My similar cooking hack: bean broth (sometimes called bean liquor). Save the water from cooking beans to use as stock.

When I cook white beans, I freeze the broth in ice cube trays and use it in place of water when cooking. When I cook darker beans, I use the broth to make soup or stews.

I've made a simple brothy soup from the light broth garnished with herbs (fried sage leaves always impresses) and a splash of olive oil. It's a great meal starter.