You Only Need 2 Ingredients For The Easiest One-Pot Dinner

It's true — two simple ingredients and one pot is all you need to make an easy, delicious, and nutritious dinner. Even better, if you don't already have these pantry staples (which Lidia Bastianich always has on hand, FYI), they'll only cost you about $2. I'm talking about the delightful and versatile duo of beans and canned tomatoes.

The two are the Sonny and Cher of soup ingredients — great on their own, but in a pot together, their textures and flavors harmonize beautifully, with creamy, slightly earthy beans complementing the soft, juicy texture and bright acidity of canned tomatoes; it's the dinnertime equivalent of "I Got You Babe." While it's best to go for dried beans over canned in a dish like this, canned beans will work too. In both cases, once the beans simmer with the tomatoes, the result is always delicious.

You can use any type of beans and canned tomato in a one-to-one ratio (or one-to-two for saucier beans), and then add them to a large pot on medium-high heat. Simmer for a few minutes until the tomatoes begin to break down and the mixture starts to thicken. Then it's time to flavor them. You can add a variety of seasonings and flavorings, such as red pepper flakes or paprika, a splash of soy sauce for an umami boost, or a pat of butter at the end for richness. Alternatively, break out the aromatics and add a bigger burst of flavor by first sautéing onions and garlic in the pot, and then add the beans, tomatoes, and seasonings.

Many cultures have a signature beans-and-tomatoes dish, which can serve as flavor inspiration for your recipe. Indian chickpea curry, or chana masala, comes together in about 30 minutes by simmering chickpeas with diced tomatoes, aromatics like ginger, onion, and garlic, and warming garam masala. For an Italian-style variation, simmer hearty white beans like cannellini, Great Northern, or butter beans with canned crushed tomatoes and fresh or dried herbs like basil or parsley. Black or pinto beans will deliver a Mexican variation with extra kick when cooked with diced tomatoes and green chiles and seasoned with chili powder, garlic powder, and cumin.

You can enjoy your flavorful pot of beans and tomatoes as is, or add complementary ingredients: hearty vegetables, fresh herbs and cheese sprinkled on top, a side of rice, or slices of crusty bread for dipping. These additions help make the meal more satisfying and boost the nutrition of an already wholesome pairing. A 1-cup serving of beans and tomatoes provides 16 grams of protein, but 1 ounce of added cheese increases it to around 24 grams. The dish also contains 16 grams of fiber, which bumps up to about 20 grams with a 1-cup serving of brown rice. Each addition further increases both the vitamin content — B, E, K, and folate — as well as minerals, which includes copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and iron, and nutrients like cholate.

Regardless of how you choose to enjoy this star combination, beans and tomatoes make an easy, satisfying meal that checks all the boxes. It's one you'll trust to keep coming back to — and maybe even for dinner tonight.