12 Types of Beans (and How to Cook With Them)

Black beans are native to the Americas and a staple of Central and South American cuisine (they're eaten almost daily in Nicoya, Costa Rica, one of the five blue zones). They have a firm-yet-creamy texture and mild, earthy taste that pairs well with almost anything, especially sweet, spicy and other vibrant flavors. Use them as a topping for grain bowls or roasted sweet potatoes, stir them into hearty soups or stuff them into tacos, quesadillas and burritos. Like other legumes, they have a low glycemic index and have been shown to reduce the glycemic load of meals.

Fun fact: Pinto beans are the most popular dried beans in the United States. The earthy, nutty beans have a similar creamy texture as black beans but they are not as firm, which makes them great for mashing into refried beans. They contain many important vitamins and minerals, but are particularly high in thiamine, which helps your body convert food into energy. Try them in hearty Pinto Bean and Poblano Soup, layer refried pinto beans in cheesy Enchilada Pie or sprinkle them into a healthy Tex-Mex Chicken Salad.

Also called white kidney beans, these tender, slightly elongated white beans are popular in Italian cuisine and pair well with Italian dishes, such as Pasta e Fagioli. Cannellini beans are high in several essential nutrients, but they're particularly rich in copper and folate, which play a role in your energy production and metabolism, respectively. They're also high in iron, key for producing hemoglobin. For the ultimate comfort food, make Saucy Pizza Beans: toasted sourdough topped with cannellini beans, sauce and cheese and broiled until melty.

Plump and dark red, these beans hold their shape well and have an earthy flavor that’s delicious in chili or minestrone soup. They're a great source of protein, with nearly seven grams in just 1/2 cup. Kidney beans are also rich in a type of fiber called resistant starch, which feeds the good bacteria in your gut, key for maintaining a healthy digestive system. Try them in our Turkey Chili or Creole-inspired Fried Rice.

Also called chickpeas, these buttery, nutty-flavored beans are a staple in so many recipes. They have an ultra-firm texture that holds up in soups and salads, and their low moisture content means they turn crispy when roasted, or fluffy on the inside when fried into falafel. While they don't mash well, you can pull down your food processor to purée them into the best hummus ever. Chickpeas are a particularly good source of manganese, key for blood clotting and bone health.

Edamame beans are immature soybeans, with a slightly sweet, pea-like taste. You can find edamame pods or the shelled beans in the freezer section at your grocery store, where they typically come in microwaveable bags. Just steam the beans and use them in recipes like fried rice, noodle salads or soup, or cook up the whole pods, sprinkle them with salt and serve as a snack. Get almost 19 grams of plant-based protein per cup and eight grams of gut-filling fiber.

Despite the name, these small orbs are considered beans, with dark "eyes" in their centers. They have a dense, creamy texture that stands up well in stews, like the iconic New Year’s Day dish Hoppin’ John. Black-eyed peas are rich in several of the same nutrients as other beans, like protein, fiber, folate and copper, and they're also high in polyphenols, which are compounds that have been shown to prevent cell damage and protect against many chronic diseases.

These small, firm beans (also known as haricot beans) are very mild in taste, which makes them perfect for soaking up stronger flavors. They're a key ingredient in baked beans and English breakfasts, but they also shine in soups, stews and more. Navy beans stand out for their fiber content — a whopping 19 grams per cup — which might explain their potential for reducing LDL (bad) cholesterol and increasing HDL (good) cholesterol.

Adzuki beans are small beans grown throughout East Asia and common in Japanese, Korean and Chinese cooking. They are commonly used in treats like red bean paste (which fills mochi, cakes and other pastries or flavors ice cream) because of their slightly sweet, nutty flavor. They can also be used in savory dishes like rice and beans. They boast many of the same health benefits as other beans, plus they're relatively high in antioxidants.

These green-hued beans, also known as broad beans, are a classic symbol of spring. They grow inside long pods and must be shelled before eating, a labor-intensive process that's worth it for the delicate, sweet vegetal flavor. Dried fava beans require less prep work, though their flavor is a bit more mild. The springtime crop can be mashed into a spread, dip or sauce, stirred into pasta dishes or simply sautéed in olive oil and served with a squeeze of lemon.

Mung beans are likely native to India but widely cultivated throughout Asia for use in sweet and savory recipes. The mild, slightly sweet beans cook down easily into soups and stews, such as khichdi, or can be processed into a paste for desserts. Their long, crunchy sprouts are also eaten in salads, stir fries and more. Mung beans are high in fiber and protein, and they're also a source of iron, magnesium and potassium.

These large, flat beans are the same variety as lima beans (really!). Green lima beans are younger, whereas white lima beans or butter beans are harvested a little bit later. True to their name, they have a buttery, creamy interior but sturdy exterior that keeps well in bean salads, casseroles, soups and more. You'll get over 90% of your daily value of manganese in one cup of butter beans. In addition to blood clotting and bone health, the micronutrient is important for metabolizing glucose.