17 Types of Beans with all the Information!

There are many types of beans for sale around the world. Beans fall under the large group of legumes. A legume is a seed for a new plant. There are many types of beans for sale, well-known and less well-known varieties. In this blog, we will discuss the 17 types of beans in detail.

17 types of beans, it may take some searching, but your bean is definitely among them. We start with the kidney bean.

1. Brown Beans

These are the edible seeds of the pod-bearing plant. This bean is one of the most famous beans in the world and is grown and eaten everywhere. The bean is usually round in shape or spherical.

The brown beans have a loose structure and fall apart quickly during cooking or preparation. It is an easy bean to handle and has a creamy taste.

The brown beans are a source of protein and iron, so super healthy and an ideal meat substitute.

The kidney bean is often used as a base for soup such as the well-known kidney bean soup or Chili Sin Carne. But boiled brown beans are also delicious in a salad. In addition, they are ideal beans for stir-frying.

2. White Beans

White beans have a firmer structure than kidney beans.

The beans are grown in different places around the world, so the shape is also different. The shape of the bean is kidney-shaped, round or flat. The bean is available in different variations; dried, fresh or in jars and cans.

White beans are a source of fiber and protein and are therefore an ideal meat substitute.

The taste of the white bean is fairly flat to tasteless and not floury in structure. It takes on the flavor of the ingredients with which a dish is made.

The beans are often used in soup or as a dish, such as white beans in tomato sauce. They are also a delicious addition to salads or stews. Stir-frying also works well with white beans.

3. Kidney Beans 

In the Netherlands, the Kidney beans are actually called red kidney beans, but kidney bean is the common name. They owe their name to the shape that resembles a kidney. The bean is native to South America.

The beans are quite large compared to other beans. They also have thicker skin than the other beans.

The taste of the kidney bean is slightly sweet and it has a fleshy structure. It is a firm bean that does not fall apart during the preparation of the dish. The red color of the bean also turns the water red during cooking.

Do not add salt until the end of cooking, otherwise, the skin will become hard and chewy.

This is the bean used in Chili Sin Carne and in soups. It keeps its shape. They are also often used in salads.

4. Black Beans

The black bean is eaten more and more in the Netherlands but is a real winner in Central America. The bean is round/oval-shaped and has a black color. The real name of the bean is the black turtle bean.

The black bean tastes a bit earthy, is sweet and the taste is very similar to a mushroom.

The texture, density and firmness of the bean are also reminiscent of the mushroom. This makes it an ideal meat substitute and the bean is increasingly used in vegetarian and vegan dishes.

This bean also contains a lot of fiber and is rich in protein. Another reason why the bean is used in vegetarian dishes.

Because of its structure and taste, the black bean is widely used in burritos, soups and salads. The beans are also ideal for wok woks. You see them appearing more and more in stir-fries.

5. Soybeans

The soybean is a bean that forms the basis for many other products. The bean is originally from Asia. There are now over 100 different varieties on the market.

Most soybeans are yellow in color, but there are also varieties for sale that are green, brown, or even black. Each with naturally different properties.

The soybean is a source of proteins, minerals, vitamins, and of course fiber. The protein content in the soybean is very high and is, therefore, an excellent meat substitute.

Soybeans are used in many other products, such as tempeh, tofu, soy sauce, soy milk, and soy yogurt.

The taste of the soybean is nutty and softly sweet at the same time.

Young soybeans from pods that are picked earlier are called Edamame.

Soy has been eaten in the Far East for more than thousands of years and that is why soybeans are used in many dishes as mentioned above.

6. Cannellini beans

The Cannellini bean also belongs in the list of 17 types of beans. The cannellini bean is a white bean and is shaped like a kidney. The bean is larger than the white bean. The bean has a creamy color.

The taste of the cannellini bean is nutty and less neutral than the white bean.

The bean is very popular in Italy, just like the Netherlands has the brown bean, Italy has the cannellini bean.

Like all other beans, this bean also contains a lot of vitamins, minerals and fiber.

As mentioned, the bean is popular in Italy and you will also encounter the bean in Italian dishes.

7. Lima beans

The Lima bean is a large bean, flat in shape. The bean is also called butter bean or elephant bean. Lima beans are native to South America. The bean was already cultivated and eaten by the Incas.

The shape of the bean is large and flat, shaped like a kidney. They can grow up to 2 centimeters. The color of the bean is creamy white.

The taste of the lima bean is more refined than other beans. It is a smooth, mildly creamy taste.

Beans are a source of fiber and vitamins, but this bean tops the list in terms of health and nutritional value.

This bean can be used in many dishes such as stews, oven dishes, soups and salads.

8. Broad beans

The broad bean is also called the lab bean. The bean is contained in large quilted pods and these pods produce large broad beans.

The broad bean is a large bean with a thick, firm skin. Do not cook these beans with salt, because then the skin will become even harder. Since the skin is firm, they are often ‘double capped’. First, they are removed from the pod, then the skin of the bean is removed again.

The broad beans contain a lot of nutrients that we need every day and contain a lot of fiber.

The skin of the bean is very bitter, so the bean itself is also bitter in taste. You like it or not.

Broad beans are often used in the Netherlands as a separate vegetable dish. It can also be used well in various stir-fry dishes or casseroles; delicious with tomatoes or mustard sauce

9. Lapwing bean

The lapwing bean owes its name to the color of the bean, the cream-like speckled color is reminiscent of a lapwing egg. In Spain, the bean is called ‘Pinto’, which means speckled.

