Cooking With Beans

Make like Jack and uncover their magic. First, learn about beans, then dig into some easy, delicious recipes. You can also download a guide to preparing and selecting beans here. (Due to an internal oversight, this guide was inadvertently left out of many March issues. Real Simple apologizes for the error.)

Black Beans

Sometimes called turtle beans, these shiny, purple black legumes are rich in magnesium and have a smooth, velvety texture. Their subtly sweet taste is delicious with smoky flavors, such as chipotle. Try black beans in a cool salad with pineapple, scallions, and cilantro, or use them to stretch ground beef in tacos.