Top Chefs Reveal Their Preferred Canned Bean Brands
When seeking a convenient and nutritious plant-based protein, canned beans are an indispensable pantry item. They offer incredible versatility and affordability, effortlessly transforming into delicious meals—from hearty tacos with sweet potatoes and black beans to simple, satisfying salads adorned with cannellini beans. A swift and wholesome meal is always within reach. Amidst the myriad of brands lining grocery store shelves, a clear favorite emerges when acclaimed chefs and culinary professionals across the country share their preference: Eden beans. This Michigan-based company, the oldest natural and organic food enterprise in North America, has garnered widespread approval. Eden Foods transitioned to BPA-free cans in 1999 due to health concerns regarding endocrine disruptors and maintains a strict commitment to GMO-free and organic ingredients. These factors, alongside their exceptional product quality, are why chefs consistently choose Eden canned beans.
Culinary Experts' Unanimous Choice: Eden Beans
Culinary professionals across the nation, including Ming Pu, chef and owner of the upcoming TANA in Louisville, Kentucky, laud Eden beans for their remarkable texture and inherent quality. Pu highlights their clean, natural flavor, noting that the beans retain their structure, possess intact skins, and avoid a flat or overly processed taste. He also appreciates the cleaner, lighter liquid in the can, which is particularly advantageous when the beans are the focal point of a dish. Andrew Black, Chief Culinary Officer at Counter Service in New York City, echoes this sentiment, praising Eden's consistent texture and authentic flavor. He points out that Eden cooks most of its beans with kombu, a practice that subtly enhances their flavor profile with rare trace minerals, eliminating the need for excessive salt. Furthermore, Eden Foods is unique among American canneries for its time-consuming yet beneficial practice of soaking beans overnight before cooking, which improves both taste and digestibility. The brand offers a diverse selection of canned beans, including black, cannellini, kidney, butter, navy, pinto, garbanzo, aduki, and small red beans, as well as black-eyed peas. Their product line also extends to refried beans, baked beans, vegetarian chili, and brown rice and bean blends. Noly Lopez, Executive Chef at Gather Restaurant in Yarmouth, Maine, values Eden's organic-focused approach and the uncompromised cooking quality of their prepared blends, making them excellent choices for quick, high-quality meals or sides. Rene Awada, founder of Healthy Fitness Meals, also commends Eden beans for their distinct and noticeable flavor, particularly in simple preparations like warm bean and greens sautés. Beyond Eden, chefs also recognize other notable brands. Jovial, an organic brand offering jarred beans, and Cento, which provides both canned and jarred options, are favored by Pu. Goya receives praise from Lopez for its straightforward flavor and consistent quality, offering an ideal tenderness for no-frills meal bases. Connor McNeil, Executive Chef at Joey Gerard’s – A Bartolotta Supper Club in Greendale, Wisconsin, frequently uses La Preferida canned beans, from black to pinto and refried varieties, appreciating their unwavering quality and suitability for various cooking methods. These chefs harness the versatility of canned beans in diverse culinary applications. Pu, for instance, transforms cannellini beans into a quick salad with olive oil, chili crisp or Calabrian chili oil, lemon juice or black vinegar, and fresh herbs, serving it with toasted bread, fish, or chicken, or incorporating it into other salads. McNeil utilizes black beans in his homemade smoked chili and enhances restaurant soups with cumin and coriander. Simple weeknight dinners can involve mixing drained black beans with taco seasoning for speedy tacos, while a delicious side dish can be created by sautéing white beans with greens like kale or spinach.
The collective endorsement from culinary experts for Eden beans underscores the brand's commitment to quality, flavor, and health-conscious practices. Their dedication to organic, non-GMO ingredients, BPA-free canning, and traditional preparation methods like overnight soaking and kombu cooking sets a high standard in the industry. For consumers, this consensus serves as a valuable guide, simplifying the choice in a crowded market. It highlights that prioritizing quality can elevate everyday ingredients into exceptional culinary experiences, making healthy and convenient eating more accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
