What ingredient(s) really make beans yummy?

Any or all of the things below, I would mix and match, not try them all at once.

Chili powder,
lemon or lime zest.
Dill.
curry powder.
onions.
horseradish.
saffron.
chopped bacon.
crawdad tails.

Rum. A tablespoon or more will add a slightly sweet rum flavor. And don’t worry about the alcohol. It will cook off. Also. don’t forget to add salt AFTER the beans are cooked, not before.

Here is Emeril’s recipe for red beans and rice. He’s pretty good at spicing food up, as he owns several restaurants in New Orleans, which is known for their red beans and rice.

I’m not much of a meat fan, but his suggestions for onions, celery, green peppers, garlic cayenne, thyme, pepper and salt sounds good. Also, the suggestion of cooking the beans in chicken stock might add a bit of flavor.

Cumin. I also use fatback, but I’m sure that isn’t on your healthy food list.

Chili powder, onions, and a ham hock. (is that how you spell it?)

When I make black bean soup I use four ingredients:

chicken broth
onions
salsa
black beans

Depending on the salsa you use, you can make it hotter if you want, or use a lot of a mild salsa for more “stuff” in the soup and a pleasant taste.

Then when I cook the rice I also cook that in chicken broth and use a lot of fresh chopped cilantro.

Yes, @Judi. That is how you spell ham hock. Mmmm, but just about as healthy as fatback, I’m afraid.

Not quite as much fat. :-) 201 calories for 4 oz. You would get way less than that in a serving of beans.

Salt.

I usually use salt pork instead of fatback, @bkcunningham.
I didn’t list it because the OP asked for healthy spices.

If you are talking about a traditional Cajun-style Red Beans and Rice recipe then this will guide your flavor palette.

If you just want some yummy beans that you will serve with rice then I would suggest a traditional Baked Beans spice combo (you can use any kind of beans that you like)

Then of course there’s the Texas-style Ranch Beans that are kind of smoky flavored.

Then there are sweet and tangy Barbecue Beans (note: if you want vegetarian beans, make sure you use a vegetarian worcestershire sauce, regular W sauce has anchovies in it)

Or if you want to try something a little bit different here is a recipe for East Indian Rajma which is especially good served over basmati rice.

And if you have fond memories of eating pork and beans, here is a vegetarian recipe that comes pretty close to the flavor without having all of the unhealthy pork fat in there. Beans

And here’s a nice healthy Three Bean Chili that would taste good served over rice.

And here’s a Tex-Mex Black Bean & Vegetable Soup

You can always mix and match your spices too! You can also add in all sorts of chilies, fresh or dried, from mild to super hot, depending upon what you like (Anaheim, ancho, jalapeno, pasilla, chipotle, guajillo, habanero etc). Also fresh onions (red, yellow or white, and shallots) and onion powder add a nice flavor dimension, but all of them taste very different, and then there’s green onions, which are best added as a garnish after the dish has been cooked, which is quite nice too. And then there’s cilantro and garlic and citrus juice, plus molasses, maple syrup, brown sugar, ketchup and mustard powder. It’s easier to pick a type of cuisine, like Mexican or Backyard BBQ or Indian, and then choose spices and flavors from those cuisines.

You might even surprise yourself and come up with something completely new and different! Maybe something with an African or Asian or Middle Eastern twist on beans. If you do, please let us know : )

Onions. They make beans great, but heck on your love life.

Kombu (a variety of seaweed) doesn’t just help make beans yummy (since Kombu contains the natural version of MSG, which makes umami flavor), it helps make them not so gassy – which can mean just as much, later! ;)

Here’s a recipe.

You can soak them overnight in baking soda water too, @laureth. It does the same thing.

I don’t get it, the OP wants to be healthier and people are suggesting pork? Beans don’t need fat added to taste good. They already have liquid and a soft texture.

Bacon!!!