The likely origin of the bean is the Mediterranean region.

The color of the bean changes during cooking and the bean becomes an even brown color.

The lapwing bean has a softer and finer taste than other beans and is mainly used in stews.

Like all other beans, this bean also contains a lot of vitamins and fiber. It has a lot of nutrients.

Do not add salt until the end of cooking, otherwise, the skin will become very hard.

Lapwing beans can be used in Chili Sin Carne, casseroles and are a tasty addition to salads when cooked. They are also great to use in soups.

10. Eye Beans

The following is the list of types of beans is the eye bean. So, eye beans look like eyes. They are originally from South Africa and were taken to Europe in the Middle Ages. Another name for the eye beans is cowpeas. In English, these beans are called ‘black-eyed pea’.

The bean is cream-colored and has a black dot. Because of this, the bean resembles an eye. The bean is smaller than the average bean.

The bean is extremely popular in the south of America where they are used in many dishes, but they are also becoming increasingly popular in the Netherlands.

This bean, like all other beans, also contains a lot of nutrients and is rich in vitamins and fiber.

The taste is earthy and sweet. They absorb many flavors from other ingredients with which they are prepared.

The shape of the bean is preserved during cooking, it is a firm bean. This is why they are often used in salads. Here too, add salt only at the end of cooking, otherwise, the skin will become hard.

11. Aduki beans

The aduki bean is also called the red bean. They are small round red beans and are related to the soybean. They are therefore originally from Asia.

This bean also contains good nutrients, but in a slightly less amount than the other beans. On the other hand, the bean is much more digestible than all other beans, so the nutrients are quickly absorbed.

The taste of this bean is sweet and nutty. The texture is fleshy.

The application is versatile and can therefore be used as a substitute for other beans in many dishes. The bean is slightly less known in the Netherlands, but no less tasty. Try it once. They can be found in natural and organic stores.

Because of their origin, you often see these beans in oriental dishes.

12. Flageolet

A relatively unknown bean that is still for sale in the Netherlands is the flageolet. This bean comes from Southern Europe and in particular from France.

It is related to the green bean, but only the beans of the flageolet are used.

The flageolet is rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber.

The bean is green in color and rich in flavor and less floury than, for example, the brown bean.

This bean cannot be found in the supermarket, but only in specialty stores.

The following beans are still in the pods and are eaten as is. The first is the well-known green bean.

13. Green beans

Green beans are legumes that are often seen as a vegetable. It is the shell and the seeds that are eaten. They are originally from South America.

Now our beans come from China and the Netherlands itself.

The bean is long and should have a fresh green color. There are still pieces of branch that need to be removed, just like the bottom of the green bean.

These beans tend to squeak when you bite into them. It’s a gnawing sound. When they are completely cooked through and limp, the noise is less.

Green beans contain much less minerals and vitamins than the beans described above.

Green beans are used in Dutch cuisine for cooking, stir-frying, stewing and steaming. The green beans cannot be eaten raw, because they contain the toxic substance lectin. This substance disappears during the heating of the beans.

How To Prepare Green Beans.

14. Haricot’s vert’s

The Haricots vert also belongs in the list of 17 types of beans. Haricots vert literally translates as green bean. They resemble the green bean but are longer and slimmer in shape.

The bean also has a softer and milder taste and is more expensive to purchase, it is a luxury bean.

The haricote vert are more crunchy and often darker in color than the common green bean. It has a typical soft bean taste. However, this bean does not make any noise while eating, it does not gnaw or squeak.

The haricote verts can also be boiled and stir-fried. This bean is also good to stir fry.

15. String beans

The string bean is a long flat bean of up to 25 centimeters long. They have a bright green color.

As the name suggests, these beans are cut into strips.

String beans have a real bean flavor and are usually served as a main course. Cut into strips or cubes, boiled and served on a plate.

16. Bacon beans

The bacon bean is more fleshy than the green bean. Bacon beans are in between string beans and green beans. They are flatter than a green bean, but not as flat as a string bean.

The color of the bacon bean is generally greenish.

The bacon bean has a slightly sweet taste.

The bacon beans can be used for the same dishes as the green bean is used for.

17. Show off

The next bean in the row of 17 types of beans is the show-off. The Pronkers are special, because Pronkers are the beans of the Pronker tree. Both the bean and the whole legume are eaten.

The legume is a long green bean, also green in color, just longer. The showpieces come from central Mexico and Central America.

The taste of the show off is more pronounced than that of the green bean.

Just like the green bean, these showpieces can also be prepared in many ways; cooking, baking and wok cooking. Also, do not eat this bean raw, because the flaunts contain lectin, which is poisonous. Lectin disappears during heating.

The bean of the showpieces are also eaten separately and then they are beans. The bean is large and greenish/white in colour.

They have a creamy buttery taste and can be a great substitute for the lima bean.

Are Lentils And Capuchins Also Beans?

Finally, we would like to mention the lentils and capuchins. However, these are not beans. Lentils are actually a grain crop but are often seen as beans.

Capuchins are also not beans, but they do fall under the large group of legumes. Capuchins are peas.

So these are the 17 types of beans. Make your choice and enjoy your meal.