I often add it to stuff. I like a mixed vegetable side dish made in the skillet.....celery, carrots, onions, frozen corn, tomatoes, some Rotel, black beans, frozen beans, canned artichokes; whatever I can think of. Last time I made it I froze the leftovers, it tends to grow.

I add mashed black beans to a meatloaf, hamburger mix.

I generally don't use recipes for cooking, but I use black beans in my chili all the time - I like them better than using kidney beans.

Check out the taco soups with just cans of various veggies and spices that you can make in a crockpot. You could use you beans in place of the canned stuff. There are recipes that use canned chicken or ground beef as the protein, but I've substituted another can of beans for that and it's good as well. I use fresh corn or whatever else I want if I have it on hand. Here is one easy recipe I use. Crockpot Taco Soup. Also, this makes up a family size batch. I sometimes freeze it in individual portions when I have too much left.

There is a wonderful recipe for Black Bean and Kielbasa Chili at Food.com,

Black bean burger with an egg is also really good.

The Serious Eats recipe for black bean burgers is a good one. https://www.seriouseats.com/the-best-black-bean-burger-recipe

The step where the beans are dried out a bit in the oven is effective.

Suzieque's recipe sounds good to me. It's much like I would cook beans although I don't really use a recipe. I would rinse, sort, soak the dried beans in cold water in my refrigerator overnight.

Use stock, either chicken or vegetable for the base. I might swap the measurements (I measure approximately) and use more cumin than chili powder, not the other way around. Often I'll put in a bay leaf or two. Always garlic and onion. I might use a generous amount of tomato paste in place of the canned tomatoes. I added chopped fresh tomatoes to navy bean and ham soup once when making up little frozen portions for my mother. That soup tasted just like Campbell's bean with bacon from my childhood to me. Minus the salt. I salt at the end of cooking and just to taste. I like salt, while DH uses it rarely and can really notice more than a little in recipe served to him. I've never topped with an egg, but often sour cream.

We like beans. DH especially likes butter beans cooked very simply and drizzled with a bit of olive oil as a side dish, something his father often served. The beans would come from his garden and used either fresh or dried. He didn't can ;)

If you are using just beans and not leftover soup, give Black Bean Brownies a try. You would never know the secret ingredient. Lots of different recipes. I've not made them but one of my friends brings them to potlucks and no one knows there are beans in them!

I'd look for a recipe that has great reviews. I was posting the Taste of Home recipe but then noticed the reviews were not great.

I see this one looks very well received and doesn't call for canned beans:

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/black-bean-brownies-recipe-1924213

I do frequently use recipes for beans (not always), and some of them I have memorized. Here's a recipe I got from the Cooking Forum from Solsthumper, who is from Cuba:

Cuban Black Beans
2 cups Black turtle beans (I didn't measure I used a 1# pkg)
1 green pepper diced 1 red bell pepper diced
6 quarts water
3 TBSP Evoo
2 ham hocks (I used a 1/2 lb hickory smoked bacon) [or turkey legs/thighs]
2 cups thinly sliced onion
6 garlic cloves minced
3 TBSP tomato paste (I used the whole can)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp oregano
3 bay leaves cracked
1 TBSP salt to taste
1 Tsp ground pepper
3 TBSP chopped cilantro (optional)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar

Soak beans.
Saute Evoo, bacon or ham, onion, diced pepper, and garlic until veggies are soft. add to beans, add tom paste, cumin, oregano, bay leaves, and S&P. Bring to a boil and then simmer until beans are tender and sauce thickens. Serve over rice.

I soaked the beans in my crock, sautéed the veggies and bacon, threw in the spices and tom paste, then added it to the crock and simmered for 3 hours on high. 10 minutes before serving add 1/2 cup red wine vinegar or lime juice. It was quite good. We frequent a mom & pop Cuban restaurant in Somerville and this ranks right up there with their fare.

[Lars' note: cut recipe in half. ]

Haven't done so in a long time, but I always made Cuban style black bean soup, modeled after the kind we had in Cuban restaurants in S. FL, and it was always a hit with everyone. Unfortunately, I don't have a recipe, but I do recall using celery, finely chopped carrots, onions, garlic, bay leaf, oregano, thyme and cumin. I don't recall using any peppers, other than some chili pepper flakes, but lots of olive oil, and maybe some ground coriander too.

