pre cooked beans, mustard powder, onion powder, brown sugar and chilli powder. Cook on high for 1 more hour.

11. Navy Bean Biscuits & Roasted Garlic Gravy

An old navy favourite, you must try this delicious dish. 

• 1 cup flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1 can navy beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 egg

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add the garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds.

Pour the garlic butter into the flour mixture and mix well. Make sure no lumps remain.

Add the beans and eggs to the dough and gently fold together. Using your hands, form the dough into balls and place onto the prepared cookie sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with roasted garlic gravy.

12. Instant Pot White Navy Beans

This quick and easy recipe is perfect for those busy days when you don’t have much time to prepare dinner. 

• 1 cup dried navy beans – soaked overnight
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• Olive oil

Add beans, garlic, salt and stock into an electric pressure cooker. Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.

Once done, let the pressure come down naturally. Remove lid and simmer for another 10 minutes. Serve hot.

13. Navy Bean & Tomato Vegetable Soup

This vegetable soup recipe  is  super filling and tasty!

• 1 cup dried navy beans
• 2 cups water
• 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 can diced tomatoes

In a 4-quart pot, combine the beans, 2 cups water, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.

Add the sweet potato, return to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender.

Stir in the tomatoes. Cover and cook until heated through.

14. Navy Bean Falafel

This falafel recipe is easy to make.Try it out once and see how good it tastes.

• 1 cup cooked navy bean (or other white bean)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Put all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

Shape into balls about the size of golf balls and place on a baking sheet lined with non-stick paper. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve hot or cold.

15. Navy Bean Hummus

Hummus is a popular dip made from chickpeas, but you may have never tried hummus using navy beans instead of chickpeas.

This recipe uses navy beans to create a creamy hummus. 

Fiest soak the beans before mashing.  Then, mix with garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

After that, blend the mixture until smooth. Next, strain the mixture through cheesecloth to remove any lumps.

Finally, pour the mixture into a bowl and refrigerate it. Once chilled, we transfer the mixture to a food processor to puree it further.

16. Thai Red Curry White Bean Dip

This Thai Red Curry White Bean dip is perfect for parties because it’s ready to serve up to 2 hours ahead 

• 1 cup cooked navy beans
• 2 teaspoons red curry paste
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/8 cup roasted peanuts

In a medium bowl, mash the beans with a fork. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well.

Serve immediately or cover and chill for up to 2 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Must You Always Soak Navy Beans Overnight?

You don’t pre soak beans but it will reduce cooking time if you do. 

Where Can I Buy navy beans?

Most supermarkets stock them or you can order them online from a reputable retailer.