From adzuki to kidney, beans have been an essential part of our diets throughout history. They’re one of the most commonly eaten foods globally and are a staple in many countries and cultures. 

And for good reason. 

Beans are inexpensive and, whether dried or canned, can sit in your pantry for a long time. Full of vitamins and minerals, beans have an impressive nutritional profile. Their high protein content makes them an important food for plant-based eaters. 

There are over 400 types of beans throughout the world. These are the top 9 we think you should know about. 

1) Kidney Beans

One of the most commonly eaten beans globally, kidney beans are native to Central America and Mexico. This variety of bean is grown throughout the world, with India cultivating a crop in almost every state.  

With a shape similar to the human kidney (hence the name), the kidney bean comes in various colors and patterns such as white, black, red, spotted, and striped. Kidney beans have a hint of sweetness and a soft, buttery texture with minimal taste variation between the different types. 

Red kidney beans are used in various traditional dishes, such as a popular curry in India called rajma masala to the well-known Italian soup pasta e fagioli. 

The Connoisseurus Veg has a quick, and easy plant-based recipe for pasta e fagioli. Try it here. 

2) Black Beans

Also known as turtle beans because of their hard, shell-like appearance, the black bean has been grown and consumed in the Americas for over 7,000 years. 

This small, oval-shaped bean has a satiny black color and a dense, almost meaty texture. It’s a popular bean to use in stews, soups, dips, and salads. For adventurous bakers, black beans can be used as the base for brownies and cakes. Feijoada, a stew of beans typically made with beef or pork, is the national dish of Brazil. 

Try the veganized version of this famous Brazilian dish from Cheap & Cheerful Cooking. 

3) Cannellini Beans

First cultivated in Argentina, the cannellini bean, or white kidney bean, is now almost exclusively commercially produced in Italy. 

The cannellini bean is creamy white with a slight kidney shape and squared ends. When cooked, they have a fluffy texture and a mild, nutty flavor. Because they keep their shape well, cannellini beans are great to use in stews, soups, chilis, and casseroles. These beans are often the star of the well-known Italian soup, minestrone.

The Vegan Richa has an easy and tasty plant-based version of minestrone here. 

4) Fava Beans

Fava beans, known as broad beans in Commonwealth countries like the U.K., are one of the world’s oldest cultivated plants. No one seems to know precisely where they originated, though their history has been traced back as far as 6,000 B.C.E. It’s widely believed they originated somewhere in the Mediterranean, and the bean is popular among people from that part of the world. 

Fava beans are large, plump, and flat beans. With their light green color, fava beans look similar to lima beans but are starchier and fuller in flavor. They’re nutty and slightly sweet with a hint of bitterness. Some people have even described them as tasting like cheese. 

In Sichuan cuisine, fava beans are often combined with soybeans and chili peppers to make a spicy, fermented bean paste called doubanjiang. The bean is also commonly used in Colombia, Algeria, and Ethiopia. Egypt’s national dish, foul mudammas, is a dip of mashed fava beans mixed with spices. 

Visit the Mediterranean Dish to try Suzy’s delicious recipe for foul mudammas. 

5) Red Beans

Thought to have been grown as long as 8,000 years ago, the small red bean was most likely spread amongst the migrating tribes of Central America, serving as an important source of protein in their diets. 

The small oval-shaped bean resembles a kidney bean but is smaller, rounder, and brighter in color. This bean has a mild, creamy flavor and can hold its shape during cooking, making it perfect for simmered dishes such as red beans and rice. The small red bean is very popular in Caribbean and Southern U.S. cuisines. A variation of red beans and rice can be found in Cuba, Haiti, and Louisiana, to name a few. 

Try this vegan-friendly recipe for red beans and rice from Emilie Eats.

6) Mung Beans

Mung beans are the most consumed bean in the world. They were domesticated for cultivation in India and then spread out to the rest of Asia. This bean is mainly through parts of Asia, though South America and Australia grow commercially as well. 

The bean is small and olive green with a white speck in the center. Sold fresh, dried, or as sprouts, the mung bean has a slightly sweet taste. It’s typically used in salads, soup, and stir-fries. 

Not sure what to do with the leftover sprouts in that giant package you bought? Make a bean sprout stir-fry with garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, and brown sugar. It’s a fast and super-healthy side dish. 

7) Pinto Beans

Derived from a bean ancestor originating in Peru, the pinto bean was spread throughout South and Central America by migrating tribes. It’s the most highly consumed dry bean in the United States and is the most popular bean by crop in Northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States. 

Pinto beans are pale brown with reddish-brown streaks when raw. The streaks disappear when the beans are cooked, and they become pale pinkish-brown. Pinto beans are commonly used in Latin American dishes such as refried beans and chili con carne. 

Try these refried beans by Mexican Made Meatless as an accompaniment to your next Mexican meal. 

8) Black-Eyed Peas

This bean variety is believed to have originated in North Africa, where they’ve been eaten for centuries. Today the black-eyed pea is grown around the world. 

This bean has a pale cream color with a distinctive black mark resembling an eye. With their dense consistency and robust, earthy flavor, black-eyed peas are used to make all kinds of dishes, such as casseroles and stews. 

Both Italian and Southern U.S. cultures have a tradition of eating black-eyed peas for prosperity. Hoppin’ John is often cooked in the south of the U.S. on New Year’s Day to bring good luck throughout the year. 

Try this Hoppin’ John recipe by Sweet Potato Soul. 

9) Adzuki Beans

The wild ancestor of the adzuki bean was found throughout Asia. It’s believed to have been domesticated for cultivation around 3,000 B.C.E. The exact area of that domestication is unknown. Today the adzuki bean is widely cultivated throughout Asia, with the U.S., South America, India, New Zealand, and Angola also boasting large commercial crops. 

The most common variation of the adzuki bean is red, but there are also white, black, gray, and speckled varieties. Adzuki beans have a firm texture and a rich, nutty flavor. They’re commonly used in cuisines throughout Asia; in Japan, they’re the second most important bean after the soybean. 

In East Asia, the bean is usually sweetened before eating. It’s boiled with sugar, producing a red bean paste, a common ingredient in Asian cuisines. Red bean paste is used in steamed buns, sticky rice balls, and red bean ice cream. 

Try this recipe for sweet red bean paste from the Pickled Plum and experiment with it in a variety of dishes. 

Beans are highly nutritious, containing a little bit of almost every nutrient you need. What’s more, beans are very cheap compared to most other nutritious, whole foods. 

Beans can make a great addition to your diet, especially for plant-based eaters searching for non-meat proteins. And though they do vary slightly in texture and flavor, most beans are interchangeable in recipes, making them super easy to use. 

What beans and recipes will you try?