17 Types Of Beans And How To Use Them

Believe it or not, there are more than 400 different varieties of beans that can be found around the world. Beans, which are actually the seeds of the Fabaceae family's flowering plants, often grow in a pod. They are a member of the legume family, along with peanuts, lentils, and peas. Beyond the distinct flavors, Medical News Today shares that beans can be an excellent source of amino acids, antioxidants, and protein. They can add bulk to a recipe and help you stay full for longer without consuming as many calories. Adding them to your meal rotation will be a win-win in terms of both taste and health.

Beans can make a wonderful addition to soups and stews, be added to top a salad, pureed to make dips, and so much more. With so many different varieties of beans, there's certainly no lack of options to try. However, different varieties do offer different flavors and textures and may be better suited for certain recipes than others. If you'd like to explore some of the most popular types of beans and learn more about how you can start incorporating them into your meals, keep reading.

Anasazi beans are named after the Anasazi Native Americans who lived in present day New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona (along the four corners region where these states meet). The Anasazi, who were in this region as early as 130 A.D., are known for their architecturally impressive cliff dwellings, but we can also thank them for the Anasazi beans. Settlers in the region discovered these beans among the ruins in the early 1900s. Today, they are still grown in the same area where the Anasazi once lived.

Anasazi beans — which may also be called Appaloosa beans — have a unique flavor. They're often used in Mexican and Southwest dishes, which makes sense, given where they originate from. You might try using them to make refried beans, add them to a pot of chili, or make a filling soup or stew using them. Compared to some other varieties of beans, this type has a thinner skin, which means that they don't take as long to cook.

When you look at a black-eyed pea, you can probably figure out where their name came from. These beans are light brown with a black spot — or eye — on their side. According to BlackDoctor.org, black-eyed peas pack a lot of nutrients that can make them a healthy choice when planning a meal. As a low-fat and low-calorie food, they can support individuals looking to lose weight. They are also protein-rich, supporting cell growth and healthy muscles, hair, skin, and nails. These beans also deliver iron, potassium, and vitamin B to the body.

It is believed that the beans were originally grown in North Africa before being introduced to the Americas by explorers and/or enslaved individuals taken from Africa and brought to North America. You may also see black-eyed peas referred to as goat peas or southern peas, even though this bean is not really a pea. You're most likely to find dried black-eyed peas at the grocery store, though they can also be sold canned or even cooked. They have a rich, meaty flavor and can pair nicely with other heavier entrées, such as ribs. 

If you're looking to find a hearty and meaty bean to make satisfying soups, stews, and other meals with, then you might want to give cranberry beans a try. These beans are prominently featured in many Portuguese and Italian dishes, where you may also see them referred to as borlotti beans. As VeryWell Fit points out, with less than 1 gram of fat per serving, cranberry beans are a low-fat food. They are also high in protein, offering 9.3 grams per serving, which is more than you'll get from a serving of some other bean varieties. These beans also offer a high percentage of the daily recommended intake for vitamins and minerals such as folate, manganese, thiamin, iron, phosphorus, and magnesium.

In addition to their health benefits, cranberry beans will make for a scrumptious addition to a range of recipes, such as chili, soup, pasta, salad, and so much more. They'll even taste great when served by themselves as a side or main dish. When cooked, the beans have a softer texture and thinner skins than some other varieties, making them a bit creamer.

If you don't think you've heard of garbanzo beans, it may just be that you know them by their other name: chickpeas. You can find canned or dried chickpeas in most grocery stores. If you're preparing dried garbanzo beans, soaking them for three or more hours can help them cook more quickly and reduce the bloated feeling that some experience after consuming beans. Once cooked, you can toss a few of the beans into a salad, soup, or stew, season and roast them, or blend them to make hummus.

MedicalNewsToday notes that the high protein content of garbanzo beans makes them an excellent choice for vegans or vegetarians who are not eating meat. Each cup of these beans offers nearly a third of the protein adults should consume each day. The beans are also high in fiber, which can help support healthier cholesterol levels, decrease the risk of heart disease, aid with healthy digestion, and so much more. They are also a great source of iron and calcium to support healthy bones.

Great Northern beans are another type of white bean. They are smaller in size and offer a more mild flavor. You can easily substitute Great Northern beans in recipes that call for navy beans or cannellini beans since all three of these beans share a similar texture and relatively subtle flavor. One popular way to cook with Great Northern beans is to add them to stews and soups. Even after hours of simmering with the other ingredients, the beans will maintain their shape. Because of their more subtle taste, using them in soups and stews is also a good way to make a bulkier and heartier meal without detracting from the other flavors in the dish.

Great Northern beans can be a healthy addition to your recipes. VeryWell Fit explains that they are a low glycemic food, meaning they won't have a major impact on a person's blood sugar. They are also low in fat and high in protein. The beans are an excellent source of folate, manganese, iron, magnesium, copper, and thiamin.

Kidney beans originated from Ecuador and Northern Peru. They can be found in a range of sizes and colors, including white, red, and black. It is important to note that some kidney beans, particularly the red varieties, are considered poisonous if consumed raw. Similarly, after soaking the beans, you should always discard the water and rinse them again before cooking. This way, you won't be introducing the compounds that could cause intestinal upset back into your recipe. Aim to soak the beans overnight for the best results. You can use kidney beans in a variety of ways, including making chili with them, adding them to a soup, using them to top a salad, or puréeing them to make a dip.

Healthline shares that there are many nutritional and health benefits associated with eating kidney beans. They're a high-protein food; 27% of their caloric content is due to the nearly 9 grams of protein in each serving. The beans are also a good source of fiber, folate, iron, copper, molybdenum, manganese, potassium, and vitamin K1.

Given their name, you might visualize a blue bean when you hear about navy beans. However, they didn't earn their name based on color but rather because they were one of the main food items eaten by members of the United States Navy during the early 1900s. The beans have a creamier ivory/white color, closely resembling cannellini beans and Great Northern beans. However, navy beans are actually smaller in size and less oval-shaped than these two other varieties. Their texture is rather smooth and silky, and they add a hint of nuttiness to recipes. Dried navy beans should be soaked for a minimum of 6 hours before cooking. This will help make them easier to digest and aid with the cooking process. 

Healthline notes that the beans offer numerous health benefits. Each serving offers a whopping 19.1 grams of fiber, which can support metabolic processes. Adding navy beans to an otherwise healthy diet may help lower cholesterol, aid with weight loss, and more.

Pinto beans are commonly served with Mexican dishes, which shouldn't be surprising when you learn that the beans grow natively in Central and South America. As with other types of beans, pinto beans can make a nutritious addition to a diet. VeryWell Fit explains that they are a low-calorie, sodium-free, cholesterol-free, and fat-free food. Consuming just one cup of beans provides you with nearly three-fourths of the folate your body needs daily, along with 15 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber. 

Pinto beans are light brown to cream and have darker, reddish-brown splotches. These splotches likely gave the beans their name, as pinto can mean spotted or painted. However, once cooked, you won't notice these spots anymore. Add pinto beans to burritos, use them to make refried beans, drop them into a favorite soup, or serve them as a flavorful side dish; you'll find many ways to enjoy these tasty beans.