White Kidney Beans

Name: White kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) — large, kidney-shaped, creamy-white beans, sold as cannellini beans in Italy and much of Europe, with a mild, nutty flavour and a smooth, tender texture. The cannellini page describes the Italian side of the same bean.

Description

White kidney beans are the white-seeded form of the common kidney bean, and are native to the Americas. They became especially popular in Tuscany, in Italy, as cannellini, and are widely sold canned and dried around the world. They are the bean of Italian soups and salads, and of Greek and Middle Eastern bean stews.

Their creamy, thin-skinned interior is milder than that of red kidney beans, and their neutral flavour makes them good for mashing, blending into soups and enriching sauces. Like all kidney beans, they contain a natural lectin and must be cooked thoroughly.

Main nutrition value

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

How best to be consumed

White kidney beans are mild and creamy, and good in soups and salads.

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. Boil hard for 10 minutes, then simmer for 60 to 90 minutes until completely soft.
3. Use in minestrone, ribollita, salads, pasta dishes and stews.
4. Blend into dips and soups, to thicken them without cream.
5. Rinse canned beans, to reduce salt.

Overconsumption could cause…

White kidney beans are healthy when properly cooked.

1. Digestive upset (nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea) from raw or undercooked beans, which contain natural lectins that cooking destroys, so always boil dried beans thoroughly. White kidney beans contain high levels, 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