And it's relatively thin, not thick. Also added a little vinegar or lime juice at the end.

I like the sound of the Black Bean Soup from Suzieque.

This recipe’s been a favorite for a long time since finding it in Bon Appetit. My notes have “Feb. 2005.” Maybe the same as girlnamedgalez8a mentioned. I’ve included it for many of our Halloween soup parties.

Black Bean and Kielbasa Chili

Serves 6

Note: Better if made 1-2 days ahead. I prefer this without the green pepper. I use 1 red and 1 yellow or orange bell pepper. I also like to add a little corn...frozen is fine.

2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 pounds beef or turkey kielbasa, quartered lengthwise, then chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups chopped onions
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
4 15-oz. cans black beans, drained
1 14-oz. can low-salt chicken broth
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes in juice
3 T. chili powder
2 T. sugar
2 T. red wine vinegar
3 small bay leaves
1 T. dried oregano (I used a little less)
2 tsp. cumin

Sour cream
Chopped green onion

Heat olive oil in heavy pot over medium-high heat. Sauté kielbasa until beginning to brown, about 12 minutes. Transfer kielbasa to bowl with slotted spoon.
If necessary, add enough oil to pot to measure about 2 T. (or discard all but 2 T. of drippings). Add onions, peppers and garlic. Sauté until beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add beans, broth, tomatoes with juice, chili powder, sugar, vinegar, bay leaves, oregano and cumin. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Return kielbasa to pot. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, until chili is thick, stirring occasionally, about 30-40 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with toppings of sour cream and chopped green onion (shredded cheese and olives are good, too).

The recipe I posted is "an original" from a man on our local FB food forum. He is a wonderful, although not professional, chef, just testing and trying things on his own for his family. I've several "recipes" from him ..... and he is being encouraged to make a cookbook. Just a nice guy who lives in our town and likes to be an adventurous cook.

I make a cabbage slaw with lime juice and a little onion, garlic, maybe thinly sliced radishes and red pepper if I have them. Slice and saute Mexican chorizo, add drained and rinsed black beans. Put in flour tortilla and pack in lots of the cabbage slaw. I do a similar tortilla with black beans and sauteed chunks of butternut squash in place of the slaw. A little sour cream or yogurt topping is good on the latter. So is feta or cotija.

Thanks everyone have saved this post!

I use black beans a lot. In any Mexican/ SW inspired soup/ chili. Also in taco salads/ taco bowls. In the past, I have cooked a package of the dried beans in a pressure cooker and frozen them in 1 pint cartons (whipping cream cartons) to have them in recipe amounts more or less at the ready. (Quick thaw in the microwave if the beans need to be drained of juice.) You can also cook as needed--Instapot makes it fast & easy. (1/2 cup of dried beans is roughly equivalent to a 15 oz can of beans; 2 cups of dried beans in a 1# package. So one pound of dried beans is equivalent to 4 cans of prepared beans.)

I like black beans and rice--classic dish referred to as 'Moors & Christians'. (I do like red beans & rice better though.) Google for different takes on the dish. Hubster maintains that he doesn't like black beans so I don't make black bean centric dishes (like black beans & rice) and have to sneak them in around the edges. Decided that he can either pick them out or learn to cook.

Just thought of another favorite using black beans. Recipe’s from Tyler Florence.

Black Bean Salad

Dressing
1 small clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup olive oil

Salad
1 cup fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears)
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small hass avocado, halved, seeded and diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and stems

Make the dressing: Smash the garlic clove, sprinkle with a pinch of the salt, and mash/smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Whisk the garlic paste, lime juice, salt and chili powder together in a bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream.

For the salad: Cook the corn, bell pepper, and onions in the olive oil until beginning to brown over medium-high heat in a skillet. Toss in the black beans and cook until warm. Add the dressing and toss to coat evenly. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and gently fold in the tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro. Serve.