Cannellini Beans

Also known asCannellini · Fagioli Cannellini

Name: Cannellini beans, also called white kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) — medium-large, kidney-shaped, creamy white beans with a smooth, tender skin and a mild, nutty, slightly earthy taste. They are a staple of Italian, especially Tuscan, cooking.

Description

Cannellini were brought to Italy from the Americas in the 16th century, and became a staple of Tuscan cooking, where people are nicknamed mangiafagioli, “bean eaters.” They are the bean of ribollita, pasta e fagioli, fagioli all'uccelletto and the Tuscan zuppa di fagioli.

Their creamy interior and thin skin make them ideal for soups, purees and salads. They are widely available canned and dried, and are sold under the name white kidney beans in the United States, and a separate page covers that name.

Main nutrition value

Cannellini beans are an excellent source of plant protein and fibre, and provide folate, iron, magnesium and potassium, with little fat.

How best to be consumed

Cannellini beans are creamy and mild, and take on the flavours of sage, garlic and olive oil.

1. Soak dried beans in plenty of water for 8 to 12 hours, then drain and rinse, which shortens cooking time and reduces gas.
2. Simmer with sage, garlic and olive oil for 60 to 90 minutes, until soft and creamy, boiling fast for the first 10 minutes.
3. Use in soups, stews, salads, pasta dishes and on toast.
4. Mash into dips with lemon, olive oil and herbs.
5. Rinse canned beans, to reduce salt and the starchy liquid.

Overconsumption could cause…

Cannellini beans are healthy in food amounts when cooked, with a point about the lectin.

1. Digestive upset (nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea) from raw or undercooked beans, which contain natural lectins that cooking destroys, so always boil dried beans thoroughly. Cannellini and other kidney beans contain a lot, so they must be boiled hard for at least 10 minutes.
2. Bloating and gas from the fermentable carbohydrates (oligosaccharides) in beans, particularly if you are not used to eating them, so build up gradually and drink water.
3. High sodium in canned beans, so choose no-added-salt cans and rinse them well.
4. Reduced absorption of iron, zinc and calcium from the phytates in dried beans, which soaking, sprouting and thorough cooking reduce.

GroupsBeansLegume familyHigh proteinLow fatLow sodiumRich in ironRich in magnesiumRich in potassium

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Wikipedia — Cannellini bean, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannellini_bean